Honey Bun Cake for a tender, light, buttery yellow cake with warm cinnamon swirls and drizzles of decadent vanilla glaze. Cinnamon rolls have nothing on this deliciousness. Ridiculously tasty comfort food for the holidays or any time!
This honeybun cake recipe is as sweet as it looks. It brings back precious childhood holiday memories. Besides, what’s better than a cinnamon roll in the form of a cake to heat up a chilly winter day?
Although most recipes call for a boxed cake mix, I prefer making it from scratch. It takes little effort, and I know what my family is eating. But if you’re pressed for time, feel free to use the cake mix. I won’t judge. 😉
Honey Bun Cake Recipe From Scratch
The cake base is simple and uses pantry-staple ingredients. Besides the usual flour, egg, and sugar, I added sour cream for an incredibly rich and moist cake with a better texture.
I did splurge with spices on the streusel layer. Most recipes call for just sugar and cinnamon, but I couldn’t resist throwing in nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and ginger. You’ll appreciate the extra flavor as soon as you take the first bite.
Recipe Ingredients
- Dry Ingredients – Flour and baking powder make the base for this divine comfort food dessert.
- Wet Ingredients – Butter, eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract, and sugar (technically not wet😉) create decadence for your honey buns.
- Streusel – Holiday spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and ginger) combined with brown sugar are the icing on the cake. Oh wait, that’s the glaze.
- Glaze – Powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla create a fabulous glaze for the final touch.
How to Make Honey Bun Cake
Make the Batter
- Make the Streusel – Thoroughly mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Set aside. (Photo 1)
- Cream – In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and oil until it’s fluffy and looks white – about 3 minutes. Then add the sour cream and mix for another minute. (Photo 2-3)
- Add the Eggs – Stir in the eggs, a little at a time, beating the mixture well between each addition. (Photo 4)
- Add Remaining Ingredients – Sift flour, salt, and baking powder into the batter and add vanilla extract. Stir well until everything is fully combined while scraping the sides of the mixing bowl down. (Photos 5-6)
Assemble and Bake
- Pour and Spread – Pour half of the batter into your greased baking pan. Then sprinkle about ¾ of the sugar mix over it. Then spread the remaining batter evenly over the sugar-cinnamon mixture. (Photo 7-9)
- Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar mix on top of the cake. Make swirls with a spoon, if desired. (Photo 10)
- Bake – Bake at 325°F/163℃ about 40 minutes or until a tester in the center comes out clean. (Photo 11)
- Combine – Mix powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla, and adjust consistency. The glaze should be slightly thick.
- Pour the Glace – You may pour glaze over the warm honey bun cake, let the cake cool completely, and then add the glaze. (Photo 12)
- Serve – Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe Variations
- Icing Swap – Besides vanilla glaze, why not try chocolate or strawberry glaze? These flavors also go perfectly with a honey bun cake. Just use chocolate syrup, melted chocolate, or strawberry jam. Cream cheese frosting from my red velvet cake is also an excellent choice.
- Fruity Version – Top it with berries on top or add fruit chunks to the batter. Peaches and apples are my faves.
- Nutty Surprise – Chocolate chips and nuts will add tons of flavors and texture to this easy honey bun cake.
Tips and Tricks
- You can use buttermilk instead of sour cream in this recipe.
- If using a box cake mix, don’t follow the instructions from the package. Instead, mix it with the butter, vegetable oil, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Then proceed with the recipe.
- Chill the cake for 10 minutes before slicing. You’ll have a cleaner cut when the cake is cold and firm. It also gives a nice gooey texture. Yum!
- Or, if you have the patience, let the cake rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing, so it will have enough time to set.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
Like most cakes, you can make this honeybun a couple of days ahead and store it in the fridge. However, skip the glaze if you want to freeze the cake because it may become soggy when thawed.
Store your cake wrapped in plastic wrap or an airtight container to keep it moist. It can stay fresh for four days at room temperature, six days in the fridge, and three months in the freezer.
If frozen, thaw the cake overnight in the fridge and add the glaze when ready to serve.
FAQs
A basic glaze is powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Some add honey for extra stickiness, but most recipes use a classic glaze for ease.
A honey bun is like a cross between a cinnamon roll and a donut. It inspired the honey bun cake made with yellow cake, topped with streusel, and drizzled with a thick vanilla glaze.
The legend has it that they were invented decades ago and sold in drug stores in the 1920s. Originally topped with honey, this sweetheart was commercialized and became an iconic Southern comfort food you can find in almost every convenience store and gas station.
What to Serve with Honey Bun Cake
This deliciousness is the perfect finale for baked chicken, roasted potatoes and carrots, and a Greek salad. Of course, a hot drink like a chai tea latte is comfort in a cup.
More Crave-Worthy Cake Recipes to Try
- Pumpkin Cake
- Strawberry Poke Cake
- Buttermilk Pound Cake
- Cinnamon Apple Cake
- Gingerbread Cake
Conclusion
Fabulicious cinnamon-spiked cake with vanilla glaze is a delightful addition to your holiday menu. Would you like more decadent cake recipes? Then sign up for my newsletter and stay up to date with the latest and greatest.😍
Watch How to Make It
This blog post was originally published in November 2018 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Honey Bun Cake
Tender, light, buttery yellow cake with warm cinnamon swirls and drizzles of vanilla glaze. Cinnamon rolls have nothing on this deliciousness. Ridiculously tasty comfort food for the holidays or any time!
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 1 hr
American
Instructions
Honey Bun Cake
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Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F. Grease a 13×9-inch pan generously with cooking spray and set aside.
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Add brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a small bowl. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
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In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, oil, and sugar until fluffy and starts to look white – about 3 minutes. Add sour cream and mix for another minute.
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Stir in the eggs, one at a time, beating the mixture well between each addition.
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Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into the batter. Then add the vanilla extract.
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Stir well until everything is well combined. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl as you mix.
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Pour half of the batter into the greased pan. Then sprinkle about ¾ of the sugar mix over the batter in the pan. Spread the remaining batter evenly over the sugar-cinnamon mixture.
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Next, sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of the cake. Make swirls with a spoon if desired.
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Bake at 325°F/163℃ until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean – about 40 minutes.
The Glaze
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Mix the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl and adjust the consistency with a little more milk or sugar. The glaze should be relatively thick.
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You can either pour the glaze over the warm honey bun cake or wait until it cools completely, and then add the glaze.
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Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips & Notes:
- You can use buttermilk instead of sour cream in this recipe.
- If using a box cake mix, don’t follow the instructions from the package. Instead, mix it with the butter, vegetable oil, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Then proceed with the recipe.
- Chill the cake for 10 minutes before slicing. You’ll have a cleaner cut when the cake is cold and firm. It also gives a nice gooey texture. Yum!
- Or, if you have the patience, let the cake rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing, so it will have enough time to set.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1slice| Calories: 489kcal (24%)| Carbohydrates: 71g (24%)| Protein: 5g (10%)| Fat: 22g (34%)| Saturated Fat: 8g (50%)| Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g| Monounsaturated Fat: 9g| Trans Fat: 0.4g| Cholesterol: 91mg (30%)| Sodium: 134mg (6%)| Potassium: 165mg (5%)| Fiber: 1g (4%)| Sugar: 53g (59%)| Vitamin A: 420IU (8%)| Vitamin C: 0.2mg| Calcium: 80mg (8%)| Iron: 2mg (11%)
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