There’s nothing cozier than a cinnamon roll cake. Soft layers brushed with cinnamon syrup, a fluffy cream cheese filling, and smooth cinnamon buttercream make it taste just like your favorite cinnamon rolls—only in cake form.
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This cinnamon roll cake has all the flavors of classic cinnamon rolls but in a fluffy cinnamon layer cake. It’s soft, sweet, and full of warm spice—perfect for holidays or anytime you’re craving the cozy taste of homemade rolls.
Each layer is brushed with a caramel-like cinnamon syrup, filled with a light whipped cream cheese frosting, and covered in a smooth cinnamon buttercream. Simple ingredients, cozy flavors, and a spiced cake that feels just as comforting as the original rolls.
Why you'll love this recipe
Ingredients you need
- Cinnamon cake – made with all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, large eggs, unsalted butter, baking powder, milk, and plenty of ground cinnamon for that warm spice.
- Cinnamon sugar syrup – a sweet mix of brown sugar, water, and cinnamon that soaks into the cake layers for extra flavor.
- Cream cheese filling – a light and fluffy mixture of cream cheese, powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla, just like the frosting you’d find on classic cinnamon rolls.
- Cinnamon buttercream – smooth American buttercream made with butter, powdered sugar, ground cinnamon, heavy cream, and vanilla for the perfect finishing touch.
How To Make Cinnamon Roll Cake
Here are some quick visual instructions. Don't forget that full recipe instructions with exact ingredients can be found in the recipe card below!
Cream the butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract.
Sift together the dry ingredients—flour, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Add them to the batter in batches, alternating with the buttermilk, and mix just until combined.
Pour the batter into prepared cake pans lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C (320°F) for about 40 minutes, until the cinnamon cake layers are set and lightly golden.
In a small saucepan, cook water, dark brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and vanilla until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the spoon. Remove from the heat and let the cinnamon sugar syrup cool completely.
Place the first cinnamon cake layer on a serving plate and brush generously with cinnamon syrup.
Pipe a border of cinnamon buttercream around the edges, fill the center with whipped cream cheese frosting, and drizzle a little more syrup.
Add the second cake layer and repeat with the remaining layers. Finish by covering the cake with a thin crumb coat of cinnamon buttercream.
Apply a thicker layer of cinnamon buttercream all over the cake and smooth the sides. Decorate the top with a piping bag, sprinkle with ground cinnamon, and serve.
Tips for this recipe
Variations & Substitutions
You will also love
More Cinnamon Recipes
- Cinnamon pie
- Cinnamon cupcakes
- Cinnamon roll cookies
I hope you love this cinnamon roll cake as much as I do! If you try the recipe, don’t forget to leave a comment and a star rating—it really helps and I’d love to hear how it turned out for you. Happy baking!
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Cinnamon Roll Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 10 parts
Description
A soft and fluffy cinnamon roll cake filled with whipped cream cheese frosting, brushed with cinnamon syrup, and covered in smooth cinnamon buttercream. Perfect cozy dessert for 8–10 servings.
Ingredients
Cinnamon Cake
- 150 g (⅔ cup / 1 stick + 2 tbsp) unsalted butter , softened
- 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 100 g (½ cup, packed) light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 270 g (2 ¼ cups) cake flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2–3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 220 ml(1 cup + 1 tablespoon) buttermilk
Cinnamon Sugar Syrup
- 100 g (½ cup) water
- 100 g (½ cup, packed) brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Filling
- 200 g (7 oz / about 1 cup) cream cheese, Philadelphia style
- 200 g (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) heavy cream, full-fat
- 60 g (½ cup) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Buttercream
See my cinnamon buttercream recipe
Instructions
Cinnamon Cake
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar until the mixture looks light and creamy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, then stir in the vanilla. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon.
- Add these dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk.
- Start and finish with the flour, and mix only until everything is blended.
- Divide the batter into the prepared cake pans lined with parchment paper.
- Smooth the tops with a spatula and bake in a preheated oven at 160°C (320°F) for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool completely before assembly.
Cinnamon Sugar Syrup
- Place the water, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla in a small saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup lightly coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.
Cinnamon Buttercream
- Prepare the frosting following my cinnamon buttercream recipe. Keep it at room temperature until ready to use.
Cream Cheese Filling
- In a mixing bowl, whip the cream cheese with the powdered sugar until smooth.
- Add the heavy cream and vanilla, then beat on high speed until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, almost like a thick whipped cream.
Assembly
- Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Brush the top with a few spoonfuls of the cinnamon syrup.
- Pipe a ring of cinnamon buttercream around the edge to hold the filling in place, then spread some cream cheese filling inside the ring.
- Drizzle a little more syrup over the cream cheese layer.
- Repeat with the next cake layers.
- Once all the layers are stacked, spread a thin layer of buttercream over the whole cake (this is the crumb coat) and chill for 20 minutes.
- Finish with a thicker coat of buttercream, smooth the sides, and decorate the top with a piping bag. Sprinkle ground cinnamon on top before serving.
Notes
Storage – Keep the cinnamon roll cake covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Bring it to room temperature before serving.
Tips:
- Cup measurements are only approximate—always use a kitchen scale and grams for the most accurate results.
- Make sure ingredients like butter, eggs, and cream cheese are at room temperature before mixing.
- Don’t overmix the batter once the flour is added to keep the cake soft and fluffy.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Cake, layer cake
- Cuisine: American
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