EVIL GOOD. Get the great taste of cinnamon rolls with a fraction of the work. Just follow these easy step by step photo instructions. Think of it as easy cinnamon rolls.
Editor’s Note: Originally Published December 12, 2015. Updated with an expanded and improved discussion along with re-edited photos.
I love cinnamon rolls, but I’m moderately allergic to work. I want the great taste of homemade cinnamon rolls, simplified.
This wonderful Cinnamon Roll Cake is ultra moist with gooey cinnamon swirls and topped with a glaze for that great cinnamon roll taste. Meet your new family favorite recipe.
My Rating
Totally a five. My wife is on board with that.
This recipe has a lot of similarity to my Daddy’s Coffee Cake that I have made for years, but this is better. With all the butter, it stays moist for leftovers.
Notes on Cinnamon Roll Cake
The Recipe
Many similar recipes are around the internet. Some call it cinnamon roll cake and some Cinnabon cake.
The oldest I can find is Cinnabon Cake on Food.com, but they are almost all the same. I’m cutting it down and providing more detailed instructions and just a few modifications.
The Flour
My opinion only but this is not health food. You can substitute whole wheat if you want but will not be as moist. Stay with standard all-purpose flour.
Sifting flour will make your flour “lighter” and your final results lighter and less dense. I think it is quite noticeable in this recipe.
If you don’t have a sifter then running the flour through a strainer will work. If you don’t have that, then a whisk or fork can help. Or just skip the whole thing.
Serving size
I cut this into 12 servings. There is so much butter and so rich, it just seemed right. I think most would prefer a bigger size, so I labeled it as eight servings.
Other Great Breakfast Treats
Hash Brown Potatoes: Easy Peasy
Preheat oven to 350 conventional.
Sift 1 1/2 cups flour. You could skip the sifting, but it will improve the texture. See note.
Add 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, two teaspoon baking powder. Mix dry ingredients. Add one egg, 3/4 cup milk, and one teaspoon vanilla. Mix well.
Melt 1/4 cup butter in a microwave. Mix in well.
Prep a 9X6 baking dish with PAM and add batter.
Mix topping. 1/2 cup cold butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, one tablespoon cinnamon, and one tablespoon flour. A pie cutter is good here. If you don’t have that, dice the cold butter before starting and use a fork. Mix until crumbly.
Add the topping to the batter. Cut it into the batter with a knife. I moved the knife at 1-inch segments both directions several times. Bake until toothpick comes out clean. About 30 minutes.
Mix glaze. One cup powder sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and two tablespoons milk.
Drizzle the glaze over the warm cake and evenly spread over the cake.
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Cinnamon Roll Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup butter
Topping
- 1/2 cup butter - cold
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon flour
Glaze
- 1 cup powder sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 conventional.
- Sift 1 1/2 cups flour. You could skip the sifting, but it will improve the texture. See note.
- Add 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, two teaspoon baking powder. Mix dry ingredients.
- Add one egg, 3/4 cup milk, and one teaspoon vanilla. Mix well.
- Melt 1/4 cup butter in a microwave. Mix in well.
- Prep a 9X6 baking dish with PAM and add batter.
- Mix topping. 1/2 cup cold butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, one tablespoon cinnamon, and one tablespoon flour. A pie cutter is good here. If you don't have that, dice the cold butter before starting and use a fork. Mix until crumbly.
- Add the topping to the batter. Cut it into the batter with a knife. I moved the knife at 1-inch segments both directions several times.
- Bake until toothpick comes out clean. About 30 minutes.
- Mix glaze. One cup powder sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and two tablespoons milk.
- Drizzle the glaze over the warm cake and evenly spread over the cake.
- Serve warm.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips for Cinnamon Roll Cake
- An easy recipe to double using a 9 X 13 standard cake pan. Cooking time will stay about the same.
- Butter is a key component of this cake. Please use real butter.
- Sifting flour will make your flour "lighter" and your final results lighter and less dense. I think it is quite noticeable in this recipe and will be doing it more. If you don't have a sifter then running the flour through a strainer will work. If you don't have that, then a whisk or fork can help. Or skip it.
- Good at room temperature for severe days. Make the day ahead for the holidays.
Check Out Other Great Recipes
Nutrition is generally for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.
All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
Originally Published December 12, 2015
JoAnne
I discovered your blog while searching for a cinnamon roll recipe. I made this cinnamon roll cake recipe with gluten free flour because I have celiac disease.
It turned out really moist and delicious…everyone loves it. I’ve always made it in a glass baking dish, but now want to take it to a party. Do you think it will turn out okay if I bake it in a disposable foil pan?
Thanks for sharing all your recipes. Reading your cooking instructions is so entertaining. Much more so than actually cooking👩🍳
DrDan
Hi JoAnne,
Welcome to the blog.
Glad it works well for you. The aluminum pan will probably decrease the cooking time by about 5 minutes (total guess there). So do the toothpick test at about 23-25 minutes.
Thanks for the note and glad you’re enjoying the blog.
Dan
Julie
Hey Dr Dan- made this for Christmas morning breakfast this year. It was a big hit, my family went gaga over it and ate up the whole pan! I enjoy your site, especially doing steaks on the stovetop and then finishing in the oven. Keep the great ideas coming. Happy New Year.
DrDan
Hi Julie,
Welcome to the blog.
I love this recipe. TO MUCH. I don’t make it much due to all the butter but it is great for a special occasion.
Thanks for the note and Happy New Years.
Dan
Marty
Wow! Tried this recipe yesterday and loved it. We will be making this again, and soon. Thanks!
DrDan
Hi Marty,
Welcome to the blog.
This is one of my personal favorites but I’m cinnamon roll obsessed and lazy.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Donna R
I can’t wait to make this. I was thinking, however, about using bread flour. Thoughts on that? Thanks!
DrDan
Hi Donna,
Welcome to the blog.
Yes BUT… you always can use bread flour for AP but it is higher in protein and tends not to “fluff” up with sifting. So the results will be a bit denser. In a yeast bread, you get more gluten formations and that is great but that will do nothing in this recipe. I somewhat prefer AP flour here.
Dan
Donna R
Sounds good! Thanks for the explanation of the two flours. I basically use the bread flour only for kolaches, but was curious about using it for cake. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Jodi
I would love to make this Christmas morning as my in-laws are coming over to watch kids open presents and id like something easy and impressive. How can i prep some of this overnight for a quicker process? I’d have to start this before everyone gets up or comes over and id also need to do my other Christmas prep that morning so anything to make it quicker? Can I premix dry ingredients the night before? Maybe the icing? Thank you!
DrDan
I would premix the dry and make the topping. But I would not do the icing ahead.
Amy
Simple and delicious! I agree with Dr. Dan-sifting the flour makes for a perfect texture. It is a big hit with my family…and my coworkers! Thanks for yet another excellent recipe!
RossC
Made this this morning…
Couldn’t wait for it to cool so it was, oww, yumm, oww, yum…
We loved it and will make it for our Canasta card buddies… :O)
DrDan
I always like a simple recipe,
Thanks so much for the note and the rating.
DrDan
Anne
Just wanted to thank you for this great recipe – so easy and so good. I made it for our niece who is visiting from Utah who is a cinnamon roll expert. She proclaimed this fantastic. We’re having a party in a couple of weeks, and I’m planning to make it then. Thanks again for this recipe as well as your excellent blog!
Maureen
The coffee cake recipe was absolutly delicious! My Mom mailed the recipe to me and I tried it out on my boys this morning — I called it the “Back to School Cake”.
DrDan
Excellent, say hi to your mom for me.
Dan
James Chapman
Dan, the recipe looks great. I too love cinnamon rolls, but not all the effort. Will have to try soon. One small note, it is sifting the flour , not shifting. Might have been your spell checker giving you grief. Happens to me all the time. Just cooked up some filet mignons using your sear roast method, and they turned out perfect. Thanks so much.
DrDan
Thanks for the proof read. Enjoy your filet and you will love the cinnamon cake.
Dan
Bob P
..and a Happy New Year Dr Dan. :)
DrDan
I found it amazingly good. Much better than it has any right to be considering the work. It made #2 on the top ten for 2015.
Happy New Years to you to and thanks for the notes.
DrDan
Bob P
BINGO! This sweet treat is the real deal. This is more scrumptious than any cinnamon rolls I’ve had. Don’t have to make any more trips to bakery.
FYI I used an 8″ x 8″ dish and it worked out fine. Thanx for the recipe Dr Dan. :)
Betty Taylor
Is the size of the pan correct? I would think it should be 9 by 13 in. I haven’t made it yet. It looks fabulous. Call me anonymous.
DrDan
Hi anonymous….
Yep it is a small 9X6. Most recipes are double this and use about 9X12 size. So double if your not cooking for two. I cut about 2X2 pieces and that was fine for me but most would like a bigger piece so although I cut 12 for use, I used 8 as the number of servings in the recipe.
Laura
Oh my, that looks fabulous! I may have to try that this month before I go on my post-holidays weight loss kick, Lol!
DrDan
Exactly the reason I made this now. I won’t allow myself in January.
DrDan
Laura
Well, I have been craving cinnamon rolls lately but didn’t want to do the work so I made this late last night. You are right about it being a five out of five! If there are any other readers with Celiac/that eat gluten free, I added an extra egg and used namaste gf flour blend which has guar gum in it. I am going to have a hard time keeping my hands off the leftovers!
DrDan
That is about the fastest somebody actually bake one of my recipes.
Thanks for the GF tips and the rating
Dan