This tender, just-sweet-enough Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake celebrates National Cake Day and brings together the best of cinnamon rolls and coffee cake in one treat.
My 14-year-old is a creative kitchen helper who often sparks new recipe ideas. When I was deciding what to make for National Cake Day, I considered turning cinnamon rolls into a cake. My son suggested baking the rolls in a Bundt pan and finishing them with a real coffee glaze—“real coffee” coffee cake, he called it. It was a brilliant idea, and I ran with it.
I used a classic cinnamon roll dough as the base, filled with butter and sugar blended with cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg—the spice mix I think is the ultimate match for sweet rolls. After rolling and slicing the dough, the rounds were arranged in a Bundt pan and baked until tender and golden. Once turned out, the cake was generously drizzled with an espresso-sweet glaze. We tried slicing it, but ended up loving the experience of tearing the cake apart with our hands—messy but absolutely delicious.
Cook’s Notes
- A dough whisk works great for mixing this dough, but a sturdy long-handled spoon will do the job if that’s what you have.
- The recipe calls for yeast, baking soda, and baking powder; this combination yields an easy-to-handle, forgiving cinnamon roll dough.
- Roll the dough around the butter-sugar-spice filling tightly enough to hold together, but not so tight that the dough tears or gets smashed. Some sugar spilling out of the ends is fine.
- Use a sharp knife for clean, even slices.
- Don’t overpack the Bundt pan—leave room for the dough to expand. Overpacking can cause spillover of bubbling sugar and undercooked centers. If you have extra rounds, bake them in a small loaf pan.
- Grease the Bundt pan generously, especially if it has intricate shapes—this ensures the cake releases cleanly.
- Glaze the cake while it’s warm but not piping hot so the glaze sinks into all the nooks and crevices.
- Texture is best at room temperature. Let the cake set for at least 30 minutes before serving if you can wait.
Prep Tips
- Use a Bundt pan that releases easily when greased well.
- A large mixing bowl or dough bucket makes handling the dough simpler.
- A dough whisk speeds mixing, especially for wet, sticky dough.
- Instant espresso powder gives the glaze a bright coffee flavor without adding liquid.
Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
For the Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup sunflower or vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar, divided
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces by weight)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 8 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the Glaze
- 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- a pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
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Stir the milk, oil, and 1/4 cup of the sugar together in a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Just before it boils, remove the pan from heat and let the mixture cool to body temperature. Pour it into a mixing bowl or dough bucket and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Set aside for 5 minutes.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the milk mixture and stir until evenly combined. Cover loosely and set aside for an hour. Refrigerate for a couple of hours or up to 3 days before proceeding.
To Form the Rolls
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Whisk together the remaining sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 10″ x 18″ rectangle. Brush with melted butter, leaving a 1-inch strip along the top unbuttered. Sprinkle the sugar-spice mixture evenly over the butter. Roll the dough into a log, seal the seam, and place the seam side down. Cut into 18 slices, about 1 inch thick.
Generously grease a Bundt pan. Place about four of the roll rounds in the bottom of the pan and arrange the remaining rounds up the inside edges. Cover with a clean tea towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about an hour, until puffy.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake the cake for 25–35 minutes, until the dough is set, edges are golden brown, and the internal temperature reaches about 190°F. Let the cake rest in the pan for 5 minutes.
While it rests, whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth. The glaze should be thick but pourable. Turn the cake out onto a platter and drizzle the warm glaze over it. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature, then slice or pull apart into rolls to serve.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the exact ingredients you use if needed.
If you love this Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake, try other cake recipes for more inspiration.
