Spring is apparently starting in a few days, and although the temps are still hovering around freezing here, I’m going to ignore that and pretend it’s just about time for sunny strolls, flower blossoms, and lingering brunches with friends. There are a lot of reasons to brunch in the springtime – Easter, Mother’s Day, and basically any Sunday when then sun’s shining. So today I’m sharing the perfect addition to your spring brunch menu – a cinnamon roll bundt cake! It’s a beautiful and over-the-top delicious way to serve cinnamon rolls that slices into the cutest stacked pieces with tons of cinnamon flavor. Planning a March Madness brunch on Sunday? This cake has to make it to the party!
One of Ryan’s favorite (if not his absolute favorite) desserts of mine has always been the classic cinnamon rolls, recipe courtesy of the Pioneer Woman. They are SO, SO good, and the epitome of indulgence with more butter than you can imagine. Unfortunately the process to make them is kind of involved, so Ryan rarely sees that beloved recipe of his in our kitchen. For this cake I’ve adapted a recipe for cinnamon rolls from Bakers Royale that involves no yeast and minimal kneading, and makes the whole cinnamon roll process much less intimidating. Luckily the flavor and texture is not compromised – the inside of the cake was fluffy, moist, and still had plenty of flavor despite the lack of the absurd amount of butter found in other recipes. Dare I say this cake makes for a healthier version of the classic cinnamon roll? Maybe I shouldn’t go that far, but I give you permission to eat that second piece anyway…
I mean just look at the inside of that cake! Cutting into the cake was definitely a fun surprise since every piece had a different array of cinnamon roll layers. The cake is basically made up of individual cinnamon rolls lined up and stacked on top of each other in a bundt pan. They puff up as they bake to fill the pan and create a circle of delicousness. By placing the first layer of cinnamon rolls along the bottom edge of the bundt pan, you end up with nice rows of cinnamon roll swirls along the side of your cake. Unfortunately my cake overbaked a bit so the outer edges browned more than I would have liked (thankfully the inside was still great!), but you can still appreciate the beauty of the cinnamon roll swirls even if they’re a bit more bronzed. Plus, that’s why we glaze cakes anyway – to help hide imperfections!
Cinnamon Roll Bundt Cake
Recipe adapted from Bakers Royale
Ingredients:
for the dough:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup buttermilk
6 tbsp melted unsalted butter, divided
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
for the filling:
1 cup + 2 tbsp packed light brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
for the icing:
3 cups powdered sugar
6 tbsp milk
Directions:
for the dough:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a 10" budnt pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a food processor, add the yogurt, sugar, buttermilk, and 4 tbsp of melted butter. Process mixture until smooth. Add the flour mixture and pulse about 8-10 times, until the dough starts to clump toward the center.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead the dough a few times until the dough is smooth. Use a rolling pin to roll out dough into a 12x15" rectangle. Brush the dough with the remaining 2 tbsp of melted butter, leaving a 1/2" border around the edges.
for the filling:
In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and cloves and whisk to combine. Sprinkle mixture over the buttered rectangle of dough.
for assembly:
Starting at the long edge of the dough, roll it up as tightly as possible. Use your fingers to pinch the seam closed. Use a sharp knife to cut the roll in 1/2" pieces. Set the first layer of cut rolls on the bottom of the prepared bundt pan. Place the second layer along the up along the outsides of the pan. Continue stacking the rolls on top of each other until all slices added.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow cake to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then run an offset spatula along the edges of the pan and invert cake onto a wire rack lined with wax or parchment paper.
for the glaze:
Combine sugar and milk in a bowl and whisk to combine. Add more milk as needed to thin icing if necessary so it pours nicely. Pour the glaze over the baked cake and give it about 15 minutes to set before serving.
Just got bookmarked! Hope you get warmer temps soon!!