This Cinnamon Roll Bundt Cake takes everything we love about a classic cinnamon roll and transforms it into a beautiful, crowd-pleasing dessert. A moist cream‑cheese pound cake is layered with cinnamon roll filling so every slice is full of warm, spiced flavor. A thick vanilla‑bean cream‑cheese glaze finishes the cake, adding richness and that familiar frosting taste that makes cinnamon rolls irresistible.
Cinnamon Roll Bundt Cake
- ⭐ Difficulty: Moderate
- 🕒 Prep Time: 30 minutes
- 🥣 Bake Time: 1 hour 5–10 minutes
- 🧑🍳 Total Time: About 3 hours, including cooling and glazing
- 👪 Serves: 12–14 slices
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Salted butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla bean paste
- ⭐ Why You’ll Love It: A soft, buttery cream‑cheese pound cake with two layers of cinnamon filling, a moisture‑locking cinnamon syrup, and a thick vanilla‑bean cream‑cheese glaze.
I adore homemade cinnamon rolls, but I don’t always want to work with yeast or spend hours kneading and proofing. This cinnamon roll Bundt cake delivers the same comforting cinnamon and cream‑cheese flavors without turning the kitchen into an all‑day project. It’s ideal when you want that cinnamon‑roll feel with less effort.
The cake’s crumb is rich and velvety, and the double layers of cinnamon filling create irresistible ribbons of flavor throughout the center. It cuts into generous slices that showcase the swirls and the glossy glaze. Whenever this cake appears, it gets devoured quickly.
If you enjoy Bundt cakes and pound cakes, this recipe is a great way to combine the two: the sturdy, buttery texture of a pound cake with all the comforting notes of a cinnamon roll.
Table of Contents
- Cinnamon Roll Bundt Cake
- What Makes This Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake Special
- Ingredient Highlights
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake
- Expert Pound Cake Tips
- Storage Instructions
- Recipe FAQs
- More Bundt Cake Recipes
- Cinnamon Roll Bundt Cake Recipe
What Makes This Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake Special
This cake goes beyond simply adding cinnamon to batter — it recreates a cinnamon‑roll experience inside a Bundt. A few elements make it stand out:
- Two distinct layers of cinnamon roll filling are added between batter layers so each slice delivers a concentrated cinnamon ribbon.
- Powdered sugar is used in the batter to help create a finer, softer crumb than granulated sugar would produce.
- A simple cinnamon syrup is brushed over the warm cake. This syrup infuses the crust with cinnamon flavor and helps the cake stay moist after baking.
The result is a tender, cinnamon‑swirled, generously glazed cake that feels indulgent and homey — perfect for brunch, holiday gatherings, or a special dessert.
Ingredient Highlights
(Full ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below.)
- Salted butter and cream cheese: Together they create a rich flavor and a silky, tight crumb. Use room‑temperature ingredients so they cream smoothly.
- Powdered sugar: Dissolves quickly into the butter and cream cheese, contributing to a fine, tender texture.
- Brown sugar and cinnamon filling: These form the cinnamon‑roll ribbons. A bit of flour in the filling keeps it from becoming too wet and sinking.
- Cinnamon simple syrup: Brushing the warm cake with syrup adds an extra layer of cinnamon flavor and preserves moisture.
- Cream‑cheese glaze: A thick vanilla‑bean cream‑cheese glaze provides the final, classic cinnamon‑roll finish.
Variations and Substitutions
- Add crunch: Stir in toasted chopped pecans or walnuts to the batter or sprinkle them over the filling for texture and flavor contrast.
- Maple twist: Replace the vanilla in the glaze with 1–2 teaspoons of maple extract or a splash of pure maple syrup for a maple‑cinnamon profile.
- Chocolate option: Swap the cream‑cheese glaze for a chocolate glaze for a richer, less traditional finish.
- About the sugar: This recipe is built around powdered sugar in the batter; switching to granulated sugar will alter the texture and may affect the cake’s final structure.
How to Make Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake
Prep: Pan and filling. Preheat the oven to 325°F and generously coat a 10‑ to 12‑cup Bundt pan with baking spray that contains flour. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and a little flour in a small bowl to make the cinnamon filling.
Step 1: Cream the butter mixture. Beat softened butter and cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat 4–5 minutes until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
Step 2: Finish the batter. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla and heavy cream. Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined and smooth.
Step 3: Layer and bake. Spoon about one‑third of the batter into the prepared pan, sprinkle half the cinnamon filling (keep it slightly away from the edges), add another third of batter, the remaining filling, and finish with the last batter. Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until a long skewer comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Step 4: Add the cinnamon syrup. While the cake bakes, simmer water and sugar until dissolved, then stir in cinnamon and cool. After the cake cools in the pan for 10–15 minutes, poke holes in the surface and brush with half the syrup. Invert the cake and brush the remaining syrup over the top and sides to soak the crust.
Step 5: Glaze the cake. Once fully cooled, prepare the cream‑cheese glaze by beating cream cheese and butter smooth, adding powdered sugar, then heavy cream and vanilla bean paste until the glaze is thick but pourable. Spoon the glaze over the cake and let it set for 15–20 minutes before slicing.
Expert Pound Cake Tips
- Use room‑temperature ingredients: Butter, cream cheese, and eggs should be softened but not warm. This ensures smooth creaming and an even texture.
- Cream properly: Beat the butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar on medium until pale and fluffy. Avoid very high speed to prevent large air pockets.
- Keep filling from the edges: Leave about ½ inch between the filling and the pan walls to prevent caramelization against the pan that could cause sticking.
- Measure flour correctly: For best results, weigh flour. If using cups, fluff the flour, spoon into the cup, and level off — do not scoop directly from the bag.
- Don’t overmix after adding flour: Mix only until the batter comes together; overmixing can develop gluten and make the cake tough.
Storage Instructions
Because the glaze contains cream cheese, store the glazed cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For best texture, bring slices to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving — pound cake tastes softer and more buttery when not refrigerator cold. An unglazed cake can be kept tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Freezing: Freeze the cake before glazing for best results. Wrap the whole cake or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or for several hours at room temperature, then add the cream‑cheese glaze after the cake has fully thawed.
Recipe FAQs
Powdered sugar dissolves easily into the butter and cream cheese, creating a finer, softer crumb. It also contains a small amount of cornstarch, which helps produce a velvety texture.
The filling can sink if added in one heavy layer or placed too close to the pan edges. Dividing the filling between two layers, keeping it away from edges, and including a bit of flour in the filling helps it hold its place.
Yes — the brown sugar and cinnamon layers imitate a cinnamon‑roll filling, and the vanilla‑bean cream‑cheese glaze delivers the classic frosting flavor. The texture remains that of a pound cake: rich, buttery, and dense rather than bread‑like.
The cake should be deeply golden and beginning to pull away slightly from the pan. A long wooden skewer inserted into the thickest part should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs; wet batter indicates more time is needed.
More Bundt Cake Recipes
Desserts
Biscoff bundt cake
Desserts
Moist Lemon Bundt Cake with Sweet Lemon Glaze
Desserts
Peach Cobbler Pound Cake
Desserts
Mile High Pound Cake
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Cinnamon Roll Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups Salted Butter, (room temperature)
- 6 oz Cream Cheese, (room temperature)
- 3 cups Powdered Sugar
- 5 large Eggs, (room temperature)
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 3 tbsp Heavy Cream
Cinnamon Roll Filling
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 tbsp Cinnamon
- 2 tbsp All Purpose Flour
Cinnamon Simple Syrup
- 1/3 cup Water
- 1/3 cup Sugar
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 2 oz Cream Cheese (from above, room temperature)
- 4 tbsp Salted Butter, (room temperature)
- 1 3/4 cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 tbsp Heavy Cream
- 1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste (or vanilla extract)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Generously grease a 10– to 12–cup Bundt pan, coating every groove and the center tube.
- Make the cinnamon filling by whisking together brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Set aside.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, nutmeg, baking powder, and kosher salt.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, mix the softened butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar on low for 1 minute, then medium for about 5 minutes until very light and fluffy.
- Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time, mixing until each is incorporated. Scrape down the bowl, then add vanilla and heavy cream.
- Add half the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, then add the remainder and mix until smooth. Scrape the bowl so everything is fully incorporated.
- Spoon one‑third of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth. Sprinkle half the cinnamon filling, keeping it slightly away from the pan edges. Add another third of the batter, the remaining cinnamon filling, then top with the final batter. Tap the pan gently on the counter to release large air pockets.
- Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, or until a long skewer inserted into the thickest part comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- While the cake bakes, make the cinnamon simple syrup: combine water and sugar, bring to a gentle simmer until the sugar dissolves, remove from heat and stir in cinnamon. Cool.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes. Invert carefully onto a wire rack or plate, poke holes in the surface, and brush with half the syrup. Brush the remaining syrup over the top and sides.
- Once the cake is completely cool, make the cream‑cheese glaze by beating cream cheese and butter smooth, gradually adding powdered sugar, then heavy cream and vanilla until the glaze is thick but pourable. Spoon or drizzle the glaze over the cake and let it set for 15–20 minutes before slicing.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 85 g
Protein: 7 g
Fat: 34 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.