This tender, just-sweet-enough Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake celebrates National Cake Day — a joyful blend of cinnamon rolls and coffee cake.
My 14-year-old son is a creative helper in the kitchen and came up with the idea behind this recipe. I wanted a cake that tasted like cinnamon rolls, and he suggested baking cinnamon-roll-style dough in a Bundt pan and finishing it with a real espresso glaze. That idea stuck. We used a classic cinnamon roll dough as the base, filled it with butter and a spiced sugar mix of cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg, arranged the slices in a Bundt pan, baked until tender, then drizzled a glossy espresso-sweet glaze over the still-warm cake. We enjoyed slicing it, but pulling pieces apart with our hands felt most authentic — messy, yes, and absolutely delicious.
He’s a handy guy to have around.
Cook’s Notes
- I like a dough whisk for mixing the dough; it’s designed for the job and cuts down on effort. A sturdy long-handled spoon will also work.
- Yes, this dough uses yeast as well as baking soda and baking powder. The combination yields a very manageable and forgiving cinnamon roll dough.
- Roll the dough around the butter-sugar mixture snugly but without tearing or crushing the dough. A bit of sugar spilling from the ends is fine.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the rolled log into even rounds for consistent baking.
- Don’t overpack the Bundt pan. Bread dough needs room to expand during rising and baking. If your pan is about two-thirds full and you still have rounds left, bake the extras in a separate loaf or small pan.
- Grease your Bundt pan liberally, especially if it has intricate angles. This ensures easy release after baking.
- Glaze the cake while it’s warm but not hot so the glaze settles into the nooks and drips beautifully.
- The cake’s texture is best at room temperature. If possible, let it rest for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Prep Tips {Use these to make Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake more easily}
- Bundt pan
- Large mixing bowl or dough bucket
- Dough whisk or strong spoon
- Instant espresso powder for the glaze
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, move the pan to a cold burner and let the liquid 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. Pour the dry mixture into the milk mixture and stir until evenly combined. Cover lightly 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 in a small bowl. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough to a 10-inch by 18-inch rectangle. Brush with melted butter, leaving a 1-inch strip along one long edge un-buttered. Sprinkle the spiced sugar mixture over the butter. Roll up like a log, gently pinching the seam together and turning the log seam-side down. Cut into 18 even slices, about 1 inch thick.
Generously grease a Bundt pan. Place four or so rounds across the base, then arrange the remaining rounds up the inside edges of the pan. 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 registers about 190°F (88°C).
Let the cake rest in the pan for 5 minutes. While it rests, whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth and evenly colored; the glaze should be thick but pourable. Turn the cake out onto a platter and drizzle the glaze over the still-warm cake. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature before slicing, or pull it apart to serve warm.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the exact ingredients you use with your preferred nutrition calculator.
If you enjoy this Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake, try other cake recipes and variations that highlight warm spices, tender crumb, and rich frostings for gatherings, brunches, or cozy weekend treats.
- Snickerdoodle Cake
- Maple Apple Upside Down Skillet Cake
- Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cake
- Gingerbread Spice Cake
- Fudgy Grasshopper Cake
- Cardamom Crumb Cake
- Lemon Curd Cupcakes
- Vegan Ginger Spiced Pear Cake
- Cranberry Pound Cake
- Instant Pot Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake
- Best Chocolate Cake with Coconut Buttercream
- Fig and Honey Snack Cake
- Chocolate Pretzel Sheet Cake
- Pumpkin Spice Cake with Maple Frosting and Apple Cider Caramel
- Cinnamon Toast Cake
- Cranberry Christmas Cake
- Coffee Chocolate Flancocho
- Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting