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Cinnamon Roll Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting


This was originally published on August 1st, 2011 on Cooking for Seven. 

Cinnamon Roll Cake | Buttered Side Up

Some days, you just need a recipe that doesn’t call for fancy ingredients. You don’t have any specialty items on hand, but you still want to bake something utterly scrumptious.


Cinnamon Roll Cake | Buttered Side Up

This cake definitely fits the bill. A soft, cinnamon-scented batter is filled with buttery, sugary swirls. Top it off with a drizzle of maple and cream cheese frosting, and you have one delicious treat.

Cinnamon Roll Cake | Buttered Side Up
Notes:
The original recipe called for a powdered sugar glaze. I much prefer a less-sweet cream cheese based frosting. So I made up a recipe for drizzly maple-cream cheese frosting.
As per my usual substitutions, I used whole wheat flour in place of most of the AP flour, and maple sugar instead of brown sugar. I also added a bit of cinnamon to the cake batter to enhance the flavor. You can add pecans to the topping, but I didn’t have any on hand, so I left them out. Besides, my husband doesn’t like nuts in baked goods.
Cinnamon Roll Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from Divine Baking | Printable Page | Makes approximately 8 servings
Ingredients:
For the cake:
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup AP flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup maple sugar, demerara, sucanat, rapadura, or brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 cups whole milk
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
For the topping:
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup maple sugar or sweetener of choice
  • 1 tablespoons AP flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 6 tablespoons chopped pecans, optional
For the maple cream cheese frosting:
  • 4 oz. (1/4 lb.) cream cheese, softened
  • 3-4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1-2 tablespoons whole milk
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a round cake pan.
2) In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the whole wheat flour, AP flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. In a small bowl, combine the milk, egg, and vanilla. Beat into the dry ingredients until well combined. Slowly stir in the melted butter. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3) In a large bowl, mix the softened butter, maple sugar, flour, cinnamon and pecans (if using) until well combined. Drop evenly over cake batter by the tablespoonsful and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake.
4) Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out nearly clean from center. You want to make sure it’s done.
5) Beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth. Slowly add the maple syrup and vanilla. Add a few tablespoons of milk, if necessary, so the frosting can be drizzled. While the cake is still warm, drizzle the frosting on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cinnamon Roll Cake | Buttered Side Up

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Thursday 23rd of April 2020

[…] Cinnamon Roll Cake […]

Jones Morris

Wednesday 13th of September 2017

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Liz

Saturday 13th of December 2014

Do you think this would be good for Christmas morning breakfast?

john son

Wednesday 10th of December 2014

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