Name: Honey Bun Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 box yellow cake mix; 4 eggs; 1 cup sour cream; ¾ cup oil; non-stick baking spray; 1 cup brown sugar; 2 teaspoons cinnamon; 2 cups powdered sugar; 6 tablespoons milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Our deliciously gooey honey bun cake recipe has swirls of cinnamon and brown sugar and is topped with a sweet vanilla glaze. It's easy to make, and tastes just like a honey bun!

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Slice of Honey Bun Cake on a plate showing the cinnamon swirl in the middle and vanilla glaze on top with a fork stuck in the top of the cake.

I love recipes with shortcuts like starting with a box cake mix in this easy honey bun cake recipe. My quick and easy Cinnamon Sticks recipe is another yummy shortcut recipe (it starts with prepared pizza dough)—it has all the flavor of cinnamon rolls without the work. If you like this honey bun cake recipe or the cinnamon sticks at Domino's or Pizza Hut, give it a try too!

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What you need to make this Honey Bun Cake recipe
How to make this Honey Bun Cake recipe
Variations
Storage
Recipe
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Video

What you need to make this Honey Bun Cake recipe

Ingredients needed to make honey bun cake: yellow cake mix, eggs, cooking oil, sour cream, cinnamon, brown sugar, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and non-stick baking spray.

Yellow cake mix (butter cake mix will also work)
Eggs
Sour cream
Vegetable oil
Light brown sugar
Cinnamon
Powdered sugar
Milk
Vanilla extract
Non-stick cooking spray

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make this Honey Bun Cake recipe

Composite image showing steps to make honey bun cake: 1 - Place cake mix, oil, eggs, and sour cream in a bowl; 2 - Mix well and in a separate bowl combine the cinnamon and brown sugar; 3 - Spread half of the cake batter in a prepared baking pan; 4 - Sprinkle half of the brown sugar mixture over the batter in the baking pan.

1. Place cake mix, oil, eggs, and sour cream in a bowl and mix well. You can use an electric mixer, but I find that it's not necessary. A whisk is helpful if you are doing this by hand.

2. Combine the cinnamon and brown sugar in a small bowl and mix well.

3. Spread half of the cake batter in a prepared pan.

4. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the batter in the baking pan.

Composite image showing steps to make honey bun cake: 5 - Spread the remaining cake batter over the brown sugar mixture in the pan; 6 - Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon and brown sugar over the batter in the baking pan and use a knife to make swirls in the batter; 7 - Make the glaze by mixing the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla; 8 - Bake the cake.

5. Spread the remaining cake batter over the cinnamon sugar layer in the pan.

6. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon and brown sugar over the batter in the baking pan and use a knife to make swirls in the batter.

7. Make the glaze by mixing the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla.

8. Bake the cake at 325ºF for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with no uncooked batter on it (it might have the cinnamon sugar swirl on it).

Baking pan with Honey Bun Cake with streusel topping with vanilla glaze being poured over the top.

9. Pour the glaze over the honey bun cake while it is still hot from the oven.

Slice of Honey Bun Cake being placed on a plate showing the cinnamon swirl in the middle and vanilla glaze on top on a counter beside the pan of cake and two forks.

Enjoy!

Variations

Gluten-free. It's easy to make this honey bun cake recipe gluten-free by using a gluten-free cake mix.

Bundt pan version. You can bake this honey bun cake recipe in a regular baking pan or a Bundt pan. The Bundt pan will result in a beautiful cake that really shows the cinnamon swirls in each slice.

Bundt pan adjustments. You will need to adjust the baking time to your specific pan, so start at about 40 minutes at 325ºF and check for doneness with a toothpick or wooden skewer. When it comes out clean or with only the cinnamon swirl on the wood, the cake is done. Let it cool until the pan is cool enough to touch, then put a cake platter upside down on the Bundt pan. Invert the pan so that the cake settles on the platter, and remove the pan. Drizzle the honey bun cake immediately with the glaze. You may need to cut back on the amount of glaze you use for the Bundt pan version.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Recipe

Honey Bun Cake

5 from 1 vote

Our deliciously gooey honey bun cake with box cake mix is swirled with cinnamon and brown sugar and topped with a sweet vanilla glaze. Easy to make!

Mary Ann

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Vegetarian

Servings servings

Calories 593

Ingredients

For the cake:

1 box yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
¾ cup oil
non-stick baking spray

For the swirl mixture:

1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

For the glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Heat oven to 325°F.
Combine 1 box yellow cake mix, 4 eggs, 1 cup sour cream, and ¾ cup oil (mixture may be slightly lumpy). Set aside.
In a separate bowl, mix together 1 cup brown sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon for the swirl mixture, and set aside.
Prepare a 9"x13" baking dish with non-stick baking spray. Pour half of the cake batter into the baking dish, spreading the batter out evenly. Add half of the swirl mixture to the top, covering the entire layer of batter. Pour the remaining batter on top, and spread out until even. Top with the rest of the swirl mixture.
With a knife, swirl the batter together in a circular motion. Bake for 45 minutes, or until cake tests done with a toothpick.
To make the glaze, mix together 2 cups powdered sugar, 6 tablespoons milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until glaze is smooth and lump free.
Top cake immediately with glaze as soon as it comes out of the oven.
Let cool before serving.

Notes

Gluten-free version. You can easily make this gluten-free by using a GF cake mix.

Bundt pan version. You can bake this honey bun cake recipe in a regular baking pan or a Bundt pan. The Bundt pan will result in a beautiful cake that really shows the cinnamon swirls in each slice.

Bundt pan adjustments. You will need to adjust the baking time to your specific pan, so start at about 40 minutes at 325ºF and check for doneness with a toothpick or wooden skewer. When it comes out clean or with only the cinnamon swirl on the wood, the cake is done. Let it cool until the pan is cool enough to touch, then put a cake platter upside down on the Bundt pan. Invert the pan so that the cake settles on the platter, and remove the pan. Drizzle the honey bun cake immediately with the glaze. You may need to cut back on the amount of glaze you use for the Bundt pan version.