CINNAMON ROLL CAKE

Cinnamon roll cake takes everything you love about a cinnamon roll, the gooey brown sugar and cinnamon filling, the soft cake base, and the sweet vanilla glaze, and turns it into a 9×13 sheet cake that feeds a crowd without any rolling, cutting, or waiting for dough to rise.

You make a simple vanilla cake batter, spread it in a pan, drop spoonfuls of cinnamon-brown sugar filling on top, swirl it with a knife, and bake.

The glaze goes on while the cake is still warm so it soaks into every crevice. It is the easiest way to get cinnamon roll flavor without the cinnamon roll effort.

Instead, it creates ribbons of concentrated cinnamon-sugar goodness running through the cake, with pools of melted brown sugar that caramelize slightly in the oven. The result is a cake that tastes remarkably like a cinnamon roll but slices like a coffee cake.

At a Glance

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 to 40 minutes
Total Time: About 55 minutes
Servings: 12 to 16
Difficulty: Easy
Cuisine: American
Cooking Method: Oven baked
Meal Type: Breakfast, dessert, brunch
Calories: ~380 per serving (estimate)
Protein: ~4g
Carbs: ~52g
Fat: ~18g
Freezer Friendly: Yes (without glaze)
Best Occasion: Brunch, potlucks, holiday morning, coffee break

What Hits Your Senses

The first thing you notice is the smell. Cinnamon and brown sugar wafting through the kitchen as it bakes is unmistakable.

The cake itself has a tender, slightly dense crumb from the milk and melted butter in the batter. The cinnamon swirl creates pockets of gooey, melted brown sugar that are slightly chewy where the sugar has caramelized against the pan.

The vanilla glaze on top is thin enough to soak into the warm cake rather than sitting on top like frosting, so every bite is moist and sweet.

The contrast between the plain cake and the intense cinnamon-sugar swirl is what keeps you going back for another piece.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Cake Batter

3 cups all-purpose flour – the base; spoon into the cup and level off for accuracy
1 cup white granulated sugar – sweetens the cake without overpowering the cinnamon swirl
4 teaspoons baking powder – a generous amount that gives the cake a good rise despite being a dense batter
2 large eggs – room temperature is best for even mixing
2 teaspoons vanilla extract – flavors the cake base
1 1/2 cups milk – room temperature; whole milk makes the most tender cake
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, melted and slightly cooled – we are using salted butter here instead of adding salt separately; the salt in the butter enhances the other flavors without making it taste salty

Cinnamon Swirl Filling

3/4 cup salted butter, softened to room temperature (1 1/2 sticks) – this is different from the melted butter in the cake; this needs to be soft so it creams with the brown sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar – the sweetness and molasses depth of the swirl
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour – thickens the filling slightly so it does not completely dissolve into the batter
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon – the dominant spice; do not skimp on this

Vanilla Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar – the base of the glaze
5 tablespoons milk – thins the powdered sugar into a pourable consistency
1 teaspoon vanilla extract – flavors the glaze

The cake uses salted butter in both the batter and the filling, which is intentional. Salted butter provides the right level of seasoning without needing to measure out salt separately, and the slight saltiness balances the sweetness of the brown sugar and glaze.

If you only have unsalted butter, add 1/2 teaspoon salt to the cake batter and 1/4 teaspoon to the filling. For more on the role of salt in baking, King Arthur Baking explains how salt enhances flavor and strengthens gluten structure.

Ingredient Swaps

Unsalted butter plus salt – add 1/2 teaspoon salt to the batter and 1/4 teaspoon to the filling
Coconut sugar instead of brown sugar – works in the filling but has a less molasses-forward flavor
Almond milk instead of regular milk – works fine in both the batter and glaze
Cream cheese glaze – replace the vanilla glaze with 4 oz softened cream cheese beaten with 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons milk
No glaze – the cake is still excellent without it; just dust with powdered sugar

Kitchen Tools

9×13 inch baking dish – the standard size for this recipe
Nonstick cooking spray – preferably the kind with flour in it
Large bowl – for the cake batter
Small bowl – for the cinnamon filling
Another small bowl – for the glaze
Butter knife – for swirling the filling into the batter
Whisk – for the glaze

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

While your finished dish may not look exactly like the images in this post, following these instructions will give you the same delicious CINNAMON ROLL CAKE. So please follow with me!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. The kind with flour in it works best for cakes because it creates a thin barrier that prevents sticking without altering the texture.

In a large bowl, combine all the cake ingredients except the melted butter. That means the flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs, vanilla, and milk.

Mix until just combined. Then, while the mixer is running (or while you are stirring vigorously), slowly add the 1/2 cup of melted butter.

Mix just until combined. Overmixing flour-based batters develops gluten, which makes the cake tough and rubbery instead of tender. You want the batter to be smooth but you should stop mixing the moment it comes together.

Spread the batter evenly into your prepared baking dish. It will be thick, so use your spatula to get it into the corners and smooth the top.

Now make the cinnamon filling. In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon.

Stir until everything is well mixed. The mixture will look like a thick, grainy paste.

Drop spoonfuls of this filling evenly over the surface of the cake batter. Try to distribute it as uniformly as possible so every slice gets cinnamon swirl.

Take a butter knife and make swirling patterns through the batter, dragging the knife through both the cinnamon filling and the cake batter underneath.

The goal is to create ribbons of cinnamon running through the cake, not to fully mix the two together.

Think marble effect, not blend. Move the knife in figure-eight patterns across the entire pan, going in different directions. Do not swirl too much or the filling will disappear into the batter entirely.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Check at 35 minutes by inserting a knife into the center.

It should come out clean. The cake should be golden on top and slightly pulling away from the edges of the pan. If the knife has wet batter on it, bake for another 3 to 5 minutes.

While the cake is baking, make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until completely smooth. The glaze should be thin enough to pour but not so thin that it is watery.

If it is too thick, add another tablespoon of milk. If it is too thin, add another tablespoon of powdered sugar.

Pour the glaze over the warm cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. The warmth of the cake helps the glaze seep into the surface and into the swirls, rather than sitting on top like a hard shell.

Let the cake cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing so the glaze has time to set. The cake slices more cleanly when it has cooled to room temperature.

Nutrition Snapshot

Calories: ~380 per serving (estimate)
Protein: ~4g
Carbs: ~52g
Fat: ~18g
Fiber: ~0g
Sugar: ~38g
Sodium: ~340mg
Serving Size: 1 piece (assuming 16 per pan)

Baker’s Tips Worth Knowing

The swirl technique takes practice. If you under-swirl, you get pockets of pure cinnamon filling that are very sweet and intense.

If you over-swirl, the filling distributes too evenly and you lose the marble effect. A few passes with the knife in different directions is usually enough. You should still see distinct areas of white cake and brown filling.

Do not refrigerate the finished cake. Refrigeration dries out homemade cakes, and this one is particularly susceptible because it relies on moisture from the glaze.

Keep it covered at room temperature and it will stay moist for up to 2 days. The glaze should be applied while the cake is warm, not hot, because extreme heat can make the glaze melt right off and pool at the edges.

For more cake baking tips, check out our moist banana bread with sour cream for a different approach to keeping baked goods tender.

Quick Fixes

Cinnamon filling sank to the bottom. The filling was too heavy or the batter was too thin.

Next time, make sure you add the flour to the filling mixture, which helps it stay suspended. Also, swirl gently rather than pushing the filling down into the batter.

Cake is dry. It was overbaked.

Pull it from the oven as soon as the knife comes out clean. Also, avoid overmixing the batter, which can make it tough.

Glaze is too runny. Add more powdered sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches a pourable but not watery consistency.

Glaze is too thick. Add more milk, a teaspoon at a time, and whisk until smooth.

Variations to Try

Apple cinnamon roll cake: Add 1 cup of diced, peeled apples to the cinnamon filling before swirling
Maple glaze: Replace the milk in the glaze with maple syrup and reduce the powdered sugar by 1/2 cup
Pecan topping: Sprinkle 1/2 cup of chopped pecans over the cinnamon filling before swirling
Pumpkin spice version: Add 1/2 teaspoon each of ginger and nutmeg to the cinnamon filling
8×8 size: Halve all ingredients and bake in an 8×8 pan for about 25 to 30 minutes

What Goes on the Plate

This cake is a natural for brunch. Serve it with fresh fruit and coffee for a weekend morning.

For dessert, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a warm slice. If you are making a holiday breakfast spread, pair it with our homemade biscuits and scrambled eggs for a mix of sweet and savory. More brunch ideas are in our dinner recipes section.

Keeping It Fresh

Room temperature: Cover tightly and store on the counter for up to 2 days. Do not refrigerate because it dries out the cake.

Freezer: Freeze individual pieces wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, then placed in a freezer bag, for up to 3 months. Skip the glaze if you plan to freeze, and add it after thawing and reheating. Thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in the microwave.

Reheating: A 15-second zap in the microwave brings back that just-baked warmth and makes the cinnamon swirl gooey again. For food safety on baked goods, the FDA’s storage chart is a good reference.