Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cake

by Jillian
Incredibly moist and fluffy pumpkin cake swirled with pockets of brown sugary cinnamon filling and slathered in a blanket of cream cheese frosting!

Incredibly moist and fluffy pumpkin cake swirled with pockets of brown sugary cinnamon filling and slathered in a blanket of cream cheese frosting!

Happy Halloween/Beginning of the Christmas Season, everybody!

Poor Thanksgiving…she never gets the recognition she deserves, does she? As someone whose birthday usually lands super close to Thanksgiving, I definitely have a soft spot for this often neglected holiday. That’s why I think it’s important to bake (more like DEVOUR) as many pumpkin treats as possible BEFORE the peppermint, gingerbread, eggnog, sugar cookie madness takes over.

So with the weather getting chillier and the days becoming shorter, I decided to bake up a pumpkin treat that has comfort food written ALL. OVER. IT.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cake…

Combining the warm autumnal flavor of pumpkin with the cinnamon sugary ooey gooeyness of cinnamon rolls, this cake is without a doubt one of the most heavenly confections you will ever have. This Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cake is incredibly moist and infused with just the right amount of pumpkin sweetness. It’s also swirled with luscious pockets of brown sugar cinnamon filling, and cloaked in a tangy cream cheese frosting. Seriously, what more could you ask for??

I’ve been a major fan of cinnamon roll cakes ever since I made my first recipe a few years back. I’ve also made an Apple Cinnamon Roll Cake as well as a Blueberry Cinnamon Roll Cake. What I love about these cakes is that they give you that same euphoric experience of biting into a fluffy cinnamon roll without all the tediousness of actually making cinnamon rolls. This cake literally comes together in about an hour, which is about a fifth of the time it takes to make traditional cinnamon rolls.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love me some FAT doughy cinnamon rolls. However, this option is the perfect solution for those times when you’re running short on time and hankering for something cinnamon-sugary and super DUPER comforting.

To start things off, you’ll make the brown sugar swirl filling, which is a simple mixture of softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. This is the same exact filling you find in those mesmerizing cinnamon roll spirals. And yes, it’s just as ooey gooey after it bakes in the oven…

The cake batter requires a few more ingredients, but it’s just as easy peasy to throw together. You’ll start by incorporating all of the dry ingredients first–flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Then you’ll add the wet ingredients–milk, eggs, vanilla, melted butter, sour cream, and of course, PUMPKIN. Both the sour cream and the pumpkin puree give this cake the perfect fluff factor as well as a supremely moist crumb.

As opposed to cinnamon rolls, which require punching, rolling, spreading, rolling AGAIN, and slicing, this cake involves a quick and easy layering process. Simply spread half of the cake batter into the pan. Then dollop teaspoonfuls of the brown sugar swirl filling over the batter. Repeat these steps once more with the remaining cake batter and brown sugar filling, then use a knife or skewer to swirl figure-eights throughout the batter. Place the pan in the oven, and bake for about 30-35 minutes. Try not to become too intoxicated by the heavenly aroma permeating your entire home…

As the cake is baking, it’s the perfect time to make the cream cheese frosting. Just take some cream cheese, combine it with a little butter, add a splash of vanilla, then stir in some powdered sugar. Mix everything together until nice and creamy, then sit back and wait for your cake to finish baking. See? SO much easier than making cinnamon rolls!

Once the cake is out of the oven, I would let it rest for about 10 minutes. Don’t worry, it’ll still be nice and warm when you cut into it! Of course, BEFORE you slice into this cinnama-licious beauty, you have to spread that deliciously tangy cream cheese frosting on top! Once the frosting hits the warm cake, it’ll soften and almost melt into the brown sugar swirl crevices. 

It truly is a beautiful thing…

Incredibly moist and fluffy pumpkin cake swirled with pockets of brown sugary cinnamon filling and slathered in a blanket of cream cheese frosting!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cake

Incredibly moist and fluffy pumpkin cake swirled with pockets of brown sugary cinnamon filling and slathered in a blanket of cream cheese frosting!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 9 Pieces

Ingredients
  

Brown Sugar Swirl:

  • 6 Tablespoons salted butter, softened
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Cake:

  • 1 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup pumpkin puree
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 3 ounces cream cheese
  • 4 Tablespoons salted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions
 

Make the Brown Sugar Swirl:

  • In a medium bowl combine the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until smooth; set aside.

Make the Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF, and spray an 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, spices, salt, and sugar together until combined. Add the pumpkin puree, sour cream, milk, eggs, and vanilla, mixing until batter is almost combined. Pour in the melted butter and continue mixing until smooth.
  • Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Drop spoonfuls of half of the brown sugar swirl mixture over the batter. Add remaining batter on top, followed by spoonfuls of remaining swirl mixture. Using a skewer or knife, swirl figure-eights throughout the batter.
  • Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is set and center of the cake jiggles slightly. Allow to at least 10 minutes before spreading frosting on top.

Make the Frosting:

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together until combined. Add the powdered sugar and continue mixing until smooth and creamy
  • Evenly spread the frosting on top of the cake. Cut into squares, serve, and enjoy!
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