Recently, one of my friends told me about a cinnamon roll cake she had seen on the internet, and she raved about how it looked so good. She told me it made her think of me and my baking endeavors. I thought about it for awhile, and then of course, I had to do some research. Via Google, thank you very much.

What I found were lots of recipes for cinnamon roll flavored cakes in 13×9 pans, a plethora of regular old cinnamon roll recipes, and a giant cinnamon roll cake made with homemade dough, etc. I thought to myself, “Wow, these look beautiful, but there’s got to be a better way…” (A.k.a. an easier way).
So, in the name of cheating, ease, and sanity, I present to you this cinnamon roll cake! (Much like I presented to you this cheater-friendly apple pie last fall.)
Made entirely from ingredients brought to you by a can of cinnamon rolls, the only labor involved in making this is in the assembly. (And, if you’re anything like me, bracing yourself for the moment the can pops. I will NEVER STOP being afraid of that “pop” of the can, no matter how many times I open a tube of cinnamon rolls or how much I try to mentally prepare myself. I will always scream when it pops. #worstfear).

Anyhow, as long as you’ve got a pie plate or springform pan, 2 cans of cinnamon rolls, and a working oven, you’re good to go on these babies. No time spent waiting for the dough to rise, no mixing, and no rolling or cutting strips of dough. (#TOOMUCH)
And what you’ll get after these finish in the oven is a warm, soft, cinnamon roll cake that you can eat for dessert, brunch, or if you want to push the envelope-breakfast! (Note: I don’t condone eating sugar-laden pastries for breakfast, but you do you.) This cake would be lovely served with ice cream, an apple topping, whipped cream, or even maple syrup!


Cinnamon Roll Cake

Created by Jenny Barrett on October 16, 2016

A simple cinnamon roll cake that only takes 30 minutes to make!

• Prep Time: 10m
• Cook Time: 20m
• Total Time: 30m

• Serves: 8
• Yield: 8 slices

Ingredients

• 2 packages cinnamon rolls (8 rolls/package) with icing

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease or butter a 9" springform pan.
2. Place one cinnamon roll in the middle of the pan. Then unravel another cinnamon roll and wrap it around the center roll. Repeat this step until you've filled the bottom of the pan with cinnamon roll dough. Toward the end of the process, you will have to use strips of cinnamon rolls (rather than an entire roll) to fill in the cavities in the outer edge of the pan. I used 1.5 total tubes of cinnamon rolls (12 rolls).
3. Bake the cinnamon roll cake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
4. If serving immediately, wait 10 minutes and allow the cake to cool before drizzling frosting over the entire cake. If serving later, allow the cake to cool completely before drizzling with frosting. This cake is best served warm and fresh, but will keep for a few days if covered tightly.

• Print