Cinnamon Toast Cake is a family favorite recipe. Simple ingredients you already have on hand make a soft and buttery cake with a crunchy cinnamon streusel topping!
Do you remember eating cinnamon toast crunch as a kid? I definitely do – I even buy it for my kids occasionally! There’s something special about serving a homemade cake, so when I found the opportunity to make a dessert with the same cinnamon toast flavor, I literally couldn’t resist!
This recipe comes from my amazing friend Mary’s new cookbook The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook. Mary blogs over at Barefeet In The Kitchen and creates easy family friendly recipes from scratch (and has tons of gluten free options)! Her book contains so many awesome delicious meals and sides, all containing simple from scratch ingredients you know and love!
Not only that, the recipes aren’t fussy and there is a WHOLE section on 15-25 minute meals! I love that I can have dinner on the table in under 30 minutes on a busy soccer night!
Just like the rest of the recipes in this book, you likely have all of the ingredients for this recipe on hand already! Don’t let the simplicity of this recipe deter you, this cake will definitely become a family favorite and tastes absolutely amazing!
It’s soft and buttery with a crunchy streusel topping that’s totally irresistible.
Be sure to grease the pan well and especially the corners. This ensures your cake comes out easily and none of that delicious topping is stuck to the sides!
Oh, one more thing about the corners of this cake (Mary gave me this little tip)… the corners of the cake are definitely the very best part. You’re going to want to snag those up and hide them to keep all to yourself (I won’t tell anyone if you don’t)! The corners seem to be where the most delicious crunchy cinnamon streusel lands!
Dessert is just something special to end a great family meal and I’ve never been one to pass up homemade cinnamon rolls so I knew this would be a welcome addition to our dessert rotation… and I was right! Don’t forget to top your slice with a scoop of ice cream – my husband actually loves this in a bowl with a little splash of heavy cream drizzled on top!
Oh, and grab your copy of The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook here!
You’ll be glad you did!
Cinnamon Toast Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and semi-cooled
Topping
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch square pan.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the milk, vanilla, and butter. Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes.
Topping
- While the cake is baking, combine the melted butter, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and whisk together.
- Remove the cake from the oven after 25 minutes and pour the topping across the cake starting around the edges.
- Bake for an additional 10 minutes, until the cinnamon layer is bubbling.
- Cool before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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Made this as it looked very easy and yummy. It didn’t disappoint. I did find I had to spoon the topping over the centre of the cake as it tended to pool around the edges after taking it out of the oven. This made for a more uniform crust on top. It’s very simple and delicious.
It tasted like more :) Couldn’t resist having the second piece, same for my husband. Easy to make with things on hand AND it came out looking just like the picture–so lovely! Thank you, Holly!
You’re so welcome Jackie, thank you for sharing!
Awful. The cake is horrible. The cake is super dense and doughy, and I followed the recipe exactly. Super disappointed
Sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy the recipe as much as we do Emily. We haven’t found the cake to be dense and doughy, so can’t say for sure what happened.
I found this recipe after my son asked for a “cinnamon toast cake.” His idea, of course, was to make several slices of cinnamon toast and pile them on top of each other. While that would indeed be a cinnamon toast cake, I was happy to find this recipe to make as well. Due to dietary restrictions, I had to make a few adjustments: 1:1 gluten-free flour, Becel vegan margarine, non-dairy milk. I was glad this recipe was already egg-free. The result? AMAZING! I followed the method exactly (though I had to use the 9×9 pan I had) and it has gone over extremely well with my family. Definitely a go-to from now on.
So glad you loved it Amanda!
I should note for others that using vegan margarine means there will be added salt. The recipe calls for unsalted butter, and for good reason. Anyone using margarine will find the topping a little on the salty side, but it still tastes delicious.
I have made this cake it was very tasty love it
I am so glad you liked this recipe!
This looks super easy and tasty….must make
Quick question I don’t have a 10″ pan just 8″ and a 9×13, which should I use? I don’t want it to overflow or be too flat; if I need to throw out a bit of batter to fit in the 8″ I can. Can you give me a ballpark of how high to fill the 8″ pan?
Thanks!!
I would suggest using the 8″ pan. You should be fine adding all of the batter but it may need a few extra minutes cook time.
If this was made into cupcakes…would it result in more delicious “corners?”
What a great idea… I think I’m going to have to give it a try!
I made this cake for my boyfriend as a surprise to celebrate his new job. He loves cinnamon, so he was very happy to have this cake. He helped himself to at least three generous servings of it! This recipe was simple enough for a child to follow, and it was nice to have all of the ingredients already on hand. Thank you for sharing.
Congratulations to your boyfriend on his new job!! I’m so glad he enjoyed this recipe!
Holly-This cake is wonderful! Our Sunday school class really enjoyed it. Thanks, Linda.
I’m so glad everyone loved it Linda! My friend Mary makes such nice desserts!
just want to make sure – no egg in this cake?
No egg! :) Enjoy Peggy!
OMG Mary’s recipe looks INSANE! I’m totally trying this one — great photos girly! <3
Thanks friend… Mary’s recipe IS insane. Try it, I know you won’t be disappointed!
This cake looks amazing! The crunchy topping looks amazing and like it would be my fave thing :) Congrats to Mary on her book!
Averie, you’d love this cake, it’s perfect!! (And Mary’s book is SO awesome)!!
Your photos look fantastic, Holly! And Ken is a very wise man (feel free to tell him I said so) I need to try this with a splash of cream. As you know, this has been my favorite cake for years and years. I’m thrilled you are enjoying the cookbook! Thanks so much!
Thank you Mary! I can’t even decide which recipe to try next, there are so many I want to make! I love your book and the easy recipes in it!