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    🏠Home » Recipes » Breakfast Recipes

    Small Cinnamon Roll Cake

    Dec 13, 2021 · Modified: Oct 26, 2022 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan · 37 Comments

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    4.78 from 53 votes

    Cinnamon Roll Cake is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. All the wonderful taste of gooey Cinnabon rolls and topped with a drizzle of vanilla icing. This easy smaller recipe is ideal for a small household or is quickly doubled to full size.

    A piece cinnamon roll cake on a spatula

    Jump To:
    • 👨‍🍳How to make this recipe
    • ❓FAQs
    • 🍽️Serving and Storage
    • 📖Breakfast Recipes
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • 📝Recipe

    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    Introduction

    This wonderful Cinnamon Roll Cake recipe is from scratch, and ultra-moist with gooey cinnamon swirls, then topped with a glaze for that great cinnamon roll taste.

    Some would call it cinnamon swirl cake or cinnamon roll coffee cake, but it is more because of all the butter and ooey-gooey goodness. Meet your new family favorite 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.

    👨‍🍳How to make this recipe

    1. Preheat the oven and prep the baking dish.
    2. Sift flour. If you don't have a sifter, use a strainer, or skip this step.
    3. Mix all batter ingredients in a large bowl by hand. No electric hand or stand mixer is needed.
    4. Spread the batter in the prepared baking dish and smooth.
    5. Mix the topping, spread it over the batter, and run a knife through the batter a few times.
    6. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean—about 30 minutes but a double size will take 5-10 minutes longer.
    7. Mix the glaze and drizzle over the cake while still warm.

    ❓FAQs

    What flour to use for cinnamon roll cake?

    Standard white all-purpose flour is fine. Cake or bread flour is unnecessary, and whole wheat will fight the taste and texture.

    Can I add nuts to the cinnamon roll cake?

    Sure, stir ⅓ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans into the topping/filling mixture before spreading it over the batter.

    What size baking pan to use for cinnamon roll cake?

    This is a smaller recipe that most of my readers want. It fits nicely in a 6 by 9 baking dish. Alternatively, an 8 by 8 or a 9 inch round pan will work.

    For a double recipe, use a 9 by 13 cake pan. I do love leftovers.

    Should I use a convection oven?

    No. The top may overcook before the batter is cooked. This is true of most baking, only use convection if instructed.

    How to tell if the cinnamon roll cake is done?

    The cake is done when a toothpick in the center comes out clean. You can also use a narrow paring knife instead. Also, the cake should be slightly brown, with the edges starting to pull away from the edges of the pan.

    🍽️Serving and Storage

    Serving: It is your cake but may I suggest a smaller serving. There is so much butter and sweetness that a smaller serving will make most people happy. But I have set the nutrition to six relatively large servings.

    Storage: The cake is best served warm out of the oven. Store tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days but best if only one day.

    Freezing is acceptable for up to 3 months, but I suggest freezing without the glaze and adding it later.

    📖Breakfast Recipes

    How to Cook Bacon in the Oven

    How To Cook Sausage in the Oven

    Glazed Cinnamon Biscuits

    Easy Baked Blueberry Pancakes

    Bacon American Fries

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    101's Best Recipes, Breakfast Recipes
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    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    Ingredients for cinnamon roll cake

    Preheat oven to 350° conventional.

    sifting flour into glass bowl

    Sift 1 ½ cups flour into a large mixing bowl. You could skip the sifting, but it will improve the texture. You can also just strain or whisk it for a few seconds.

    pouring milk into bowl with flour and egg

    Add ½ cup sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 2 teaspoons baking powder to the flour in the large bowl. Mix dry ingredients. Add 1 egg, ¾ cup milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix well.

    pouring melted butter into batter

    Melt ¼ cup butter in a microwave. Mix the melted butter into the cake batter.

    pouring batter into baking dish

    Prep a 9X6 baking dish with PAM cooking spray and add the batter. An 8X8 or 9-inch round baking pan may also be used.

    mixing topping for cake in a bowl

    Mix topping in a medium bowl. ½ cup cold butter, ½ cup brown sugar, one tablespoon cinnamon, and one tablespoon flour. A dough cutter is good here. If you don't have that, dice the cold butter before starting and use a fork. Mix until crumbly. You can add ⅓ cup of chopped pecans or walnuts if you wish.

    cutting topping into the batter

    Add the topping to the batter. Cut it into the batter with a knife. I moved the knife at 1-inch segments in both directions several times. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean—about 30 minutes.

    mixing powdered sugar with milk and vanilla in small bowl

    Mix glaze. One cup of powder sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and two tablespoons of milk.

    pouring frosting glaze over cinnamon roll cake

    After the cake has cooled some, drizzle the glaze over the warm cake and evenly spread it over the cake.

    cinnamon roll cake on a fork new
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    📝Recipe

    Cinnamon Roll Cake from 101 Cooking For Two

    Small Cinnamon Roll Cake

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    Cinnamon Roll Cake is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. All the wonderful taste of gooey Cinnabon rolls and topped with a drizzle of vanilla icing. This easy smaller recipe is ideal for a small household or quickly doubled to full size.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.78 from 53 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 6

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 1 ½ cups flour
    • ½ cup sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 1 egg
    • ¾ cup milk
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • ¼ cup butter

    Topping

    • ½ cup butter - cold
    • ½ cup brown sugar
    • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
    • 1 tablespoon flour
    • ⅓ cup chopped nuts - optional. Walnuts or Pecans.

    Glaze

    • 1 cup powder sugar
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla
    • 2 tablespoons milk
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350° conventional.
      Ingredients for cinnamon roll cake
    • Sift 1 ½ cups flour into a large mixing bowl. You could skip the sifting, but it will improve the texture. You can also just strain or whisk it for a few seconds.
      sifting flour into glass bowl
    • Add ½ cup sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, two teaspoons baking powder to the flour in the large bowl. Mix dry ingredients. Add one egg, ¾ cup milk, and one teaspoon vanilla. Mix well.
      pouring milk into bowl with flour and egg
    • Melt ¼ cup butter in a microwave. Mix the melted butter into the cake batter.
      pouring melted butter into batter
    • Prep a 9X6 baking dish with PAM cooking spray and add the batter.
      pouring batter into baking dish
    • Mix topping in a medium bowl. ½ cup cold butter, ½ cup brown sugar, one tablespoon cinnamon, and one tablespoon flour. A dough cutter is good here. If you don't have that, dice the cold butter before starting and use a fork. Mix until crumbly. You can add ⅓ cup of chopped pecans or walnuts if you wish.
      mixing topping for cake in a bowl
    • Add the topping to the batter. Cut it into the batter with a knife. I moved the knife at 1-inch segments in both directions several times. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean. About 30 minutes.
      cutting topping into the batter
    • Mix glaze. One cup of powder sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and two tablespoons of milk.
      mixing powdered sugar with milk and vanilla in small bowl
    • After the cake has cooled some, drizzle the glaze over the warm cake and evenly spread it over the cake.
      pouring frosting glaze over cinnamon roll cake
    • Serve warm.
      cinnamon roll cake on a fork new
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

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    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips

    1. Fits nicely in a 6X9 dish but alternatively, you may use an 8X8 or a 9-inch round baking dish.
    2. An easy recipe to double using a 9 X 13 standard cake pan. Cooking time will increase a bit to 35-40 minutes.
    3. Butter is a key component of this cake. Please use real butter.
    4. 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 skip it.
    5. Best warm out of the oven but otherwise store at room temperature covered tightly up to 3 days but only one day is better.
    6. Can be frozen for up to 3 months but I suggest freezing without the glaze and adding before serving.

    To adjust the recipe size:

    You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Nutrition Facts
    Small Cinnamon Roll Cake
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 553 Calories from Fat 207
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 23g35%
    Saturated Fat 15g75%
    Cholesterol 62mg21%
    Sodium 322mg13%
    Potassium 248mg7%
    Carbohydrates 83g28%
    Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 56g62%
    Protein 5g10%
    Vitamin A 782IU16%
    Calcium 141mg14%
    Iron 2mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Breakfast
    Cuisine : American

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

    Editor's Note: Originally Published December 12, 2015. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.

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    More Breakfast Recipes

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    1. Beth Matteri

      December 19, 2021 at 8:29 pm

      5 stars
      Beth
      Best Cinnamon Roll Cake EVER!!! It is so moist! It's hard to stop at one piece.
      Happy Holidays to you & yours!

      Beth
      I love this recipe for Cinnamon Roll Cake. It is so moist.
      It's hard to stop at 1 piece.
      Happy Holidays to you & yours.

      Reply
    2. Linda

      February 10, 2021 at 12:38 pm

      When you mentioned using a pie-cutter, are you referring to also what's known as a dough cutter? I'm a senior citizen, but relatively new to baking and all the tools available. :-)
      It's just me and my husband and I love your "Cooking for two". Great recipes!
      Thank you for all the work it takes to make these recipes for everyone!

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        February 10, 2021 at 12:47 pm

        Hi Linda,

        I, of course, use the terminology I learned 60 yrs ago and never checked what people called it now. And the one I use is probably 60 yrs old, also. I changed it to "dough cutter" which has probably been the correct term forever.

        Glad you are enjoying the blog. Please continue to let me know if something isn't clear.

        Dan

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