Delicious Cinnamon Roll Cake that tastes like banana bread but with a swirl of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, and topped with vanilla icing. It’s rich, decadent and will be your new favorite dessert!
Banana Bread Cinnamon Roll Cake is a dessert or sweet brunch treat that will truly be loved by everyone! The recipe starts with banana bread cake batter mixed in one bowl. Once that is transferred to a pan, a brown sugar butter mixture is swirled into the cake and it’s baked to ooey gooey perfection. Then, drizzle with sweet icing all over the cake and enjoy!
Buttery and sweet cinnamon filling blends into the tender banana cake to give you the most wonderful treat!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- So easy to make! Get all the flavor and texture of sweet moist cinnamon rolls without all of the time and effort.
- Tastes amazing! It’s soft, fluffy and filled with the combination of incredible banana bread and cinnamon roll flavor.
- It’s versatile. This cinnamon roll banana cake is great served for dessert or brunch. Whip it up for special occasions like birthdays and holidays, or as a special treat on a lazy weekend! It will be a hit with everyone!
Ingredients needed
Don’t be discouraged by the list of ingredients for the this cinnamon roll cake recipe. They are all super simple and most are used multiple times for the cake, topping and icing. Here’s everything you’ll need:
- Cinnamon topping: The cinnamon swirl is made with a mix of brown sugar, butter and cinnamon.
- Bananas: Use ripe bananas with brown spots for plenty of banana flavor.
- Eggs: Two eggs will provide the cake with structure and stability.
- Brown sugar: To sweeten the recipe and offer a subtle taste of molasses.
- Butter: Adds rich, moist texture to the cake.
- Sour cream: For a tender and moist crumb, plus a delicious tangy flavor. You may swap with Greek yogurt or milk.
- Vanilla extract: Infuses warm, sweet flavor into the banana cake, and enhances the overall taste.
- All-purpose flour: For best results, use all-purpose flour and do not substitute.
- Cinnamon: You can’t have cinnamon roll cake without the warm spice of ground cinnamon!
- Baking powder: Helps the cake to bake properly with the perfect lift.
- Icing: A mix of powdered sugar, milk (or coffee) and vanilla extract for a sweet glaze.
How to make this recipe
Grab all of the ingredients, an 8×8 pan and a couple of bowls. You’re about to have one of the most amazing desserts! One bite and you’ll be craving this on repeat! Here’s how to make it:
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- Make the topping: In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Add the sugar and cinnamon and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Make the cake: In a large bowl, mash the bananas, add the egg, sour cream, melted butter, sugar, and vanilla extract; whisk to combine. Add the flour, cinnamon, and baking powder and whisk for 1-2 minutes or until fully incorporated.
- Add the cinnamon swirl and bake: Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish and scoop the cinnamon mixture onto the cake batter. Use a fork to swirl the cinnamon mixture into the cake batter. Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through.
- Make the icing: While the cake is baking, whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl. If the icing is too thick add another teaspoon of milk.
- Add icing and enjoy: Remove the cake from the oven and cool for 5-10 minutes then top with the icing and serve.
Expert tips
- Cinnamon topping: When adding the dollops of cinnamon filling, be sure that they evenly cover the cake and are somewhat small, so they are not just in one spot on the cake.
- Swirling the topping: When swirling the cinnamon topping with the fork, press it down slightly into the cake as well as on top.
- Don’t over bake: As the cake nears the 30-minute mark of baking, give it a check to see if it looks done. You want it to stay nice and moist like the center of a cinnamon roll, and not be over baked.
- Adding the topping: Don’t let the cake completely cool before adding the icing. You don’t want it to be hot, but it should still be warm, so the icing melts into the cake.
- Let cool before slicing: Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before slicing, so you get cleaner slices.
- Cream cheese frosting: We love the thin icing on this cake, but if you want it to be more like traditional cinnamon rolls, try a cream cheese frosting.
Frequently asked questions
How do I tell if the cake is done?
Just like with other cake recipes, insert a toothpick in the center and if it comes out mostly clean, it is done baking. However, if the toothpick has a bit of batter left on it, put it back into the oven for a few more minutes.
How to store leftover cake?
To store leftovers, tightly cover the cake with plastic wrap or keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 to 3 days. We do not recommend refrigerating it as that may dry it out.
More delicious desserts
Cinnamon Roll Banana Cake
Ingredients
Cinnamon Topping:
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Banana Cake:
- 2 bananas
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 cup sour cream, or Greek yogurt or milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
Icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk or coffee
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Add the sugar and cinnamon and stir to combine. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas, add the egg, sour cream, melted butter, sugar, and vanilla extract; whisk to combine. Add the flour, cinnamon, and baking powder and whisk for 1-2 minutes or until fully incorporated.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish and scoop the cinnamon mixture onto the cake batter. Use a fork to swirl the cinnamon mixture into the cake batter. Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through.
- While the cake is baking, whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl. If the icing is too thick add another teaspoon of milk. Remove the cake from the oven and cool for 5-10 minutes then top with the icing.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
