The cake for the person who loves cinnamon rolls! This giant cinnamon roll cake is warm, fluffy, and EXTRA GOOEY. It's like a cozy batch of homemade cinnamon rolls but giant. The soft and plush yeast dough is so easy to work with and only requires one rise. It's swirled with a sweet cinnamon filling and slathered with a classic gooey cream cheese icing. This is really a game changing way to make cinnamon rolls!
best pan for giant cinnamon roll cake
This is a BIG cinnamon roll so you'll need an 11 or 12 inch cast iron skillet or round cake pan. If you only have a small 9 or 10" pan, you can still use it - but you'll need to hold back a few strips of dough and bake them in a separate ramekin or pan. You can also make 2 smaller cinnamon rolls in 2 separate pans if you prefer.
The key is to stop when there's about 1" of space left between the edge of the cinnamon roll and the pan. This will give it enough room to rise and expand.
Also make sure to use a round pan. This cinnamon roll will not be able to hold its shape on its own. So using a round pan helps guide it to look a certain way.
making the dough
This dough is inspired by my go to recipe for the BEST cinnamon rolls! It's easy to make and comes out perfect every time. Although this dough is really easy to work with and very forgiving, there are 4 main things to keep in mind when working with a yeast dough:
- Yeast - I prefer to use instant yeast for this recipe because you can mix it directly into the dry ingredients. It also works faster (and I'm impatient!) If you want to use active dry yeast, you can but you'll need to dissolve it in some lukewarm water along with a teaspoon of sugar beforehand. Then let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it gets foamy before proceeding. Active dry yeast will also take longer to activate - so expect a longer rise time once the roll is shaped. Also on the topic of the yeast, make sure the yeast isn't expired or (if you buy the large jars) make sure it hasn't been open for too long. Expired / old yeast will not work as well to create a soft, fluffy bread.
- Temperature - Yeast needs a particular temperature to thrive. If it's introduced to liquid that's too hot, it can kill the yeast and the bread won't rise. If it's introduced to liquid that's too cold, it will take significantly longer for the yeast to activate and for the dough to rise. When it comes to the egg, make sure it's at room temperature. As for the water, milk, and butter, heat them in the microwave or in a pot on your stove until the butter is mostly melted and mixture is warm but NOT hot. It's OK if there are a few little chunks of butter that haven't melted.
- Kneading - Kneading is an important step in most bread recipes because it gives the dough its stretchy texture and helps create structure so the bread doesn't collapse. Perfectly kneaded dough should be smooth and slightly tacky. This typically takes about 5-10 minutes of kneading. If you poke the top of the dough, it should spring back slowly. If the indent remains, it needs more kneading. The indent shouldn't pop back up immediately, otherwise that's an indication that the dough is overworked.
- Resting - Once the dough is made, it will need to rest before it's filled and shaped. This isn't an actual rise, so you'll notice the dough puffs up slightly (which is a sign that the yeast is all good and working!) but it won't quite double in size. You won't be able to roll the dough out immediately after kneading because it will just pull back in on itself. This rest will relax the gluten and make the dough soft and stretchy.
filling and shaping the giant roll
For the filling, we're combining a classic cinnamon roll filling with the heavy cream cinnamon roll trick. I've personally never loved pouring the cream right over the roll (I feel like to bottom gets too mushy).
Soooo what we're doing instead is mixing a bit of heavy cream right into the cinnamon filling! It helps make it extra gooey and moist and keeps it from hardening. To make the filling, just drop all the ingredients together into a bowl and mix to combine.
To shape the giant cake, start by rolling the dough out into a rectangle that's about ¼" to ½" thick. The size of the rectangle doesn't really matter as much as the thickness. Once the dough is rolled out, spread the cinnamon filling onto the surface.
Next, cut the dough into strips that are about 2-3 inches wide. Cut them going parallel with the shorter side of the rectangle. If you cut them down the longer side, they can be a bit difficult to manage / work with.
Roll one of the strips up like a normal cinnamon roll. Then pick that roll up, align it's end with the end of the next strip on your table, and place it onto it - so the seams should be connected. Roll up the next strip while wrapping it around the first roll you made. Repeat this process until you can't easily maneuver the giant roll. I can usually do about 3-4 strips.
Place the partially shaped giant roll into the center of your baking pan. Take the remaining strips and wrap them around the giant roll in the pan one by one until fully assembled.
when should you frost this giant cinnamon roll?
Depending on what you like, you can choose to ice the cinnamon roll cake right away or wait for it to cool.
If you want a gooier, meltier icing (my personal preference!) frost the cinnamon roll when it's fresh from the oven. I like to let it cool for 15-20 minutes in the pan beforehand otherwise the icing can get a little too melty.
For a more distinct icing that doesn't melt into the roll, ice the cake after it's either fully cooled or is just slightly warm.
I do find this cake is best served warm, so I would personally recommend icing it when it's fresh. But if you like it room temperature, go for it!
reheating leftovers
This cinnamon roll cake is best enjoyed warm but it can also be served room temperature. If you like it warm, here's how you can reheat leftovers to freshen them back up!
- Cut off the piece you want. You don't want to reheat more than what you plan on serving because reheating multiple times can dry the roll out.
- Place the slice into a baking dish. Try to pick a pan that's about the same length as the slice. The layers have a tendency to separate as you heat the roll. It's not a big deal if you don't mind the appearance - but this will help the slice hold a similar shape.
- Top with heavy cream or milk. This will help keep the slice moist and gooey! As a general rule of thumb, you'll need about 1 tablespoon of milk / cream per serving.
- Cover and heat. Again, to keep the roll gooey and moist! Cover tightly with aluminum foil and then heat in a preheated 350F oven for about 5-10 minutes or until warmed.
make ahead / overnight cinnamon roll cake
You can make this cinnamon roll cake the night before and bake it fresh in the morning for a ready to make sweet breakfast or treat!
To make this cake ahead, finish all the steps up to and including shaping the giant roll and plopping it into your baking pan (step 14). BEFORE allowing the shaped roll to rise, cover it and place it in the fridge. You can keep it stored for up to 16 hours before you need to bake it.
When you want to bake it, set the roll out on your countertop (still covered). Let it come up to room temperature for 1-2 hours before baking. It may not puff up quite as much as it would if it was fresh but that's OK. You're just looking for it to warm up to room temperature before baking. You can test if it's ready by simply touching it with your hand (gently!) to make sure it's no longer cold, then you're good to go!
what how to shape this giant cinnamon roll:
check out these other cinnamon roll inspired recipes!
• Cinnamon Roll Gooey Butter Cake
• Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake
• Cinnamon Roll Cookies
• Cinnamon Monkey Bread
• Mini 4 Ingredient Cinnamon Rolls
• Mini No Bake Cinnamon Roll Cheesecakes
Lastly, if you made this or any of my recipes, be sure to leave a comment and review below! I love hearing your thoughts! Also tag me on Instagram @eatsdelightfulblog so I can see what you're making.
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Gooey Giant Cinnamon Roll Cake
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 giant roll
Description
The cake for the person who loves cinnamon rolls! This giant cinnamon roll cake is warm, fluffy, and EXTRA GOOEY. It's like a cozy batch of homemade cinnamon rolls but giant. The soft and plush yeast dough is so easy to work with and only requires one rise. It's swirled with a sweet cinnamon filling and slathered with a classic gooey cream cheese icing. This is really a game changing way to make cinnamon rolls!
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 3 ½ to 4 cups (455g-520g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) instant yeast
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (180g) water
- ¼ cup (60g) milk
- ¼ cup (60g) unsalted butter, cut into 4 slices
- 1 large egg, room temperature
For the Filling:
- 6 tablespoons (90g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup (160g) light or dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
For the Cream Cheese Icing:
- 4 oz (½ cup) full fat cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup (60g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (115g) powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups of flour (to start), sugar, yeast, and salt.
- In a medium sized microwave safe bowl or small pot, combine water, milk, and butter. Heat in your microwave in 10 second bursts or on your stovetop on LOW heat until the butter is mostly melted and the mixture is warm but not hot. It's OK if the butter isn't fully melted.
- Whisk the egg into the water mixture then add the whole thing to the bowl with the flour.
- Use a wooden spoon to mix together until you have a very sticky mixture.
- Mix in 1 cup of flour. The mixture should start to ball up into a sticky dough.
- Mix in another ½ cup of flour. Now it should be difficult to mix the dough with the spoon so it's time to knead the dough by hand or with an electric mixer.
- Knead the dough right in the bowl with your hands or using the dough hook attachment on a mixer, adding flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking excessively. Knead until the dough is soft, smooth, and slightly tacky but no longer sticky. If you poke the top of the dough, the indent should spring back slowly. If the indent remains, it needs a bit more kneading.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rest for 20 minutes. The dough will puff up slightly but won't quite double in size.
- Prep an 11" or 12" cast iron skillet by either buttering the bottom and sides or lining it with a large piece of parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the filling (butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and heavy cream). You should have a thick, streak free paste.
- Turn the rested dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough out into a rectangle that's about ¼" to ½" thick and around 12x18 inches in size.
- Spread the filling mixture onto the surface of the dough. Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut strips that are about 2-3 inches wide going parallel with the shorter side of the rectangle. You should get about 10-ish strips total.
- Roll one of the strips up tightly like a cinnamon roll. Lift up the roll and align it with the next strip so the ends are connected. Roll up the next strip wrapping it around the first roll. See above post for video / visual.
- Repeat this process with 2 or 3 more strips or until you're no longer able to easily handle the giant cinnamon roll. Then place it in the center of your skillet and take the remaining strips and continue wrapping them around the giant roll one by one to finish shaping it. It shouldn't fully fill up the pan. *SEE NOTES for overnight instructions
- Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise for 40-60 minutes or until almost doubled in size. It should now be puffed and filled to fit the pan. Start preheating your oven once the roll is almost done rising.
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- Bake the giant roll in the center of your preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown on top. If you gently poke the center of roll, it should spring back. If you notice the roll is browning too quickly, loosely tent it with aluminum foil to slow the browning and finish baking. While the roll bakes, if you notice any parts of the roll are rising too quickly, use a spoon or spatula to gently press them down so they don't puff out of the pan.
- Allow the roll to cool for about 15 minutes at room temperature while you make the icing.
- In a medium bowl, mix together all the icing ingredients until smooth (cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla). Spread it on top of the warm roll. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature!
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
* Make Ahead / Overnight Instructions: Complete all the steps up to and including step #14. Before allowing the shaped roll to rise in the pan, cover it with plastic wrap and transfer it into the fridge immediately. This will slow down the rise and allow you to wait longer before you need to bake the roll. Keep in the fridge for up to 16 hours before baking.
* Baking Overnight Roll: When it's time to bake, take the roll out of the fridge and allow it to come up to room temperature (still covered) before baking normally. This usually takes about 1 hour depending on how cool your home is. The best way to test if it's ready if to gently touch it - it shouldn't feel cold. It may not rise as much as it would if it was fresh but that's OK.
Enjoy!
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