This Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake recipe is fast and easy to make in under an hour. Filled with the sweetness of Cinnabun cinnamon rolls, topped with a tasty caramelized streusel topping and a frosting glaze, it is the perfect breakfast, brunch, or dessert recipe.
This small-batch cinnamon streusel coffee cake recipe is perfect for two or a small household. Easy to double to full size.
Ingredients
Flour
Sugar
Vanilla extract
Milk, butter, and egg
Pantry ingredients—salt, baking powder
Streusel topping—butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and optional walnuts or pecans
Frosting glaze—powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, optional cream cheese
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Featured Comment from Beth"
"5-stars. Best Cinnamon Roll Cake EVER!!! It is so moist! It's hard to stop at one piece."
This wonderful Cinnamon Roll Cake recipe is from scratch, and ultra-moist with gooey cinnamon swirls, then topped with a glaze for that great cinnamon bun taste.
Some would call it cinnamon swirl cake or cinnamon roll coffee cake, but it is more because of all the butter and ooey-gooey goodness. Meet your new family favorite recipe.
👨🍳How to Make Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake
1. Preheat oven to 350° conventional.
2. Sift 1 ½ cups flour into a large mixing bowl. You could skip the sifting, but it will improve the texture. You can also just strain or whisk it for a few seconds.
3. Add ½ cup sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 2 teaspoons baking powder to the flour in the large bowl. Mix dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients: 1 egg, ¾ cup milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix well.
4. Melt ¼ cup butter in a microwave. Mix the melted butter into the cake batter.
5. Prep a 9X6 baking dish with PAM cooking spray and add the batter. An 8X8 or 9-inch round baking pan may also be used. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
6. Mix topping in a medium bowl. ½ cup cold butter, ½ cup brown sugar, one tablespoon cinnamon, and one tablespoon flour. A dough cutter is good here. If you don't have that, dice the cold butter before starting and use a fork. Mix until crumbly. You can add ⅓ cup of chopped pecans or walnuts if you wish.
7. Add the cinnamon topping on top of the cake batter. Cut it into the batter with a knife. Move a butter knife at 1-inch segments in both directions several times. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean—about 30 minutes.
8. Mix glaze. One cup of powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and two tablespoons of milk.
9. After the cake is partially cooled, drizzle the glaze over the warm cake and evenly spread it over the cake.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
When is the cinnamon roll cake done?
Time estimates for baking recipes are estimated for planning, but there are many variables. Your cinnamon cake is done when it is browning, and the cake is starting to pull away from the sides. And a toothpick or narrow knife will come out clean.
If unsure, the internal temperature of the cake should be 200° to 210° when checked with an instant-read thermometer.
Tips to make it perfect every time
Use a 6 by 9 baking dish, but you may use a 8 or 9-inch round baking pan.
Standard white all-purpose flour is fine. Cake or bread flour is unnecessary, and whole wheat will fight the taste and texture.
Add the optional nuts to get the full cinnamon roll experence when they sink into the cake with the crumb topping when baked after cutting the knife through the batter making the swirl effect.
How to serve
I suggest a smaller serving. There is so much butter and sweetness that a smaller serving will make most people happy. But, I have set the nutrition to six relatively large servings.
Serve with Bacon American Fries, Baked Bacon, or Baked Sausage. Breakfast meat is a must at our house. If you have not tried it, learn how to bake bacon in the convection oven or bake breakfast sausage.
Other breakfast and dessert recipes
Check out some other breakfast baked goods recipes, like Oven Baked English Muffins, Glazed Cinnamon Biscuits, Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake, Blueberry Cake, and Baked Blueberry Pancakes. Or some delicious dessert recipes like Flourless Chocolate Cake and Old Fashioned Apple Crisp.
This recipe is featured in Mother's Day Recipes, Valentine's Day Recipes, and Christmas Recipes roundups.
↕️How to make this a "for two" or "family size " recipe
This small recipe is already a recipe for two. If you decide to make a half recipe, you need to use a 6-inch round pan.
A double recipe uses a 9 by 13-inch cake pan and will take about 10 minutes longer to cook. Use the same endpoints.
- Use the recipe card and adjust the number of servings to half or double.
- Use the amount of ingredients in the ingredient list, not the instructions—those do not adjust.
Storage of leftovers
The cake is best served warm out of the oven. Store tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days but best if only one day. If you add the optional cream cheese to the frosting, you should store in the refrigerator and not at room temperature.
Freezing is acceptable for up to 3 months, but I suggest freezing without the glaze and adding it later.
Reheat in the microwave. If you want to reheat in the oven, it should be covered.
❓FAQs
You may add 2 tablespoons of cream cheese to the frosting glaze for great cream cheese flavor. If you add cream cheese, the cinnamon cake must be refrigerated and not left at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
No. The top may overcook before the batter is cooked. This is true of most baking, only use convection if instructed.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.
📖 Recipe
Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup butter
Topping
- ½ cup butter - cold
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon flour
- ⅓ cup chopped nuts - optional. Walnuts or Pecans.
Glaze
- 1 cup powder sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° conventional.
- Sift 1 ½ cups flour into a large mixing bowl. You could skip the sifting, but it will improve the texture. You can also just strain or whisk it for a few seconds.
- Add ½ cup sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 2 teaspoons baking powder to the flour in the large bowl. Mix dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients: 1 egg, ¾ cup milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix well.
- Melt ¼ cup butter in a microwave. Mix the melted butter into the cake batter.
- Prep a 9X6 baking dish with PAM cooking spray and add the batter. An 8X8 or 9-inch round baking pan may also be used. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Mix topping in a medium bowl. ½ cup cold butter, ½ cup brown sugar, one tablespoon cinnamon, and one tablespoon flour. A dough cutter is good here. If you don't have that, dice the cold butter before starting and use a fork. Mix until crumbly. You can add ⅓ cup of chopped pecans or walnuts if you wish.
- Add the cinnamon topping on top of the cake batter. Cut it into the batter with a knife. Move a butter knife at 1-inch segments in both directions several times. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean—about 30 minutes.
- Mix the glaze of 1 cup of powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of milk.
- After the cake is partially cooled, drizzle the glaze over the warm cake and evenly spread it over the cake.
- Serve warm.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- It fits nicely in a 6X9 dish, but alternatively, you may use an 8X8 or a 9-inch round baking dish.
- An easy recipe to double using a 9 X 13 standard cake pan. Cooking time will increase a bit to 35-40 minutes. A half recipe will fit in a 6 inch round pan and will cook 5-10 minutes faster.
- Butter is a key component of this cake. Please use real butter.
- Sifting flour will make your flour "lighter" and your final results lighter and less dense. I think it is quite noticeable in this recipe. If you don't have a sifter then running the flour through a strainer will work. If you don't have that, then a whisk or fork can help. Or skip it.
- You can add 2 tablespoons of cream cheese to the frosting glaze for more taste but you MUST refrigerate leftovers due to the cream cheese.
- Best warm out of the oven but otherwise store at room temperature covered tightly for up to 3 days, but only one day is better.
- It can be frozen for up to 3 months, but I suggest freezing without the glaze and adding before serving.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Many similar recipes are around the internet. Some call it cinnamon roll cake and some Cinnabon cake. The oldest I can find is Cinnabon Cake on Food.com, but they are almost all the same. I reduced the size and added options.
Editor's Note: Originally Published December 12, 2015. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
carol says
This coffee cake is great!! Just the perfect size, recipe is easy to follow and there’s never leftovers! lol
I’ve been making it on a weekly basis.
Thank you Dr Dan
Felicia Henshaw says
This is by far one of the best cakes I have ever made and perfect size for 3 people!!!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Felicia,
Welcome to the blog.
Thanks so much, it is one of my favorites.
Dan
Beth Matteri says
Beth
Best Cinnamon Roll Cake EVER!!! It is so moist! It's hard to stop at one piece.
Happy Holidays to you & yours!
Beth
I love this recipe for Cinnamon Roll Cake. It is so moist.
It's hard to stop at 1 piece.
Happy Holidays to you & yours.
Linda says
When you mentioned using a pie-cutter, are you referring to also what's known as a dough cutter? I'm a senior citizen, but relatively new to baking and all the tools available. :-)
It's just me and my husband and I love your "Cooking for two". Great recipes!
Thank you for all the work it takes to make these recipes for everyone!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Linda,
I, of course, use the terminology I learned 60 yrs ago and never checked what people called it now. And the one I use is probably 60 yrs old, also. I changed it to "dough cutter" which has probably been the correct term forever.
Glad you are enjoying the blog. Please continue to let me know if something isn't clear.
Dan
Jayne says
This looks absolutely delicious!! A quick question please. Do I measure the 1 1/2 cups flour before or after sifting?
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Jayne,
Welcome to the blog.
That is 1 1/2 cup before sifting.
Dan
Claudi0 says
Just made your cinnamon roll cake yesterday. I must had made some error somewhere as all the yummy topping ended up all as a layer on the bottom of the cake - which made it very hard to get out of the pan. But I will say, although that happened, it still was delicious all the same.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Claudi,
Welcome to the blog.
A couple of possibilities with the "sinking" of the topping. First, use cold butter when making the topping which will help that topping be more dry/crumbly. Warmer butter will tend to make more of a "goop" that will just go to the bottom. Second, don't over mix when running the knife though. You just want some of the topping to go into the dough. In my 6X9, I usually do 2-3 the long way and 3-4 across the shorter way.
But, at least it tasted good.
Thanks for the note, rating, and have a great holiday.
Dan