This Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake is SO scrumptious and easy to make! It tastes like the gooey center of a cinnamon roll in a soft and moist cake!
I absolutely LOVE anything to do with cinnamon rolls. Cinnabon’s are my top favorite, but any soft and gooey roll is my absolute weakness and favorite treat!
I also love cake, so naturally, this cake was right up my alley.
I know cakes aren’t usually the most holiday-time dessert, but I love cakes year-round and this one is no exception. It is every bit as comforting and cozy as its fellow pumpkin and apple counterparts – probably because of those thick ribbony swirls of cinnamon and brown sugar. I grew up eating cinnamon sugar toast, so that flavor combination will always be my top favorite and so cozy to me!
The cake itself is very moist and soft – a good vanilla cake with those thick swirls of the cinnamon and brown sugar. As it bakes, the cinnamon sugar mixture seeps deep into the cake, creating these delicious ribbons. The cake is capped off with a simple glaze that really sends this cake over the top!
If Cinnabon made a cake, it would definitely taste like this!
One of the best parts is, you can do a little customization if you’d like! You could add in chopped pecans or walnuts to the brown sugar & cinnamon mixture, or add in miniature chocolate chips for a little chocolaty kick. I like mine written as is because I am a purist, but these would be tasty additions!
The cinnamon brown sugar mixture can get very gooey, so my tip for ensuring your cake is done baking is to stick a cake tester or toothpick into the center of the cake, not into a brown sugar ribbon. As the cake bakes, the brown sugar mixture will depress a little into the cake batter, creating what’s almost like tunnels. To make sure you don’t overcook your cake, test it into the cake, not the brown sugar “tunnel.”
But whatever you do, you MUST make this fantastic Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake! Comfort food at its peak!
*adapted from The Country Cook
Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake
This Cinnamon Roll Cake tastes like a cake and a Cinnabon bun mixed together in beautiful, delicious harmony! Moist, soft and cakey with thick ribbons of brown sugar and cinnamon!
Servings: 12
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1½ cups milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup salted butter melted
For the Filling:
- 3/4 cup (1½ sticks) salted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
For the Glaze:
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 5 Tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° degrees F. Liberally spray a 9×13 light metal rectangular baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.
For the cake: In a large bowl, combine all of the cake batter ingredients except for the melted butter. Slowly add in the melted butter until fully combined. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Set aside.
For the filling: In a medium bowl, beat together the softened butter, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon together until moistened. Drop heaping Tablespoonfuls of the brown sugar filling mixture evenly over the top of the cake batter. Using a butter knife, swirl the brown sugar filling into the cake batter.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake portion comes out clean or with moist but not wet crumbs. Cool for at least 20 minutes.
For the glaze: IN a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until combined. Drizzle over the warm cake.
Notes
For neater slices like the ones pictured, wait for the cake to cool completely (though it tastes amazing warm, just won’t slice as cleanly!).
This cake is super delicious and totally comforting! Like a deep dish, cakey cinnamon roll!
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
