While this cinnamon roll cake is technically a cake, I like to think of it more along the lines of a breakfast or brunch cake, like a coffee cake or crumb cake, rather than a layer cake. Made without yeast, it still captures the quintessential flavors and textures of a genuine cinnamon roll, but it requires a fraction of the work! It’s dense but so soft, melts in your mouth, has a distinct rich and buttery cinnamon ripple, and the simple vanilla glaze is the perfect finishing touch. What’s not to like? Sure, this cinnamon roll cake is perfect for weekend mornings and holiday breakfasts, but you could still serve it as an everyday dessert too! It’s quick and simple way to achieve the warm, gooey flavors of a cinnamon roll with none of the fussing over yeast or rolling dough. The hardest part about this recipe is swirling in the filling, and even that is no large task. I have a feeling you’re really going to like this one, so let’s jump right in!
What You Need
The ingredients for this cinnamon roll cake are about as simple as its preparation. It’s worth reiterating that there’s no yeast in today’s recipe; I know many of you will be relieved to read that! Here’s what you need:
Cream cheese. My favorite secret ingredient! Like in my bundt cake, this ingredient is key for providing the dense but soft, perfectly textured melt-in-your mouth consistency. It also adds a lovely depth of flavor. You must use brick-style, full-fat cream cheese for best results. Butter. Use unsalted since we are adding salt ourselves. Sugar. You’ll quite a bit of sugar for this recipe: granulated sugar and brown sugar blend together for the best flavor in the cake. For the swirl, I like to use dark brown sugar because it has a richer flavor, but you can substitute light brown sugar if it’s all you have on hand. Finally, you need powdered sugar for a simple vanilla glaze to top off the cake.Eggs. It’s best if your eggs are at room temperature before you add them. If you forget to set yours out ahead of time, just set them in warm water for 10-15 minutes, and they should come to temperature quickly. Vanilla. We’ll add a splash to the cake itself and the vanilla glaze. Flour. Use all-purpose flour. Make sure you measure your flour properly, or your cake could turn out dry and dense. Baking powder. This keeps the cake from being too dense.Cornstarch. Another one of my favorite secret ingredients, cornstarch makes this cake soft, plush, and melt-in-your mouth. I use it in my blueberry coffee cake for the same reason!Milk. I recommend using whole milk for the cake, and you’ll also need a splash for the glaze too. Cinnamon. An essential ingredient for cinnamon roll cake! We’ll be adding a full tablespoon to the filling for that classic taste.
SAM’S TIP: I like using dark brown sugar for a rich, flavorful filling, but you could always use light brown sugar if that’s all you have on hand. Or, you could make your own dark brown sugar using my recipe–it’s so easy! Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make a Cinnamon Roll Cake
SAM’S TIP: When swirling the filling into the cake, make sure you swirl the filling down into the cake batter, not just in the top. The filling will sink into the cake as it bakes and cools (crevices are norma and actually desirable herel!), but we want to help it get there too. Enjoy!
More Recipes You Might Like
Easy Cinnamon Rolls (no yeast required!)French Toast CasseroleCinnamon Roll CookiesMonkey Bread
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
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