Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake
All the joy of cinnamon rolls, in cake form! Moist yellow cake, baked under a canopy of cinnamon-sugar, and then drizzled with a satiny-sweet glaze. And thanks to store-bought yellow cake mix, this incredible treat comes together in just minutes!
This is the ultimate marriage of two great breakfast options! First, we have nuances of coffee cake – moist cake with a rich crumb. Then, we have the cinnamon-sugar swirl and frosting, which transforms the cake into something more reminiscent of cinnamon rolls. I promise you will have your family and friends swooning over this recipe.
You can serve this cake straight from the oven! If you like warm cinnamon rolls, this cake is for you! After a quick cool in the pan, the cake is drizzled with frosting and served warm. That said, this cake is equally fabulous room temperature and chilled (I know you’ll be stealing slices after midnight)!
Yellow cake mix saves the day! And I wouldn’t call that cheating! We’re simply transforming a handy ingredient into something truly fabulous. I used Bob’s Red Mill yellow cake mix and it was the perfect choice for this recipe. And, as you’ll see below, I added a few extra ingredients to the batter to make sure it was extra rich (egg, sour cream, and vanilla).
Adding a few ingredients to cake mix makes all the difference in the world. In this cinnamon roll cake, we add sour cream for tang and moisture; this simple step transforms the cake into one that’s much more rich, making it an ideal base for the cinnamon sugar mixture and frosting. We also add an extra egg and some vanilla extract to make sure the cake is rich and flavorful.
What pan do you need for this cinnamon roll cake? You need a 13×9-inch baking dish. Like the one you use for lasagna! LOL! You can also make two cinnamon roll cakes by pouring the batter into two 9-inch cake pans. Note that the baking time will be much shorter when cooking two cakes.
I used a sweet frosting, but if you like cream cheese frosting, you have options. First, you can top the cake with store-bought cream cheese frosting, OR, you can spike my frosting below with a little cream cheese.
Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream, full fat
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 15- ounce package yellow cake mix, I used Bob’s Red Mill yellow cake mix
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- Optional: Cream cheese, optional for the frosting if you like cream cheese frosting on your cinnamon rolls
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 13×9-inch baking pan with cooking spray or a thin layer of butter or oil.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, oil, and vanilla. Whisk in the cake mix and whisk until blended and smooth. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and cinnamon until blended. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the top of the cake. Using a butter knife, swirl the cinnamon sugar into the batter (don’t over-swirl or you’ll loose the cinnamon roll affect).
- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until a wooden pick comes out clean or with little moist bits clinging to it.
- Cool the cake, in the pan, on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
- To make the topping, in a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk. If you like cream cheese frosting on your cinnamon rolls, add a little cream cheese (start with 1 tablespoons and adjust as desired).
- While the cake is still warm, drizzle the mixture over top. Serve warm or room temperature.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.