Cinnamon rolls are the best dessert ever created, and nothing can change my mind. My love for cinnamon rolls is so deep that if I were ever given a choice only to eat one dessert for the rest of my life, I would 100% choose cinnamon rolls without even thinking twice.
I mean, how can you not love a cinnamon roll? Just the smell of it makes people stop in their tracks. There is really something about cinnamon that’s so warm and cozy; it makes you feel at home. It’s no wonder the cinnamon molten lava cake recipe is one of the most popular on my website.
While there is nothing that can beat a warm, freshly made cinnamon roll, they’re too much work to make, and sometimes you don’t want to step out of the comfort of your home to grab one from your favorite bakery.
So what do you do to beat that cinnamon roll craving? You make this simple, quick, no-equipment cinnamon cake, of course! And by no equipment, I mean not even an electric beater! It’s that easy.
This cake will satisfy your cinnamon roll craving (and then some) every. single. time.
The best part about this cake? It takes literally less time to make than it will take for your driver to deliver a Cinnabon to you (it’s also cheaper 😉). It’s one of those desserts you can whip up quickly but will have people thinking you just spent hours in the kitchen.
Are you still not convinced and thinking, how can a cake be like a cinnamon roll? Let’s get into the deets, then. If you end up drooling on your phone/keyboard after this, don’t blame me! 😏
If you’re craving the OG cinnamon rolls, I have a very detailed, VERY delicious cinnamon roll recipe right here!
The Cake Base
The recipe whips a delicious, moist, buttery, and sweet vanilla cake. It’s honestly so delicious that it’s hard even to resist the uncooked batter! 🤤 It’s made with the simplest pantry ingredients like eggs, butter, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and can be mixed with a hand whisk; it’s that easy!
The cake is then swirled with a delicious cinnamon filling that gives it the flavor of a cinnamon roll.
The Cinnamon Filling
You know that buttery, cinnamon flavor in between cinnamon roll layers that you absolutely love? Yep, this is exactly that. The cinnamon filling is made with 4 simple ingredients – butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour (to help it thicken). It is generously piped on the cake batter in circles once it’s already in the pan to give it that classic cinnamon roll look.
All you have to do is mix all of your ingredients together by hand to create your delicious cinnamon filling.
The Glaze
Of course, no cinnamon roll is complete with a glaze. This cake is covered with a simple cream cheese and icing sugar glaze that gives it the perfect finish and complements the cinnamon flavors beautifully.
So now that you’re also craving this cake like I am (😏), let’s get started!
Oh, fair warning – once you make this cake for someone, they are going to fall in love with it (and you 😏), so be ready to be everyone’s favorite person!
PS: I always measure ingredients in grams, never in cups. Using a measuring scale is the only way to bake accurately. Cups are unreliable and can give different measurements, so I suggest you buy a measuring scale before you start baking! If you can’t get your hands on one, you can use the online tools for converting grams into cups; however, I do not guarantee their accuracy.
PPS: if you notice a * after any word, it means that there are additional tips about it after the recipe
Cinnamon Roll Cake
Equipment
- Hand whisk
- Piping bag
- 7” Springform pan (optional, but ideal). You can also use a regular 7” pan but it can be a little tricky to get the cake out of it without damaging it.
Ingredients
Cinnamon Filling
- 113 gs butter, softened
- 100 gs brown sugar
- 10 gs flour
- 12 gs cinnamon powder
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 120 gs cream cheese
- 55 gs unsalted butter, softened
- 120 gs icing sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla essence
Cake Base
- 250 gs all-purpose flour
- 125 gs granulated white sugar
- 10 gs baking powder
- 1/4th tsp salt
- 250 ml full-fat milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 75 gs butter, melted
Instructions
Cinnamon Filling
- In a bowl, add the softened butter*, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon, and whisk together until everything is well combined, and no lumps remain.113 gs butter, softened, 100 gs brown sugar, 10 gs flour, 12 gs cinnamon powder
- Transfer the cinnamon filling into a piping bag with a round tip. If you don’t have a big round tip, you can skip adding a tip to the piping bag and just cut the end of the bag for piping. Set the filling aside until you are ready to use it.
- Make the cream cheese glaze: Whip the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth, then add the icing sugar and vanilla and mix until fully combined.120 gs cream cheese, 55 gs unsalted butter, softened, 120 gs icing sugar, 2 tsp vanilla essence
- Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius. Prepare a 7 inch springform pan by greasing with butter and dusting with flour to make sure the cake does not stick to the pan.
- In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients – flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt with a hand whisk.250 gs all-purpose flour, 125 gs granulated white sugar, 10 gs baking powder, 1/4th tsp salt
- In another bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, and vanilla essence, until well combined.250 ml full-fat milk, 1 large egg, 1 tsp vanilla essence
- Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients mix and whisk until everything is well combined. There might be a few visible lumps in the batter at this stage, don’t worry about it.
- Finally, drizzle the melted butter into the cake batter while whisking it in. Keep whisking until all the butter has been added and incorporated into the batter. Transfer the cake batter to the prepared pan.75 gs butter, melted
- Now it’s time to add the cinnamon filling swirl. Using your cinnamon filling piping bag, start piping the cinnamon mix on the cake batter start from the center, then going around in circles till the edge of the cake (similar to a cinnamon roll). You can watch the video below for reference.
- Once the cinnamon filling has been piped, place the cake pan in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the cake is completely set from the center.
- Once baked, let the cake cool before unmolding it from the cake pan.
- After unmolding the cake, pour the icing glaze all over the cake to finish. Serve while warm, or microwave before serving for maximum flavor.
Notes
- Softened butter – for the cinnamon filling, make sure your butter is soft but not melted. You want the filling to be soft but not liquid. The filling should have some firmness to be able to pipe it on the cake
- What if my cinnamon swirls are not perfect? – it’s okay, sometimes mine aren’t, too! The swirls add to the look of the cake, but even if they aren’t perfect, it will still taste delicious!
See, I told you it’s super simple! You can whip it up anytime you are craving a delicious cinnamon roll.
I hope you love this cake as much as I do, it’s truly one of my favorites!
If you give this recipe a try, don’t forget to let me know how you liked it in the comments! And of course, share it with me on Instagram!
See you next time!
