Cinnamon Swirl Bundt Cake
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This cinnamon swirl bundt cake is incredibly moist with a buttery vanilla flavor and swirl of cinnamon sugar in the middle. It’s topped with cream cheese icing. The flavor will remind you have a gooey cinnamon roll – but in a bundt cake!
Cinnamon Swirl Bundt Cake
If you love cinnamon sugar desserts, then you’re going to love this cinnamon swirl bundt cake. It has a similar flavor profile to coffee cake, but it’s made in a bundt pan, and instead of streusel topping we’re adding a cream cheese icing on top.
The vanilla cake recipe we’re using is incredibly moist with a dense cake crumb. It has a buttery, vanilla flavor that’s not too sweet. This cake uses sour cream – which is key to an extra moist texture. The combination of cinnamon sugar in the middle and cream cheese icing makes this cake reminiscent of a cinnamon bun, and truly takes the flavor to the next level.
Recipe Run Down – Be Sure to Read!
While the recipe isn’t difficult, there’s 3 parts to it:
- Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- Sour Cream Vanilla Cake
- Cream Cheese Icing
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
You’ll first toss together dark brown sugar, cinnamon, a little flour and a touch of salt for the filling. I always use dark brown sugar because I prefer the color it provides. Adding a little flour to the mixture helps to ensure that the filling doesn’t start to melt into the butter as much.
Sour Cream Cake Batter
Before getting started – all the ingredients must be at room temperature. This helps to ensure that everything mixes together evenly, without having to overmix. Overmixing leads to air tunnels and a dry cake crumb!
You’ll first sift together the dry ingredients so that the leaveners are evenly distributed throughout the cake. In a separate bowl, you’ll cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. We’re then mixing in a little oil and vanilla. While this cake primarily uses butter for lots of flavor, the addition of oil keeps the cake moist for longer. The eggs are then mixed into the batter one at a time.
From there, you’ll alternate between additions of the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients (sour cream and milk) into the butter mixture. This process helps to ensure that you don’t overmix the batter and provides a consistent cake crumb.
Note: the sour cream keeps the cake extra moist, whereas using some milk (instead of 100% sour cream) ensures that the cake isn’t too dense.
Assembling & Baking the Cake
Start with a non-stick bunt pan, then grease the pan with non-stick baking spray or pan release. Be sure to get into every crevice of the pan. Then you’ll spoon about 1/3 of the batter into the pan and smooth the top, followed by spinking about 1/2 of the cinnamon sugar filling. Repeat the process – ending with the last 1/3 of cake batter.
The cake will bake for about 50 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. You should see the cake starting to pull away around the sides.
Cream Cheese Icing
After the cake is baked and cooled, it’s time for the icing. You’ll whisk together cream cheese and powdered sugar, along with a little milk until smooth. The cream cheese should be at room temperature for easier mixing.
Then pour/drizzle over the cooled cake. I like to add an extra sprinkle of cinnamon on top – but that’s totally optional.
A Note from Fiona
Why You’ll Love this Cinnamon Bundt Cake!
This cinnamon swirl bundt cake is cozy, comforting and has the perfect moist and tender cake crumb. The combination of cinnamon sugar in the middle and cream cheese icing on top reminds me of a cinnamon roll – making this cake perfect for morning coffee or afternoon tea. I find the cinnamon flavor is perfect for fall, but it’s equally delicious all year round.
Cinnamon Swirl Bundt Cake
Equipment
- 12-cup bundt pan non-stick
Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar (158 grams)
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Sour Cream Vanilla Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (375 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1¼ cup unsalted butter (282 grams), softened to room temperature, not starting to melt
- 1½ cups granulated sugar (300 grams)
- ¼ cup brown sugar (52 grams), light or dark
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (60 ml), or canola oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- ¾ cup sour cream (180 ml), full fat, room temperature
- ¾ cup milk (180 ml), 2% or whole, room temperature
Cream Cheese Icing
- 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese (112 grams), brick style, room temperature
- 1½-2 cups powdered sugar (165-220 grams)
- 1-2 tablepsoons milk, as needed
Instructions
Cinnamon Swirl Bundt Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃).
- In a medium bowl, stir together the ingredients of the cinnamon swirl with a fork: dark brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients for the cake batter: flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Give the ingredients a whisk (about 10 seconds). Aside.
- In a separate large bowl, beat together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until fluffy. Be sure to turn off the mixer a few times and scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure that there are no lumps. Then beat the oil and vanilla into the butter mixture.
- With the mixer on a low speed, beat about ⅓ of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Then mix in the sour cream. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the bottom and sides of the pan. Mix in another ⅓ of the dry ingredients, turning off the mixer and scraping down the bowl afterwards. Then mix in the milk – I typically do this by hand with a wire whisk to avoid splashing. Lastly, mix in the last ⅓ of the dry ingredients. Be sure to stop mixing once everything is combined.
- Grease the bundt pan with non-stick baking spray or pan release. Be sure to get into all of the crevices of the pan. Spoon about ⅓ of the cake batter into the pan and spread into an even layer. Then sprinkle about ½ of the cinnamon sugar filling on top. Spoon another ⅓ of the cake batter and spread into an even layer, then sprinkle the remaining ½ of the cinnamon sugar on top. Lastly, spoon the last ⅓ of the cake batter on top and smooth into an even layer.
- Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for about 50-60 minutes. When finished, an inserted toothpick should come out clean or with some cinnamon sugar, but no gooey cake batter. You should see it starting to pull away from the sides of the pan and
- Cool the cake in the pan for at least 25 minutes. When ready, very carefully invert the cake onto a cooling rack.
Cream Cheese Icing
- Ensure that the cream cheese is very soft. Using an electric mixer or wire whisk, beat/whisk together the cream cheese and 1½ cups powdered sugar until smooth. Mix in a little milk or a little more powdered sugar until the desired thickness is reached. It should be thin enough to pour but still opaque in color.
- Carefully transfer the cake to the plate you plan to serve it on. Carefully pour over the cream cheese icing. Optionally, sprinkle with cinnamon.
Notes
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure that the butter, eggs, sour cream and milk are all at room temperature before getting started.
- Bundt Pans: Be sure to use a non-stick, light colored pan. I do not recommend using an intricately designed bunt pan, as the cake can be more difficult to slide out. Even with a non-stick pan, it is imperative that you grease the pan well. Only grease right before adding the cake batter, so that the grease doesn’t slide down the sides of the pan and leave a pool of grease at the bottom.
- Storage: Store covered in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 4 days. If the cake has been in the fridge, let it sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before enjoying.
- Nutrition: Details are an estimate only, based on 1 slice, assuming the cake is sliced into 10 uniform pieces and all the cream cheese icing is used.
