Our family loves cinnamon rolls – the warm gooey goodness of cinnamon and sugar is such a cozy treat.

When I ran across a recipe for cinnamon roll layer cake from Life, Love, and Sugar, I knew that we had to have one of our own!

Making cake from scratch isn’t as time consuming as it might seem, and the sweet reward of all those smiling faces when you serve up something extra special is worth every crumb.

We adapted the recipe a bit, and here is what we came up with – it is such a perfect fall dessert!

 

For the cake:

12 tablespoons butter, softened

1 1/2 cups white sugar

3/4 cup sour cream, room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

6 egg whites, room temperature

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp salt

1 cup milk, room temperature

 

Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare your pans: you’ll need three 8″ pans lined with parchment and greased with butter.

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (this takes a few minutes!). Add in your sour cream and vanilla and mix well.

Add in your egg whites, three at a time, and combine well.

In another mixing bowl, combine all of your dry ingredients. Add half the dry mixture to the batter and stir to combine. Next, add in the milk and mix well. Finally, add in the rest of the dry ingredients and mix well, and be sure to scrape the sides of your bowl to get everything mixed in!

Divide the batter evenly between the three pans and bake until the tops are just golden and toothpick comes out clean. This usually takes 20-23 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

 

To make the frosting:

1 cup salted butter, softened

6 cups  powdered sugar

1/4-1/2 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

 

Whip the butter until slightly fluffy. Add in half of the powdered sugar and mix on high until well combined. Add in the milk, vanilla, and cinnamon, and mix well. Add in the remaining powdered sugar until you reach the right consistency. Set aside.

Now you’re going to make a cinnamon glaze!

7 tbsp powdered sugar

3 tbsp light brown sugar, loosely packed

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

3 tbsp water

 

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth.

Now you’re ready to assemble!

Use a sharp knife to cut the puffy tops of the cake layers so that you have nice, even layers to work with. Transfer one layer to your favorite cake plate. Spread 2-3 tablespoons of glaze on the cake layer and allow it to soak in. Next, fill a piping bag or ziplock with frosting and snip of the end. Pipe little dollops of frosting on the first layer, and then top it with the next layer. Repeat until you’ve finished all three!

Now you’re ready for the last part – the best part – the cinnamon/sugar drizzle!

 

You’ll need:

2 tbsp butter

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup water

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp corn syrup

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Combine all ingredients (except for the powdered sugar!) in a small pan. Heat on low until sugar is melted, then turn it up a bit to bring it to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat and immediately pour into a heat-proof glass bowl. Whisk in powdered sugar and wait for it to cool and thicken a bit. Drizzle the icing down the sides of the cake while still a little warm and voila! The most delicious cinnamon roll cake is ready for you to enjoy!

 

cake from my friend Kathleen