Cinnamon Roll Cake

I was feeling a little non-productive today and while walking the dog outside on this chilly Ohio day, I got the idea to surprise the kids with a yummy desert when they got off their bus. Baking always makes me feel like it was a successful day!

Into the kitchen I went but since this was totally spur of the moment, I had to whip up something that I had all of the ingredients for. What fit the bill? This delicious cinnamon roll cake (with only the most basic of ingredients!) and such a comfort food as this endless snow piles up outside!

CINNAMON ROLL CAKE

Cake Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup white granulated sugar

• 4 tsp baking powder

• 2 large eggs

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 ½ cups milk

• ½ cup salted butter melted

Cinnamon Swirl Filling Ingredients:

• ¾ cup salted butter softened to room temp

• 1 cup packed light brown sugar

• 2 tbsp flour

• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Glaze Ingredients:

• 2 cups powdered sugar

• 5 tbsp milk

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Add together all of ingredients (except the melted butter) for the cake.

2. Mix your ingredients on low (you don't want the flour to toughen up so only mix until just combined.) Slowly drizzle in the melted butter.. Pour the batter into the baking pan.

Cinnamon Swirl Filling:

1. Combine all ingredients and mix well.

2. Using a teaspoon, drop rounded spoons of the filling into the cake batter.

3. With a butter knife, cut a swirly pattern of the cake batter & cinnamon swirl filling by dragging the knife through both mixtures.

4. Bake the cake for 35 minutes (or a few minutes longer until your toothpick comes out clean).

Glaze:

1. Whisk together all of the ingredients and pour over the warm cake. Serve warm for extra yumminess.

That's it! I told the girls to bring their Dad a piece (who was working hard in his home office). They, of course, wanted to jazz it up for Valentine's Day, so they added paper punched hearts to lollipop sticks to deliver it with extra love:)