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Cinnamon Roll Cake From Scratch

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This Cinnamon Roll Cake has all the features of your favorite roll and is made entirely from scratch! Every layer of this cake is made in just minutes using ingredients that you have in your pantry.

If you love cinnamon desserts, like this cake, you will love our Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole and the Cinnamon Sugar Mini Donut Muffins!

cinnamon roll cake A Cinnamon Roll Cake From Scratch

So many recipes use a cake mix, a tube of biscuits or even cinnamon rolls. I don’t buy these because I love to make them using real ingredients, like flour and eggs. So I am here to tell you today that it is absolutely possible to make a Cinnamon Roll Cake from scratch, which means that all you need is basic staples and you can make an irresistible treat without sacrificing the taste or having shattered expectations. Because this cake tastes just like a cinnamon roll – everyone’s favorite sweet roll.

Cinnamon Roll Cake Cinnamon Roll Cake From Scratch

Instructions:

Everything comes together so quickly and no special equipment is needed. The base is a delicious yellow butter cake with a perfectly moist and delicate crumb. The cinnamon filling is incredible and as soon as you make it – you will want to put it on everything! The vanilla glaze is the perfect finishing touch on this cake.

The cake layer

  • Grease the cake pan and preheat the oven.
  • Whisk dry ingredients together. Add wet ingredients (except butter) and whisk well.
  • Whisk in melted butter until the cake batter is smooth.
  • Pour into the pan and set aside.

The cinnamon filling

  • Using an electric mixer, beat butter for about 30 seconds.
  • Add flour and cinnamon and mix for 2 minutes until the mixture is fluffy.
  • Spread the filling on top of cake batter, keeping 1″ away from the edges.
  • Make swirls with spatula or a spoon.
  • Bake cake until done.

The glaze

  • Whisk sifted powder sugar with milk and vanilla.
  • Spread over still warm cake.

How do I know if the cake is done?

To check if the cake is baked through, insert a toothpick (or dry spaghetti noodle!) into the cake part. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. If it has few crumbs stuck to it, place it back in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes longer.

Can I make it in a bundt pan?

Yes! To make this cake in a bundt pan, pour half of the cake batter into the greased and floured pan, then spread and swirl filling, then topped with remaining cake batter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. When done, dress up the cake with glaze.

More sweet recipes:

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If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out! 😀

4.92 from 25 votes
cinnamon roll cake A 150x150 Cinnamon Roll Cake From Scratch
Print
Cinnamon Roll Cake From Scratch
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
28 mins
Total Time
43 mins
 

This Cinnamon Roll Cake has all the features of your favorite roll and is made entirely from scratch! Every layer of this cake is made in just minutes using ingredients that you usually have in your pantry.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cinnamon roll cake
Servings: 15 servings
Calories: 443 kcal
Author: Anna
Ingredients
for the cake:
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour sifted
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 and 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted, 1 stick
for the cinnamon filling:
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature, 2 sticks
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
for the glaze:
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
to make the cake:
  1. Grease a 9"x13" cake pan (or line it with parchment paper or aluminum foil and grease the sides and bottom). Set aside.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, sugar and baking powder.
  4. Add milk, eggs and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
  5. Slowly add the melted butter and whisk until everything is smooth.
  6. Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Set aside.
  7. In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter with electric mixer until creamy.
  8. Add sugar, flour and cinnamon and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. (It will look crumbly at first but keep beating, it will come together.)
  9. Spread the filling over the cake batter, leaving at least 1 inch of space from the edge of the pan. Swirl gently with a off-set icing spatula or a rubber spatula.
  10. Bake the cake for 28 to 32 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in the cake part comes out clean.
  11. Cool the cake for 15 minutes. Pour the glaze over the cake and spread evenly.
to make the glaze:
  1. Sift the powdered sugar over a medium mixing bowl.
  2. Add vanilla and milk and whisk together until smooth and drizzling consistency. Spread over still warm cake.
  3. Keeps covered in room temperature for up to 3 days.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes
  • Some of you had a problem with the cinnamon filling burning on the edges of the pan while the cake is not done yet. I am making a not in the recipe not to spread the cinnamon filling all the way to the edge of the cake batter. Leave at least 1 inch of space from the edge. Thank you for the comments and letting me know!
  • Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.
Nutrition Facts
Cinnamon Roll Cake From Scratch
Amount Per Serving
Calories 443 Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*
Fat 19g29%
Saturated Fat 11g69%
Cholesterol 71mg24%
Sodium 58mg3%
Potassium 199mg6%
Carbohydrates 64g21%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 43g48%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 605IU12%
Calcium 93mg9%
Iron 1.6mg9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe was originally published on October 10th, 2013 and updated on March 22nd, 2020.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Trish says

    Has anyone tried making this into a 9″ round 2-layer cake? (or 8″round 3-layer cake?) I thought I could just use a cream cheese frosting between and on the top layer. Any suggestions? Would it be too heavy to layer?

    Reply

  2. Clint Carothers says

    I made this several times, my daughter’s favorite cake and one she wants every year for her birthday. Instead of the glaze recipe, I make a buttercream icing that I either spread on when the cake is still warm or put a big scoop of it on top of a piece and microwave it for 15 seconds or so. It takes this cake to another level!!

    Reply

  3. Lorna Poaster says

    Just made this for Mother’s Day brunch. Wow! This is the best cinnamon dessert ever! Followed recipe to the letter and it came out perfect! Didn’t cut into squares. Just let people scoop out what they wanted. It literally melts in your mouth. So many compliments! So pleased with this recipe, everyone came back for seconds and even thirds! This will be a regular staple in my brunch offerings in the future.

    Reply

  4. Lolo says

    I made this cake and it was really tasty and hit with the family only problem I had was the middle part of the cake with cinnamon was abit gooey and i even cooked it for longer then the stated time on recipe but didn’t help … so not sure what happened there any ideas ? Could it Have been me usinb a small baking tray ? Or too much butter ?

    Reply

  5. Michelle says

    Hi!

    I love this cake, I’ve made it for many a brunch occasion, and always to rave reviews. Would this work OK if I cut the recipe in half?

    Reply

  6. Michele says

    I made this cake and it was incredible! So I tried it again the other day using a bundt pan as you suggested was possible. Mine totally fell apart because the center was too soft and the bottom layer, though cooked completely, was drenched with butter. Any tips if someone else tries the bundt pan? I know I’ll make it again, but I’ll stick with the 9×13 instead.

    Reply

  7. Jenn says

    What a wonderful recipe! I found that wrapping individual pieces and keeping them in the freezer makes it easy to keep on hand for enjoying with coffee/tea. It microwaves beautifully! Yum!

    Reply

  9. AMANDA says

    absolutely the best, i am a mom o 16 yr old boy i take three of his friends home from school i took this yesterday fresh. They loved it one comment was why does it have to be soooo goooood!!!!!!!!

    THANK YOU
    THIS IS A FAMILY HEIRLOOM

    Reply

  10. Janet says

    I doubled the recipe for a large family, it came out great,, smelled heavenly, tasted great. A little dry the second day but was fine when microwaved 15 seconds. Fyi a small piece goes a long way. Next time I won’t double it…Lol

    Reply

  13. Jamie Hakes Millard says

    This was amazingly delicious. I might try just using 1 and 1/2 sticks of butter in the filling next time because it was oozing through the bottom of the cake a lot.

    Reply

  14. Denise Stewart says

    This cake is amazing! I made it last night and it was the biggest hit! It just melts in your mouth! I was curious if you have tried reducing the butter at all and replacing 1 stick of butter with 1 c. of applesauce? I’m so happy I came across your blog… your recipes look so good! Thank you for sharing!!!

    Reply

  15. PJ says

    Absolutely delicious, I have made it on four seperate occasions now. I half the batch since.their is only two people eating and it is more than enough food. I have only finished it off in one sitting twice

    Reply

  16. Jennifer says

    Hi, I need some help with this cake! I made this yesterday per the instructions and the filling came out a big old mess. When i spread the filling on top of the cake batter, and then swirled/marbled it in, it really did no good at all. The filling sat on top of the cake as it baked, and did not seep into the cake at all. Essentially, I ended up with a yellow cake and a crispy cooked cinnamon brown sugar crust on top. I was hesitant to put the vanilla glaze on top of all this mess. Judging by the photo, it looks like you may have layered some of the batter, then put the filling, and then put the rest of the batter on top prior to marbling. Suggestions, anyone??

    Reply

    • CrunchyCreamySw says

      Hi Jennifer! I am so sorry you had problems with this cake. The filling should sink into the cake during baking. I didn’t layer it. I spread it over the batter (as seen in photos).

      Reply

      • Jennifer says

        Hmm, I wonder why my filling did not sink in…it bubbled up and oozed all over the place, like I was cooking caramel or something! 🙂 Maybe I’ll try layering mine to see how it comes out!

        Reply

    • Suzie says

      Hi there. This cake looked great in the pictures, but I had the exact same trouble as Jennifer on 5/26/14. Completely liquid caramel-like layer on top of the cake layer (as cake was baking) hardened to a grainy, crunchy layer. I followed the instructions exactly except that I didn’t assemble the wet/dry elements of the batter until I was ready to put the whole thing together. Maybe that’s the issue? Maybe it’s important that the cake batter begin to rise in the pan before you add the spoonfuls of filling, so that they more or less stay in place? But it strikes me that the filling might need more flour or something to keep its body – otherwise, in a 350-degree oven, I don’t see how it would fail to liquify and just run all over the place. Maybe there’s a reason cinnamon buns have a yeated dough… ?

      Reply

  17. Muriah says

    I made this yesterday, to have with my coffee this weekend. It is WONDERFUL! Someone at work had made a cinnamon roll cake and I loved it, so I searched the recipe and found yours, and I’m glad I did! The cake itself has such a moist and crumbly texture, I can see myself using the base recipe for other types of cakes. The ONLY thing I’d do different next time is add a little more sugar to the cinnamon mixture, probably some white sugar along with the brown. I’ll shut up now so I can enjoy my cake n coffee;)

    Reply

  18. Eric Altman says

    I just made this now and had a big square. It’s… almost perfect but a little off. A bit of graininess like perhaps some raw flour remained, and I followed directions to the letter (and number). Textural issues aside, it’s incredibly delicious!

    Reply

  19. Vusala says

    Hello! I found this recipe while googlin for smth to use loads of butter I had. Made it the other day, and… OMG never tried anythin tastier!!! Though I’m trynna lose some postpartum weight, couldnt hold myself n ate whole 2 slices while still warm! Thank you a bunch! In my recipes book already. Cant wait to try other recipes from you.
    Cheers!

    Reply

  20. Bea Muniz says

    This recipe is fabulously delicious!! I made this cinnamon roll cake on Christmas morning and my boys and neighbors loved it! Now my oldest son has asked me to bake it again, so here I go! (Note to self: Print this recipe, its a keeper!)

    Reply

  22. mandy says

    I think it’s a great base recipe. I made it today for work and it was a huge hit. The variations could be
    fun. Using orange or lemon zest in place of cinnamon? Or cardamom and almond? Cinnamon and slivered almonds- would taste like those candied almonds from the fair! Or browned butter and bacon in the cake??! OMG. Now I want to make this again.

    Reply

  23. CrunchyCreamySw says

    Hi there! The melted butter is not the one you should grease the pan with. The melted butter goes into the batter of the cake. Check the step by step photos. Thanks!

    Reply

  24. Ginny Raniag says

    I made this yesterday and it was the best from scratch cake Ive ever made! Made it just like the recipe says. Loved it!

    Reply

  25. Nicole Durban says

    I made this and it was amazing, I have never been able to succeed making cinnamon buns (hockey pucks) so this is a fantastic alternative and my kids loved it 🙂 thank you!

    Reply

  26. Alicia Hansen says

    I wanted to let you know I tried this recently and it is AMAZING!! I used it for some cinnamon roll cake pops (after I had some of the cake for myself, yum!) and the flavor was perfect. I loved it so much I have it as a regular on my menu and hope people order all the time so I have a reason to make the cake, lol. I’m definitely going to make this for the next fight-night potluck I attend. Thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply

  27. vintage finds says

    I love your blog and so far every yummy recipe I have made has been over the top excellent…it made our Christmas extra delightful & also to the friends I gave goodie baskets to..your recipes are amazing…
    I do have one question about the cinnamon cake. …I just made it..well it is in the oven but the problem I had was when I had the filling all ready to spread I knew there was going to be an issue with the thickness of the filling…it does not spread evenly nor will it spread at all…it is way to thick….so did I miss something or is there an easier way to get this filling to spread without interrupting the cake batter itself?….just need to know as I plan on making it 50 times till I get it down perfect because it looks amazing and I can smell it cooking now & wow is all I can say….just need advice on the filling….thanks so much & for all the wonderful recipes

    Reply

    • CrunchyCreamySw says

      Hi there! Thank you so much for the lovely comment! I will make the cake again and take photos of all the steps. I hope that will help. Have a fabulous day!

      Reply

  28. Daisy says

    Wow, I was giving the recipe a side-eye with the amount of butter it takes, but it ended up tasting delicious! Thanks for the recipe! I didn’t have a 9×13 cake pan on hand, so I used a 9-in springform pan instead. I don’t think I swirled the filling into the cake enough since a lot of it stayed in the middle and prevented the whole cake from hardening, but it was still a hit!

    Reply

  29. CrunchyCreamySw says

    Hi Carito! Thank you for the comment. It looks like it the filling is in the middle because it will sink in a little during baking. The instructions are correct. One of my readers made the cake a day before and it came out great. You can see her comment below. As far as baking at high altitudes, I recommend this article. It has all the tips you need:

    http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipe/high-altitude-baking.html

    Let me know how it goes! Thank you!

    Reply

    • KatiaCur says

      Good day! I’m baking this wonderful looking cake for my husband’s b-day tomorrow (yup…valentine’s baby!) since he doesn’t like any traditional cake, but loves cinnamon rolls. Thanks for this comment! we’re at high altitude, and I was going to write now asking you for tips about it…so this comment by Carito and you just made my planning complete!! I will let you know how it all went!! thanks for working out this wonderful recipe!!

      Reply

  30. Maya says

    Thanks for the recipe. I easily veganized, used a tube pan instead of a square pan and I omitted the icing. I think it’s just perfect with the cinnamon topping. I also cut the amount of butter on the filling half because, let’s face it. 1 stick ought to be enough and it came out just as gooey delicious mmm, mmm, mmm. (Sorry, I can’t speak, I’m eating!!!) 🙂 Thanks again for sharing!!! This is sure to become a traditional recipe at my house from now on.

    Reply

      • Debbie Sullivan says

        Made this tonight for a treat. It was easy to make and turned out exactly as it was suppose to. I used the 9 x 13″ glass dish. I cut the butter back from 1 cup to 3/4 after reading some commments about having to much butter.
        Will be making this again.
        Thanks

        Reply

  31. Nicole says

    I’ve made this a couple times when we have house guests…..next time will be Thanksgiving morning….To help with all I have to do that day….I mix it up the night before and then I just have to cook it in the morning….comes out great 🙂

    Reply

  32. Kathie Olson says

    I made this cake this morning and it smelled wonderful. It took at least 10 mins longer to cook and even then the center was not cooked through. Has anyone else had that problem.
    It’s possible the problem came from forgetting to add the milk till after I mixed the dry ingredients, eggs and melted butter.

    Reply

    • CrunchyCreamySw says

      Hi Kathie! I am so glad you tried the cake! Thank you! It is always recommended to follow the instructions and the order of adding the ingredients. It happened to me before that one little mistake changed the final product.

      Reply

    • Ursula says

      I followed the steps carefully and am having the same problem! the brownsugar filling is burning on the sides but the centre of the cake is still not cooked thorugh, jelly-like. I will cook it longer see how it goes.

      Reply

      • CrunchyCreamySw says

        Hi Ursula! I will make a note in the recipe to not to spread the cinnamon filling all the way to the edge of the cake batter. I think this might help. So glad it was a hit on the birthday dinner! Thank you so much for the comment!

        Reply

    • kitchenexplorer says

      i am doing this as we speak and it wasn’t cooked right through either, am guessing coz i dint follow the order of events, but i just cant wait for it to set! already smells delish!!! thank you soooo much for providing an outlet for satisfying my cinnamon pastry craving(and fantasy of making it myself)!!!!!!!!!!!

      Reply

  37. Erin says

    It’s from scratch. Yay! 🙂 I don’t have anything against cake mixes. I just get annoyed when I see a recipe with them because we don’t have cake mixes over here.

    Anyway, awesome recipe! I’ve never tried anything like this. Gotta get on that!

    Reply

  38. Nancy says

    This sounds like a dream, Anna, a wonderful delicious dream! I love cakes that are insanely tasty yet easy to make. Anything that tastes like a cinnamon roll without all the fuss is welcome in my life!

    Reply

  42. Stacy | Wicked Good Kitchen says

    Goodness, gracious! Anna, your Cinnamon Roll Cake looks phenomenally good! Love that you enjoy baking from scratch like I do. Kudos, girl…I cannot wait to bake this. Mmmm. Thanks for sharing! Pinning (of course)!

    Reply

  43. Jessica |Portuguese Girl Cooks says

    This looks fabulous, Anna! Definitely making this for Thanksgiving this weekend! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  44. Jennifer says

    If I wanted the cake to be pumpkin flavored, how would you suggest adjusting the cake ingredient amounts? This sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

    • CrunchyCreamySw says

      Hi Jennifer! I would probably add about 1/4 to 1/2 c of pumpkin puree to the filling mixture. Let me know if you try it! Thank you!

      Reply

  45. Courtney @ Neighborfood says

    I love this! Cinnamon rolls are amazing, but sometimes I don’t want to mess with yeast. This looks like the perfect way to get my fix without the fuss!

    Reply

  47. Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe says

    I recently saw a similar recipe and bookmarked it to try. I love the idea of cinnamon roll flavor without the time and effort of making cinnamon rolls. YUM.

    Reply

  48. CrunchyCreamySw says

    Hi Adri! Welcome to CCS! Thank you so much for such a sweet comment. I am so happy that you stopped by! I do hope you try this cake – it is fabulous!

    Reply

  50. Curry and Comfort says

    Nom, nom… nom!! I would love a big piece of this yummy treat. 🙂 It’s morning here and checking this out on an empty stomach… my stomach just growled… “gimeme some!!”

    Reply

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