Giant Cinnamon Roll Cake
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Learn how to make a giant cinnamon roll cake with this tutorial using my homemade cinnamon roll dough. Instead of individual rolls, form into one large cake, and top with cream cheese vanilla icing for a fun breakfast or brunch recipe!
Table of Contents
- You’ll Love This Cinnamon Roll Cake
- 4 Helpful Tips
- Grab These Ingredients
- Step-by-Step Pictures: Here’s How To Make It
- FAQs
- More Holiday Breakfast Recipes
If you wake up and find yourself craving giant cinnamon rolls while also looking for a fun baking project on a slow weekend, want a special Mother’s Day brunch recipe or Father’s Day recipe, or looking to make the holiday mornings special– I have the recipe for you.
You could even try this with these festive gingerbread cinnamon rolls, too!
You’ll Love This Cinnamon Roll Cake
- It’s one giant cinnamon roll– think of it as personal sized!
- Smothered in cream cheese vanilla icing
- A fun recipe that will make any holiday, breakfast, or occasion special
- The perfect recipe for small hands to help with
- It’s… so much fun to eat!
4 Helpful Tips
- Room Temperature Ingredients: It’s important to use room temperature ingredients which allows the ingredients to come together easily without overworking the dough and crucial for easily spreading the butter over the dough. If you forget to set the butter out like I often do, use my tutorial to soften butter quickly.
- Best Pan: I recommend using a 9-inch pie dish or 9-inch cake pan for best results. You can use an 8-inch but it may be a tight squeeze.
- Yeast: I have many yeast bread recipes varying from beginner to advanced and a quality active yeast like Fleischmann’s or Red Star will guarantee success. You can use instant yeast to help cut down the rise time too! (If you’re craving cinnamon rolls right now and can’t wait for the rise time, these quick cinnamon rolls!)
- Warm Water: It’s important to use warm water to kick start the yeast at the beginning– it helps wake it up.
Grab These Ingredients
- Flour: All-purpose flour provides structure and produces a sturdy, tender cake.
- Yeast: I always use Fleischmann’s or Red Star active or instant yeast. You only need 1 standard packet of yeast which is 2 and 1/4 teaspoons.
- Water: You want to start off with warm water to kick start the yeast. Don’t skip this!
- Sugar: We’re using both granulated sugar and brown sugar– one for the dough and the other for the filling.
- Oil: Any type of neutral oil will work to add fat into the dough.
- Egg: Helps create a tender dough while binding the ingredients together.
- Buttermilk: Using buttermilk helps keep the dough tender while adding flavor. No need to run out and buy it, use my tutorial for how to make homemade buttermilk instead!
- Vanilla Extract, Cinnamon & Salt: For flavor.
- Butter: Like most of my baking recipes, use room temperature butter for both the filling and the frosting.
- Cream Cheese: Adds a tang and creaminess to the frosting, giving it that classic cinnamon roll flavor.
- Powdered Sugar: Helps sweeten the cream cheese frosting.
Time Saving Tip: This is a wonderful make ahead recipe! Prepare the cinnamon roll cake through step 5 (forming the cake). Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, remove from the refrigerator and allow to rise on the counter, covered, for about 2 hours before continuing with step 7.
Step-by-Step Pictures: Here’s How To Make It
Just like my cinnamon rolls, you’ll start off combining the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and using the dough hook or paddle attachment, or silicone spatula and mixing by hand, beat the mixture together until a soft dough forms and gathers itself into a ball. You’ll knead the dough for 3-5 minutes until soft. (Tip: If the dough is too sticky, add 2-4 Tablespoons more flour).
Once the dough has proofed for about an hour, roll the dough out into a 14×12-inch rectangle, about 1/8-inch thick, and evenly spread the softened butter on top. Stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle it all over the buttered dough.
Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into about 2-inch wide strips. Roll up on strip and place it in the center of the pan. Then, coil the remaining strips around the center roll, starting each at the end of the previous one to make one large cinnamon roll. It’s OK if the strips aren’t the exact same width, it adds character to the cake! Loosely cover the cake and let it proof before baking.
Bake until the cake is puffy and golden brown. While the giant cinnamon roll cools, pull together the cream cheese frosting and slather on a thick layer.
FAQs
The ingredients are pretty standard in most cinnamon roll recipes using flour, sugar, salt, yeast, oil (or butter), buttermilk (or milk), and egg.
It’s not, however brown sugar yields more flavor from the molasses which is key for the cinnamon roll filling.
More Holiday Breakfast Recipes
Giant Cinnamon Roll Cake
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 3/4 cup water, warm
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast, 1 standard packet
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Filling
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, light or dark
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons agar agar, (optional)
Cream Cheese Icing
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice, half a lemon
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Make the dough: Place the warm water in a large bowl of a large mixing bowl and whisk in the granulated sugar and yeast. Then, whisk in the oil, buttermilk, egg, and salt until combined. Finally, add the flour. Using the dough hook or paddle attachment, or using a silicone spatula and mixing by hand, beat the mixture until a soft dough forms and begins to gather itself into a ball– about 3-5 minutes. If the dough is very sticky, add in 2-4 Tablespoons of flour.
- Remove the dough and form into ball on your work surface. Mist the bowl with non-stick spray, then place the dough back in the bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap or a clean towel, and allow it to proof for 1 hour at room temperature.
- Once the dough has proofed for about 30 minutes, stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Once proofed, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a 14×12-inch rectangle, about 1/8-inch thick. Evenly spread the softened butter on top and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the buttered dough.
- Generously grease a 9-inch deep dish pie dish or a 9-inch round cake pan with butter or nonstick spray.
- Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into about 2-inch wide strips. Roll up on strip and place it in the center of the pan. Then, coil the remaining strips around the center roll, starting each at the end of the previous one to make one large cinnamon roll. (Some of the filling may fall out as you pick up the strips, you can sprinkle it over the cake when finished).
- Loosely cover the cake with plastic wrap or a clean towel and allow it to rest in a warm place, for 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
- Once it rises, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Bake for 30-35 MINUTES or until golden brown. If the top or edges are browning too quickly, carefully tent the cake with aluminum foil.
- Remove the cinnamon roll cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes while you make the icing. In a large bowl using the paddle attachment of a stand or hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter. Then, add the vanilla and lemon juice. Finally, add the powdered sugar on low speed, increasing speed to medium until smooth and fluffy. Spread the cream cheese icing over the warm cinnamon roll cake.
- Serve warm. The cinnamon roll cake with stay fresh covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat as desired.
Notes
- Make Ahead (Overnight) Instructions: This is a wonderful make ahead recipe! Prepare the cinnamon roll cake through step 5 (forming the cake). Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, remove from the refrigerator and allow to rise on the counter, covered, for about 2 hours before continuing with step 7.
- Yeast: I prefer a quality yeast like Fleischmann’s or Red Star as it will guarantee success. You can use instant yeast to help cut down the rise time too! (If you’re craving cinnamon rolls right now and can’t wait for the rise time, these quick cinnamon rolls!)
- Best Pan: I recommend using a 9-inch pie dish or 9-inch cake pan for best results. You can use an 8-inch but it may be a tight squeeze. In a pinch, you can also place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
