Cinnamon Roll Sheet Cake
Cinnamon Roll Sheet Cake is light, fluffy, packed with cinnamon flavor, with gooey moist textures and flavors, topped with a cinnamon roll glaze — it’s everything you love about Cinnamon Rolls in cake form!
There are so many delicious cinnamon recipes on Salt & Baker! Some of my favorites are my Mini Cinnamon Rolls, Apple Cinnamon Scones, Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake and Cinnamon Roll Cookies!
Every few months I crave Homemade Cinnamon Rolls. It’s not often I give into my cinnamon roll cravings. The hassle of making a dough and letting it rise two separate times… that’s enough to steer me towards a more simple dessert option. But I’m thrilled to say you can have cinnamon rolls in the form of cake, and spend half the time making it!
Why This Recipe Works
- No dough rising. This cinnamon roll sheet cake has everything you love about a cinnamon roll, without the hassle of having to making a dough, letting it rise, rolling it out, filling it … you get the picture.
- Easy cinnamon roll cake. This cinnamon roll sheet cake recipe is easy to make! The cake batter comes together in just 15 minutes!
- Cinnamon swirls. The batter is poured into the pan in two layers with a delicious cinnamon sugar topping in between the layers! This really brings out the cinnamon flavor in every bite.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter: This cake batter is a bit different because we are using butter for the fat instead of oil. This is to help mimic the butter in the cinnamon roll filling! It makes it buttery and delicious.
- Sugars: Using a combination of the granulated sugar and brown sugar will give us a delicious sweet flavor and moist texture.
- Eggs: Eggs act as a binding agent for the cake.
- Vanilla Bean Paste: If you don’t have vanilla bean paste, you can use regular vanilla. Just replace is with the same exact measurement.
- Flour: Gettin the right flour to fat ratio will give us the perfect moist cinnamon cake!
- Sour Cream: You can swap out the sour cream for Plain Greek Yogurt if you’d prefer. The sour cream will give us additional fat for a moist cake!
- Cinnamon: Wouldn’t be a cinnamon sugar cake without cinnamon!
- Powdered Sugar: The powdered sugar will be used to make the delicious cinnamon roll icing!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Cream wet ingredients. Cream 1 cup butter, 1 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Once light and fluffy, add 4 eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Scrape down the sides of the bow with a rubber spatula and then add 2 tsp vanilla bean paste. Mix to combine.
- Combine dry ingredients. Whisk 3 cups all purpose flour, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp baking soda in a medium bowl.
- Alternate sour cream and dry ingredients. Turn the stand mixer speed to low. Alternate adding the sour cream and the dry ingredients to the bowl, staring and ending with the flour mixture (flour, sour cream, flour, sour cream, flour). Mix until just combined. Don’t over mix. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Make the cinnamon sugar topping. Add 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1 T cinnamon to a small bowl. Mix to combine.
- Pour half of the batter. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Pour half of the cinnamon roll sheet cake batter. Spread it into an even layer. Sprinkle half the cinnamon filling on the cake batter. Pour the remaining cake batter on top. Carefully spread the batter into an even layer and sprinkle the remaining cinnamon topping.
- Swirl the batter. Using a butter knife, swirl the cinnamon sugar mixture into the top of the batter to create the cinnamon-swirl goodness!
- Bake. Now that the batter has been swirled, let’s bake! Bake the cinnamon roll sheet cake in an oven preheated to 350°F for 43-46 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs but not wet batter. Let cool for a little bit before glazing.
- Make the cinnamon roll glaze. Add 4 T softened butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract to a medium bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat until smooth. Slowly add in the milk 1 T at a time until it reaches a drizzle consistency. Pour over the cake. Cut and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
You don’t have to use vanilla bean paste. If you prefer vanilla extract, or if that’s what you store in your pantry, substitute it 1:1.
You can use sour cream or plain Greek Yogurt.
Use an offset spatula to make spreading the cake batter 1000X easier.
I like to pour the glaze over the cake after it has cooled for about 30-40 minutes. The cake is still just *barely* warm. But you can glaze the cake once it’s fully cooled. Both work and taste great! I love eating this cake when it’s still a tad warm… it practically melts in your mouth.
More of a vanilla cream cheese frosting fan? No worries! Add 2-4 oz softened cream cheese to the glaze!
If you are looking for more of a cinnamon layer cake, my Horchata Cake is for you!
Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing
Would you believe me if I told you this easy cinnamon roll cake tastes just as good if not better the second day? Because it does. 🙂
Store leftovers of this moist cinnamon roll cake covered at room temperature for 2-3 days.
To freeze, let cool completely then tightly wrap in plastic wrap then in aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Remove and let thaw. Warm in the microwave for best results!
Recipe FAQs
If you are wanting to cut down on time, you can use a vanilla cake mix to make this easy cinnamon roll cake recipe even easier. It won’t be as yummy as my cinnamon roll cake from scratch though!
Sure! If you want to you can add softened butter to the sugar and cinnamon mixture. You’ll have to place it in globs on the cake and then swirl that into the batter. I haven’t tried this personally, so I’m not sure how the butter in the mixture will affect the bake, but it should work! Let me know if you try it!
Yes you can! It’s a 1:1 substitution.
Sure! I haven’t tried it in a bundt pan, but it should work the same. Just be sure to fully grease and flour your bundt pan. You’ll still pour half the batter in, add the cinnamon swirl, then pour the remaining batter and cinnamon topping and swirl again. You may need to bake it a bit longer, but still check around the 43 minute mark.
Yes! Instead of pouring half the batter, you’ll pour all of it into the sheet cake pan and then swirl all of the cinnamon topping on top of the cake batter. You’ll bake at the same temperature (350ºF) but you’re bake time will be a lot less (check at the 15-16 minute mark). You’re probably looking at a 15-22 minute bake time depending on your climate.
More Cinnamon Roll Recipes
- Cinnamon Roll Popcorn
- Cinnamon Sugar Caramelitas
- Cinnamon Banana Bread Recipe
- Cinnamon Baked Apples
- Cinnamon Chip Pancakes
Cinnamon Roll Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter - softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar - packed
- 4 large eggs - at room temp
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/3 cups sour cream - or greek yogurt
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- 3/4 cup brown sugar - packed
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Glaze
- 4 tablespoons butter - softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup milk
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 13×9 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars on medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the vanilla bean paste, and mix to combine.
- In a medium bowl whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- With the mixer on low, alternate adding the dry ingredients with the sour cream, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. (Flour, sour cream, flour, sour cream, flour). Mix until just combined. Being sure to stop and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Don’t overmix.
- Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the batter. Scoop the remaining cake batter over the cinnamon mixture. Carefully spread the batter to make an even layer (use an off set spatula to make it easier). Sprinkle remaining cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the cake. Using a knife, gently swirl the cinnamon sugar mixture into the top layer of batter.
- Bake cake for 43-46 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean (mine baked for 45 minutes). Let the cake cool for a littel bit before glazing the cake.
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- In a small bowl combine the brown sugar and cinnamon.
Glaze
- Combine butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a bowl. Beat until combined. Slowly add in the milk a tablespoon at a time until it reaches a syrup-y like consistency. Drizzle over the cake once the cake has cooled slightly.
Notes
Welcome to this delicious corner of the internet! Here I share the recipes my family loves.
4 Comments on “Cinnamon Roll Sheet Cake”
This is a delicious recipe that I make regularly for my family. I use gluten free flour since I have Celiac disease, and it turns out great. Also, I make cream cheese frosting instead of the glaze, frost it when it’s warm, and it so amazingly delicious! Thank you!
Thanks so much for coming back and leaving a review, Laura! It’s great to hear that the cake still turns out great with the substitute of gluten free flour. And the cream cheese frosting sounds delicious!
This was yummy and stayed moist a couple of days. I halved the recipe and they turned out great. I also made your german chocolate brownies the same day. I had a friend in town so special breakfast and dessert were warranted! These were the 1st recipes I’ve made from your site but won’t be the last. Thanks!
So glad you loved the recipes. Thanks Carla!!