This Easy Cinnamon Roll Cake with cake mix is one of my family’s favorite desserts. We also love to have it for breakfast on the weekend. This cake is perfect when you need to take food to someone who has been sick or in the hospital. It also freezes well.
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The recipe for Cinnamon Roll Cake could not be any easier. I have been making it for years and I have always thought that I created this recipe. I used to bake cakes for a living and I think I may have tweaked a recipe that I found. Recently, I discovered that there are many similar recipes close to mine.
I came out of Culinary School thinking that I had to make everything homemade for it to be delicious. When I started baking cakes for a profession, I learned that there are many wonderful cake recipes that start with a cake mix. There is no shame in adding cake mix and pudding mix to a recipe. My most requested chocolate cake recipe has a box of chocolate pudding added to it. The pudding makes the cake extremely moist and dense.
I like to bake this cake in a 9 x 5 loaf pan.
Ingredients
Cake
Box of Vanilla Instant Pudding
Eggs
Butter
Water
For the Swirl
Brown Sugar
Cinnamon
Topping
Powdered Sugar
Milk, Skim milk also will work fine.
This cake is so simple that I just dump all the ingredients for the cake batter into the mixing bowl.
How to Assemble the Cake
Pour Batter in a greased loaf pan. I always use a non-stick cooking spray such as Pam.
Sprinkle a layer of cinnamon and brown sugar mixture.
Pour another layer of cake batter.
Sprinkle another layer of cinnamon and brown sugar mixture.
Pour the third layer of cake batter on top of the cinnamon and brown sugar.
Make a swirl pattern in the cake mix with a butter knife. This will give you the cinnamon swirl. Do not over mix.
This easy cinnamon roll cake with cake mix is so moist and delicious. Your family or guest will ask for seconds. This will become your family’s favorite cake just like it has mine.

Easy Cinnamon Roll Cake with Cake Mix
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 3.4 ounce box of vanilla instant pudding
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup water
Cinnamon Swirl
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Icing
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons milk
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Grease or spray a 9 x 5 loaf pan with cooking spray.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, Pour cake mix, pudding, melted butter, eggs, and water. Mix for 2 minutes.
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In a seperate bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon and stir with a spoon.
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Pour 1/3 of cake batter into the loaf pan.
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Sprinkle a layer of the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture on top of the batter.
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Pour another layer of cake batter on top.
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Top with another layer of brown sugar and cinnamon mixture.
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Top with the last layer of cake batter.
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Using a butter knife, swirl the cake batter and cinnamon mixture. See photo above.
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Lightly sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon mixture on top of cake as desired.
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Bake for 50 to 55 minutes. You can check for doneness with a toothpick. TIP: If your cake looks like it is getting too brown on top, lay a piece of foil over cake for the rest of the cooking time.
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In a medium size bowl, mix powdered sugar and milk with a spoon or whisk.
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Let cake cool for 10 minutes and top with icing.
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