Cinnamon Roll Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Featuring a homemade cream cheese frosting, this incredible Cinnamon Roll Cake is a perfectly sweet and indulgent dessert. It channels all the familiar flavors of homemade cinnamon rolls in a hassle-free treat with easy prep!
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Making homemade cinnamon rolls can be stressful because of the nature of the dough you need to make. Try this fluffy cake version instead and cut out all of the hassle!
Why This Recipe Works
This cake has an incredible cinnamon swirl mixed into yellow cake and a simple but fantastic cream cheese glaze, this nostalgic cake is a much easier way to prepare cinnamon rolls! It's quick and easy to make, which is great for any last-minute dessert needs.
Made from cake mix for a convenient shortcut, this dessert is almost like a giant cinnamon roll! This homemade cinnamon roll cake is sure to become an instant family favorite, perfect for special occasions or any time you need a special treat.
If you can't get enough cinnamon roll desserts, try my Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls or a similar Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Roll Casserole.
Ingredients Needed
- Yellow Cake Mix: I like to use an extra moist cake mix for this recipe, but any yellow cake mix will do!
- Eggs
- Milk
- Vegetable Oil
- Softened Butter: Unsalted butter is my go-to for baking--if you want some salt to offset the sweetness you can sprinkle a bit in.
- Brown Sugar and Cinnamon: The main ingredients of the mouthwatering cinnamon swirl.
- All Purpose Flour
- Cream Cheese Frosting: This frosting is made from milk, cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar.
How to Make this Cinnamon Roll Cake
- Step 1: Combine cake mix (or dry ingredients for cake mix) with egg, oil, and milk in a large bowl.
- Step 2: Pour cake batter into a prepared 9x13 pan.
- Step 3: In a separate small bowl, beat the butter.
- Step 4: Add cinnamon, flour, and brown sugar and mix well.
- Step 5: Place large dollops of the cinnamon sugar mixture on top of the cake batter.
- Step 6: Use a butter knife to swirl the cinnamon flour mixture through the top of the batter. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes and allow the cake to cool for about an hour.
- Step 7: While the cake cools, beat together powdered sugar, cream cheese, milk, and vanilla.
- Step 8: Once cooled, spread the sweet glaze over top of the cake. Cut into pieces and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Be sure not to overbake the cake. It might appear a little underdone because of the cinnamon swirl, but a toothpick test should tell you whether or not it's finished.
- If you want more of a cream cheese glaze as opposed to frosting, use a little more milk.
- Don't skip the cooling phase or else the frosting will melt off the sides of the warm cake.
- If you have leftover cake, cover well with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. You can also place in an airtight container.
- You can also freeze leftovers for a couple of months. Wrap well in plastic and/or store in a large ziploc bag. Let the cake thaw before serving again.
Recipe FAQ's
Traditional cinnamon buns are made from a specific kind of yeasted dough, which gives them more of a bready texture. This recipe takes the same flavors but turns them into a cake instead!
If you don't have cake mix handy, you can make your own yellow cake mix by combining flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
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Cinnamon Roll Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (15.25 ounce) yellow cake mix
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 12 tablespoons butter slightly melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl add the cake mix, eggs, milk and vegetable oil and using a hand mixer min for 1-2 minutes. Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan.
- In a small bowl add the butter, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon and mix until combined.
- Add dollops of the mixture onto the cake batter. using a butter knife makes swirls throughout the cake batter.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least an hour.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a medium bowl add the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla and using a hand mixer, mix until combined. Add in the milk according to your desired consistency. You can leave it out if you prefer a thicker frosting.
- Once the cake as cooled spread the frosting over the top and serve!
Notes
- I used Super Moist but any brand cake mix will work.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
It really is an amazing cake and always a huge hit!
I have made this cake for years. But I double the streusel and use a bundt pan. Layer cake, layer streusel and over again till all used up. I also use pack of vanilla pudding in the cake. I make a powder sugar glaze instead of cream cheese frosting so it’s not too heavy and sweet. I also use cream instead of milk in all my glazes. But one thing for sure however you make this cake it is delicious
Sorry about that all fixed 🙂
How much powder sugar and vanilla do you use?