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Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake

October 21, 2020 by thedomesticrebel | 16 Comments

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Slice of Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake on white plate with gold fork

This Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake is SO scrumptious and easy to make! It tastes like the gooey center of a cinnamon roll in a soft and moist cake!

I absolutely LOVE anything to do with cinnamon rolls. Cinnabon’s are my top favorite, but any soft and gooey roll is my absolute weakness and favorite treat!

I also love cake, so naturally, this cake was right up my alley.

I know cakes aren’t usually the most holiday-time dessert, but I love cakes year-round and this one is no exception. It is every bit as comforting and cozy as its fellow pumpkin and apple counterparts – probably because of those thick ribbony swirls of cinnamon and brown sugar. I grew up eating cinnamon sugar toast, so that flavor combination will always be my top favorite and so cozy to me!

The cake itself is very moist and soft – a good vanilla cake with those thick swirls of the cinnamon and brown sugar. As it bakes, the cinnamon sugar mixture seeps deep into the cake, creating these delicious ribbons. The cake is capped off with a simple glaze that really sends this cake over the top!

If Cinnabon made a cake, it would definitely taste like this!

Photo of Cinnamon Roll Cake in a silver pan on brown towelOne of the best parts is, you can do a little customization if you’d like! You could add in chopped pecans or walnuts to the brown sugar & cinnamon mixture, or add in miniature chocolate chips for a little chocolaty kick. I like mine written as is because I am a purist, but these would be tasty additions!

Closeup of Cinnamon Roll Cake slice with a fork in itThe cinnamon brown sugar mixture can get very gooey, so my tip for ensuring your cake is done baking is to stick a cake tester or toothpick into the center of the cake, not into a brown sugar ribbon. As the cake bakes, the brown sugar mixture will depress a little into the cake batter, creating what’s almost like tunnels. To make sure you don’t overcook your cake, test it into the cake, not the brown sugar “tunnel.”

But whatever you do, you MUST make this fantastic Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake! Comfort food at its peak!

Closeup slice of Cinnamon Roll Cake on a white plate

*adapted from The Country Cook

Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake slice on white plate
Print Recipe
5 from 6 votes

Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake

This Cinnamon Roll Cake tastes like a cake and a Cinnabon bun mixed together in beautiful, delicious harmony! Moist, soft and cakey with thick ribbons of brown sugar and cinnamon!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Total Time50 mins
Course: Cake, Dessert
Cuisine: American, Dessert
Servings: 12

Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • 1½ cups milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1 cup white granulated sugar
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup salted butter melted

For the Filling:

  • 3/4 cup (1½ sticks) salted butter, softened
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

For the Glaze:

  • 2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 5 Tbsp milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350° degrees F. Liberally spray a 9x13 light metal rectangular baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.
  • For the cake: In a large bowl, combine all of the cake batter ingredients except for the melted butter. Slowly add in the melted butter until fully combined. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Set aside.
  • For the filling: In a medium bowl, beat together the softened butter, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon together until moistened. Drop heaping Tablespoonfuls of the brown sugar filling mixture evenly over the top of the cake batter. Using a butter knife, swirl the brown sugar filling into the cake batter.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake portion comes out clean or with moist but not wet crumbs. Cool for at least 20 minutes.
  • For the glaze: IN a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until combined. Drizzle over the warm cake.

Notes

For neater slices like the ones pictured, wait for the cake to cool completely (though it tastes amazing warm, just won't slice as cleanly!).

Closeup of Cinnamon Roll Cake with bite missing on a white plateThis cake is super delicious and totally comforting! Like a deep dish, cakey cinnamon roll!

Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake photo collageHave a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

 

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Comments

  1. Gen says

    October 23, 2020 at 10:24 am

    5 stars
    This recipe was simple and delicious had a lot of fun making it with my younger family members can’t wait to make it again for Thanksgiving ? !!

    Reply
    • thedomesticrebel says

      October 24, 2020 at 7:39 pm

      Hi Gen, thanks so much! So glad you loved it!

      Reply
  2. Susan says

    October 29, 2020 at 1:43 pm

    I only have unsalted butter. Should I add salt to the recipe & how much?

    Reply
    • thedomesticrebel says

      October 29, 2020 at 4:11 pm

      Hi Susan, add 1/2 tsp to the cake batter!

      Reply
  3. Patricia says

    November 11, 2020 at 6:41 pm

    Would this recipe work if I divided the batter among individual ramekins or freezer-safe foil loaf pans? The recipe sounds absolutely wonderful, but for a family of 3, it is a little too much. It would be nice to have one or 2 pans of it stashed in the freezer for “emergencies”…

    Reply
    • thedomesticrebel says

      November 11, 2020 at 6:46 pm

      Hi Patricia! I think it would work very well divided among two loaf pans and baked, then frozen!

      Reply
  4. Rosalia says

    November 15, 2020 at 8:49 am

    5 stars
    This cake is not only delicious, but easy to make! Huge hit with my loyal taste testers (mom and dad) and I can’t wait to make it for our socially distant Christmas get together!

    Reply
    • thedomesticrebel says

      November 15, 2020 at 8:55 am

      Rosalia, so glad you enjoyed! Thanks for your review!

      Reply
  5. Dawn says

    December 1, 2020 at 5:16 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious. We get a similar type of treat at my favorite bakery and this is just as good! I will definitely be making it again.

    Reply
    • Dawn says

      December 1, 2020 at 5:17 pm

      5 stars
      I forgot to add that I used buttermilk since I had it on hand. It worked great!

      Reply
      • Maurica says

        October 4, 2021 at 7:11 pm

        Can you use a cake mix then just add bitter to it for the batter part?

        Reply
        • thedomesticrebel says

          October 5, 2021 at 3:23 pm

          Hi Maurica, I’m not sure what you’re asking here. You could probably use a cake mix for the cake base and then add the filling ingredients to the cake mix batter. I have not tried that so I don’t know if it would taste as good.

          Reply
  6. Cathy L. says

    December 10, 2020 at 1:44 pm

    5 stars
    Since its only 2 of us, I made a half recipe in an 8×8 pan and it didn’t come out as high as the picture, so I had my doubts, but boy was it good! This is a very easy recipe with ingredients most people already have in the house. I will definitely be making it again. Thank you for sharing your recipe.

    Reply
  7. CrisV says

    October 25, 2021 at 9:31 am

    Could I use sugar substitutes?

    Reply
    • thedomesticrebel says

      October 25, 2021 at 9:58 am

      Hi CrisV, I have not tried this with a sugar substitute but I am sure it would work if you got the proper ratio.

      Reply
  8. Wendy says

    June 19, 2022 at 4:50 pm

    5 stars
    Made this today for Father’s Day brunch and WOW!! So yummy!! I’ve been wanting to make cinnamon rolls but have been too lazy- this was the perfect solution! And actually, we all agreed that it’s easier to eat this way, too! I had to make it gluten free and dairy free due to dietary restrictions, but it still turned out perfectly (used GF flour and Country Crock plant butter). Will definitely make this again!

    Reply

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About me

Welcome to The Domestic Rebel! My name is Hayley and I am the 31-year old writer, photographer, recipe developer, taste-tester and creator of this blog. I’m so glad you’ve stopped by my little slice of sprinkly, butter-laden heaven on the interwebs. If it wasn’t apparent, I like to bake… a lot. Read More…

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