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Make this easy cinnamon roll cake recipe for breakfast or brunch. It uses basic pantry ingredients and is ready to eat in under an hour!
My favorite kind of dishes to make are ones that use normal ingredients and that I know my family will love. This recipe for Cinnamon Roll Cake meets both of those requirements! I made this last weekend when my kids were home. I measured out everything the night before. On Sunday morning, all I had to do was put it together and bake it. It could also be baked the night before and warmed in the microwave before serving.
This recipe is in three sections. The first section is the actual cake batter. After that, there is a butter and brown sugar mixture that gets swirled through the cake batter. At this point, the cake is baked. The last (and best) part of the cake is the glaze. That’s added after the cake is baked. Don’t be put off by these steps because they are not hard at all!
Cinnamon Roll Cake Tips
- This recipe makes a 9 x 13 pan and is big enough to feed a crowd. You can easily get twelves pieces.
- For my family, I cut the recipe in half and bake it in an 8 x 8 pan (which is pictured above.)
- I prepare my baking pans with Baker’s Joy.
- Because this cinnamon roll cake uses basic pantry ingredients, it’s the perfect last-minute addition to any breakfast or brunch menu.
My favorite cinnamon rolls ever in this world can be found at Ann Sather in Chicago. I’ve only been there once, but I remember the exact taste of their cinnamon roll frosting. The sugar glaze that goes on top of this cake, when it’s hot from the oven, tastes identical to the frosting at Ann Sather. It’s amazing!
Cinnamon Roll Cake Recipe
Rate this Recipe Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
CAKE
- 3 cups Flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Sugar
- 4 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 1/2 cups Milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 cup butter melted, 1 stick
TOPPING
- 1 cup butter softened, 2 sticks
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Flour
- 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
GLAZE
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 5 Tablespoons Milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13 inch glass baking pan with cooking spray or Baker’s Joy. Set aside.
- In an electric or stand mixer add the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Once combined, slowly stir in the melted butter. Pour into the prepared 9×13 baking pan.
- For topping, In a large bowl mix the 2 sticks of butter, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon together until well combined and creamy. Drop evenly over the batter by the tablespoonfuls and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake.
- Bake at 350 for 28-32 minutes or when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out nearly clean.
- FOR GLAZE: In a medium bowl, mix the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla together with a whisk. Drizzle evenly over the warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.
My family loves this cake. So did our friends.
This is a great cake. Have made it a few times now & the family & coworkers all enjoyed it.
Thanks Ann for yet another amazing looking recipe! I especially like your notes on cutting the recipe down. These days it’s mostly my husband and I at home with an occasional grandchild who comes for a sleepover. Love finding recipes for 2.
Can’t wait to give this one a try!
Lucy Amelia
How can I stay on my diet when you publish such scrumptious recipes. (ha!)
The Cinnamon Roll Cake is so good. Just had to make it this morning. Only had a almost small piece. Well, maybe not small.
Well you say to use a 9×13 pan. Then you show a picture of the cake in a 8×8,,,, then you say to use a 8×8….. I believe you mean a 8×8 …Can you correct…..
Hi Denise…the recipe makes a 9 x 13 pan. I have made it that way but it’s a lot for my family to eat. I usually cut the recipe in half which makes an 8 x 8. I hope this clears things up…Ann
I just printed your recipe for Cinnanmon Roll Cake and noticed a typo? 1/2 cup Button melted, 1 stick and 1 cup Button softened, 2 sticks, suppose to be Butter?
Thanks for sharing the recipes and wonderful graphics.
I fixed it…thank you for letting me know!
Hi Ann. These recipes sound wonderful. Can’t wait to them. Sometimes for Easter dinner we try and do too much. Stressing ourselves out and leaving no time to enjoy the day. I’m trying to learn to enjoy my company as well as not make lots of work. These recipes are a great idea and yet will be thoroughly enjoyed.
Thank you for always sharing
Sandi Weiler
Sounds wonderful. My family is coming home this week-end so I’m planning to make the cinnamon cake and the breakfast casserole. I’m sure they will love it.
Thanks for sharing your scrumptious recipes.
Well, this certainly looks sinful….like you’d need to go to confession after eating it! I bet your family did love it. Thanks for sharing!
I love these cinnamon roll cakes! I am not good with yeast and trying to get breads to bake
properly so I LOVE finding these yummy alternatives! Thanks so much for sharing this
and for test driving the recipe for all of us, Ann!
xox
A
Thanks bunches for posting this recipe. We love breakfast in our home, and I will definitely try it. I have already bookmarked this page!
xo,
RJ
This recipe looks so yummy! Thanks for sharing it at my first linky party :)
Debbie
Oh my mouth is watering!! I am going to have to make this. We LOVE cinnamon rolls! Thanks for sharing with us at Link It Up Thursday.
OH MY GOODNESS, does that ever look good & sound heavenly. I'll be making that soon!!
Oh my…looks delicious! Thanks for sharing Ann, I will have to try this!
Sounds delicious! Can't wait to try it!!
This is seriously wonderful looking food! Can't wait to try it. Following from a blog hop. Maybe you wouldlike to visit our blog *my sister and I" and follow us back. Thanks, Linda
Stopping by from the Link It Up Thursday Party! http://queenofsavings.com
Oh my gosh! This looks delicious! I have never attempted homemade cinnamon rolls because they seemed too time consuming. But this looks very easy. I'd better wait until I have some company to help me eat this.
Hi Ann, that sounds simply scrump-dilli-icious! I will want to try that one, my hubby would enjoy it for sure! Well, so would I, to be honest.
Hugs, Cindy
Anne,
Your blog is always so beautiful and those photographs …. *sigh*
Thanks for the recipe….and the inspiration.
blessings,
karianne
Holy Mama! This look like the best thing ever.
This looks so delicious I am going to have to try this recipes.
This looks so delicious Ann. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
it looks wonderful and sounds delicious!
I like simple, too. Love your blue plates.
Ann:
This sounds wonderful! I love cinnamon rolls….Thanks for sharing!
I marked this on Pinterest, but haven't tried it yet! So glad you did and give it a good grade! Thanks!
This looks delicious. And I might even be able to make it since it doesn't require yeast!
Mmmm, looks great. Comparing it to Ann Sather's means it must really be good. Your photography is stunning.
I love cinnamon rolls so this recipe looks very appealing to me! I like that it makes alot too. I may have to give this a try. Thanks for sharing it.
Oh, Ann, you are making my diet a little shakey with that recipe! LOL! I know your family really enjoyed it. blessings ~ Tanna
What a great recipe for company! Otherwise, I'd eat the whole thing myself. Looks wonderful and I am definitely making when I have company!
oh my gosh, Ann, this looks fabulous, I can only imagine what your kitchen smelled like! yum!
Ann I LOVE cinnamon rolls so I know I would love this cake!! It looks so yummy! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
You had me at cinnamon! Oh this looks so good. I bet your family did enjoy it, what a treat. I am not doing a good job about the Mr. Linky thing. I am following you though already, but will double check. I wish it would keep you signed in because it seems like if I do not do several in a row I have to sign back in.
Oh this is amazing. Just like cinnamon rolls but without the fuss of rolling. I am pinning this,….love it!
Oh that looks so yummy! You take great photos!
I've bookmarked this recipe — it will be what I take to bible study when it's my turn to bring a treat!
That looks so delicious. I'm trying hard to keep my snacking down, but boy is it hard. I have such a sweet tooth. I would love a piece of that cake – with a cup of tea please.
OK, I will be checking out Ann Sather.
The nice things about Pinterest is that the picture automatically links to the source. I like that.
The cake looks great, and I love your blue and white dishes.
Fondly,
Glenda
I definitely need to try this! My daughter loves cinnamon rolls so I know she'd love this. It looks delicious and on a different note, I love that pretty blue dish!
Oh, that looks right up our alley! I will try this for my peeps next time we have plenty of time in the morning!
Jim loves cinnamon rolls, but I am not a great baker of yeast type breads. I think I might be able to put this together though.
Looks delish, Ann!
Oh this does look really good Ann!
Oh my that looks delicious!! My kids love homemade cinnamon rolls, but I will have to try this one while they are home for spring break!! Your photo is beautiful too!
Just looking at that cake might be dangerous for my MOB-get-into-a-dress-diet!
Not only does it look yummy, but the photos are wonderful also:)