Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake Recipe - The Recipe Critic (2024)

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Cinnamon Roll Cakeis a cinnamon roll turned into an ooey-gooey, delicious cake! Swirled with buttery brown sugar cinnamon and topped with a sweet glaze… this is the BEST cake EVER!

We love all things cinnamon roll at our house! You should also try:Quick 45 minute Cinnamon Rolls,Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes,andBaked Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal!

Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake Recipe - The Recipe Critic (1)

The Best Cinnamon Roll Cake

This cinnamon roll cake first made its debut on the blog in 2012. One of the first and BEST recipes here on the blog. But the pictures just weren’t doing it any justice. A soft and gooey Cinnabon cinnamon roll turned into a cake!? You know this HAS to be good! The best part is every time I make it, I have all of the ingredients on hand, so there’s no grocery trip required.

This cake gets swirled with buttery cinnamon brown sugar and is baked to perfection. Once you pull it out of the oven, you add on the glaze and it just melts on top perfectly. I am telling you, this cake is to die for. It’s the perfect comfort dessert and great for any occasion! My kids beg me for it all of the time. Serve it fresh out of the oven and it will be gone in a matter of minutes!

Ingredients for Cinnamon Roll Cake

Together, these ingredients come together to create a delightful cinnamon roll cake that’s both comforting and delicious! I know your family will love it as much as mine does.

  • Flour: Provides the base for the cake, giving it structure and texture.
  • Salt: Enhances the overall flavor of the cake, balancing the sweetness.
  • Sugar: Adds sweetness to the cake batter and the cinnamon filling.
  • Baking Powder: Helps the cake rise and become light and fluffy.
  • Milk: Adds moisture and richness to the batter, so you have an extra tender cake.
  • Eggs: Contribute to the cake’s structure and also help bind the ingredients together.
  • Vanilla: Infuses a warm, aromatic flavor into the cake, enhancing its taste.
  • Butter (melted and softened): Melted butter in the batter adds richness, while softened butter in the filling creates a gooey texture.
  • Brown Sugar: Creates a luscious, caramel-like filling with a hint of molasses flavor.
  • Cinnamon: For that classic cinnamon roll taste.
  • Nuts (optional): Adds crunch and a nutty flavor for those who enjoy extra texture.

For the Glaze:

  • Powdered Sugar: Adds sweetness and also gives the glaze a smooth texture.
  • Milk: To adjust the consistency.
  • Vanilla Extract: For some extra delicious flavor!

How to Make Cinnamon Roll Cake

Grab all of your ingredients and get ready to make the most amazing cinnamony dessert! Cinnamon roll cake will have the whole family hooked after the first bite.

  1. Preheat Oven, Prepare Batter: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Then with an electric mixer or stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Once that is combined, you slowly stir in 4 T melted butter. Pour the batter into a greased 9×13 inch pan.
  2. Brown Cinnamon Sugar Mixture: In a medium sized bowl, mix the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts if you are using them. Then drop evenly over the cake better in your 9×13 inch pan. Use a knife to marble and swirl over the cake.
  3. Bake: Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out nearly clean from center.
  4. Top With Glaze: Make the glaze by adding the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla to a medium sized bowl. Then whisk until smooth and drizzle over warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake Recipe - The Recipe Critic (2)

Tips and Variations

Get ready to dive into the delicious world of cinnamon roll cakes. Even though this is a super simple recipe, a little insider knowledge can make all the difference. So, I’ve whipped up some handy tips and creative twists to help you create a cinnamon roll cake that you’ll absolutely love!

  • Can I Add Nuts to My Cake? The recipe has an option to add nuts with the butter cinnamon brown sugar mixture. You can add chopped pecans or even walnuts for an even better cake!
  • How Do I Tell if The Cake is Done? Stick a toothpick in the center and if it comes out clean it is done. The cinnamon roll cake will be slightly brown and the edges will slightly pull away from the sides.
  • Even Spreading: When spreading the buttery cinnamon filling, try to distribute it as evenly as possible over the cake batter to ensure a consistent swirl throughout.
  • Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure that ingredients like butter, eggs, and milk are at room temperature. This helps them mix together smoothly and evenly.
  • Cream Cheese Filling: Mix softened cream cheese with the brown sugar and cinnamon for a tangy and creamy filling.
Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake Recipe - The Recipe Critic (3)

Storing Leftovers

Got some of that irresistible cinnamon roll cake left? No worries, it’s all about savoring the goodness later on! Once it’s cooled down, wrap it snugly in plastic wrap or foil and pop it in the fridge. It will stay good for 3-4 days. When you’re ready to indulge, a quick warm-up in the microwave or a gentle reheat in the oven will bring back that freshly baked magic.

Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake Recipe - The Recipe Critic (4)

More Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Recipes

Who doesn’t love cinnamon? It’s so delicious and you can eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert (at least I do)! Check out some more of my cinnamon favorites.

Breakfast

Baked Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal

40 mins

Breakfast

Cinnamon Swirl Cream Cheese Banana Bread

Breakfast

Delicious Cinnamon Roll Pancakes Recipe

25 mins

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Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake

By: Alyssa Rivers

Cinnamon Roll Cakeis a cinnamon roll turned into an ooey-gooey, delicious cake! Swirled with buttery brown sugar cinnamon and topped with a sweet glaze… this is the BEST cake EVER!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 16

Ingredients

Glaze:

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With an electric mixer or stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Once that is combined, you slowly stir in 4 T melted butter. Pour the batter into a greased 9×13 inch pan.

  • In a medium sized bowl, mix the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts if you are using them. Drop evenly over the cake better in your 9×13 inch pan. Use a knife to marble and swirl over the cake.

  • Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out nearly clean from center.

  • Make the glaze by adding the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla to a medium sized bowl. Whisk until smooth and drizzle over warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Originally posted September 1, 2018

Updated on August 16, 2023

Nutrition

Calories: 334kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 5gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 88mgPotassium: 248mgFiber: 1gSugar: 42gVitamin A: 160IUCalcium: 112mgIron: 1.6mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Alyssa Rivers and the food blogger behind The Recipe Critic. The blog launched in 2012 as a place to share my passion for cooking. I love trying new things and testing them out with my family. Each recipe is tried and true, family-tested and approved.

Read More About Me

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Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake Recipe - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient in Cinnabon? ›

Cinnabon's Secret Ingredient

It might not shock you to find out that the cinnamon used in the Cinnabon offerings is the key ingredient. But this isn't just any cinnamon. This special Indonesian cinnamon, called Makara, is trademarked by Cinnabon.

Is it better to use brown sugar or white sugar for cinnamon rolls? ›

Use brown sugar or granulated sugar in the filling: I used to use granulated sugar in the cinnamon sugar filling, but recently switched to brown sugar for extra flavor. Brown sugar doesn't necessarily make the filling more moist—there's so much butter, so it's moist and gooey either way. Use whichever sugar you prefer.

Which of the following are common mistakes made when preparing cinnamon rolls? ›

14 Mistakes You're Making With Cinnamon Rolls
  • Sticking with the same conventional cinnamon roll recipe. ...
  • Using the wrong kind of yeast. ...
  • Not using a sourdough starter. ...
  • Avoiding experimenting with fats. ...
  • Using hard butter or melted butter. ...
  • Not using different kinds of cinnamon. ...
  • Using a weak flour.
Oct 26, 2022

What is the most unhealthy Cinnabon? ›

Classic Cinnabon cinnamon rolls are large and dense, rich in fat and carbs and contain 880 calories each (15). But these are not even the most unhealthy item on the menu. That honor is reserved for the Caramel Pecanbon.

What can I use if I don't have brown sugar for cinnamon rolls? ›

  1. White sugar plus molasses. A combination of white sugar and molasses is your best bet for a brown sugar substitute, as that's exactly what brown sugar is made of (1). ...
  2. White sugar plus maple syrup. ...
  3. Coconut sugar. ...
  4. Honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar. ...
  5. Raw sugars. ...
  6. Muscovado sugar. ...
  7. Plain white sugar. ...
  8. The bottom line.

What does pouring heavy cream over cinnamon rolls do? ›

Adding a little more fat in the form of heavy cream serves two purposes: The heavy cream is a hydrating liquid that will soak into the rolls as they bake and create steam, making them just a little softer and preventing them from drying out.

What happens if you add too much flour to cinnamon rolls? ›

You want to add only the amount of flour that it takes so your dough is not sticky. Adding too much flour will make your rolls very dry. Once you have added the appropriate amount of flour, turn your mixer to a low speed and let the machine do all the kneading for you.

Should cinnamon rolls be touching when baking? ›

Place the cinnamon rolls into your prepared pan, with little room between each roll and ½ inch from the edge of the pan. Lightly press down on each roll so that the edges of each roll barely touch each other, and improve their round form if needed.

Why did my homemade cinnamon rolls come out hard? ›

Don't Overbake Cinnamon Rolls

Overbaked cinnamon rolls are tough and chewy instead of light and pillowy. Since it can be a bit tricky to know when rolls are fully baked, use a digital thermometer. Bake cinnamon rolls until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches between 190°and 200°F.

What happens if you let cinnamon rolls rise too long? ›

The rolls are still prone to over-proofing if left in the fridge too long; and the cinnamon-sugar filling can melt and make the bottoms of the rolls syrupy and damp if left unbaked for too long.

How long should cinnamon rolls cool before icing? ›

Let the rolls cool for 5 to 10 minutes before icing. If the rolls are too hot, the icing will tragically ooze right off and into the bottom of the pan. A warm roll, however, will let the icing easily spread over the top and also set in place before serving.

What is unique about Cinnabon? ›

Under the canopy of the tropical forests in Indonesia, the cassia tree produces the sweet, luscious flavor that is exclusively known as Cinnabon® Makara® Cinnamon. It creates a one-of-a-kind experience you can smell and taste.

Why are cinnabons so unhealthy? ›

A classic Cinnabon cinnamon roll has approximately 880 calories. It has 37g of fat, which is 57% of daily values, and has 58g of sugars. It's not that good for you, you'd have to walk 230 minutes to burn it off according to CalorieKing.

What are the ingredients in Cinnabon Classic? ›

so yeast and flour, eggs, warm milk, sugar, butter and a little salt. The filling is Brown sugar, cinnamon and butter. The icing is butter, sugar, cream cheese, vanilla and salt.

Why is Cinnabon gooey? ›

Our cinnamon rolls were the first to feature the secret of heavy cream. Yes, we've been pouring cream over unbaked cinnamon rolls for 23 years. This secret ingredient transforms the base into an irresistible caramel sauce that's the hallmark of the gooey cinnamon roll.

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