If there’s one food that will please everyone it’s probably cinnamon rolls. Lay out some of these pillowy, sweet, cinnamon-y treats and they will disappear in no time. But, if you’ve ever made them from scratch you know they take a lot of work. The dough is a yeasted dough, which means it has to rise twice. Then there’s the rolling process and then the baking and then the icing. But, you can bypass all this and still get a cinnamon roll experience with this recipe for big mama’s cinnamon roll cake.
Instead of being a dough, you start with a cake batter. For a really moist texture we’re using shortening as per the original recipe. This cake recipe went viral after being posted to a recipe subreddit from a user whose family cherished this “secret” recipe.
After pouring in half the batter sprinkle some cinnamon and brown sugar all over the top. Then pour the rest of the batter on top. Swirl the two together using a butter knife, but don’t mix them entirely. This is so you get that cinnamon roll effect in every piece of this luscious cake.
After it’s done baking you poke holes in the cake and while it’s still warm pour a butter and sugar glaze over the top. This allows it to sink into the top and into each hole.
Once you cut this cake into squares be prepared for a similar disappearing act to when you make cinnamon rolls as the flavor is very similar, but with about half the work and time it takes to make cinnamon rolls.
Big Mama's Cinnamon Roll Cake
Diet: Vegetarian
For the cake:
- 1/2 cup Crisco or shortening
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon of baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
For the filling:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the icing:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Cream together sugar and shortening for cake using electric mixer. Add eggs one at a time and mix until pale yellow and just beginning to get frothy. Add buttermilk and vanilla and stir until just combined.
- Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into wet ingredients and stir until uniform in color. Pour half of cake batter into a greased 9"x13" deep-sided baking pan. Combine filling ingredients and sprinkle filling over batter.
- Pour in remaining batter and then take a butter knife and swirl the filling throughout the batter. Do not fully blend the two layers as you want swirls through the whole cake.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. While cake is baking heat icing ingredients in small saucepan over low. Poke holes nearly all the way to the bottom of cake using a fork, chopstick, or wooden spoon handle.
- Pour icing over cake while it's still warm. Allow to cool for 20 minutes before cutting into squares to serve.
Recipe adapted from Reddit.