Easy Homemade Honey Bun Cake

This Easy Homemade Honey Bun Cake recipe tastes just like the classic bakery treat. It’s easy to make using a boxed cake mix with brown sugar, and cinnamon and topped with that familiar honey bun glaze. Take 20 minutes of prep time and make this moist, delicious cake for your family today!

This recipe is a real oldie. I tried to find a source for this recipe, but it’s just impossible.

It appears on two huge commercial cake mix makers’ sites plus loads of bloggers’ sites as well. I even have several community and church cookbooks that contain this same recipe.

You may have even seen this Honey Bun Cake on Facebook. I have. It’s hugely popular and that’s because it’s so easy! Who wouldn’t like yellow cake with swirls of brown sugar and cinnamon topped with a vanilla glaze? And the finished cake really tastes just like its famous namesake. It’s delicious and just plain fun.

For simplicity, this recipe uses a boxed cake mix. I know that’s a horror to some people, but hey, I take help where I can get it. Cake mix is also the basis for my quick and easy Lemon Lime Cake, Pumpkin Crunch Cake, and Chocolate Marshmallow Poke Cake recipes.

• It’s fun! Who wouldn’t want a honey bun in cake size?
• It’s easy! I have no problem taking kitchen shortcuts occasionally. Cake mix in a box is okay by me.
• It tastes great! If you like cinnamon buns, you’ll love like honeybun cake.

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For the Cake:

• Butter – The butter in this recipe is only for greasing the baking dish. You could spray is heavily with cooking spray if you like.
• Light Brown Sugar and Cinnamon – This combination creates the familiar cinnamon roll flavor in the cake.
• Yellow Cake Mix – Choose any brand you like. I typically use Betty Crocker Super Moist yellow cake mix.
• Canola Oil
• Eggs
• Sour Cream – Provides a distinct richness and adds moisture to the cake layer.

For the Glaze:

• Powdered Sugar – Also called confectioner’s sugar.
• Milk – I use whole milk for this recipe.
• Vanilla Extract – Use a quality brand such as McCormick.

Make the Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Generously butter a 9 x 13 pan or glass baking dish and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, canola oil, eggs, and sour cream.
4. Whisk or beat with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.

5. Spread half the batter in the bottom of the prepared pan.
6. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the batter.
7. Top with remaining cake batter and use a knife to make swirls through the cake batter.

👉 PRO TIP: When measuring the brown sugar, be sure to pack it firmly into the measuring cup to get an accurate amount.

8. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
9. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Let cool for 15-20 minutes.

Make the Glaze

10. In a small bowl, combine the sifted powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Blend until well mixed.
11. While the cake is still warm (but not hot), spread the glaze evenly over the top.
12. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature before serving.

Store the cake in a covered container at room temperature. It will keep for 4-5 days. To reheat, cut individual servings and warm in the microwave for a few seconds.

It can also be frozen, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in the microwave.

• Make a slightly different version by adding 1/2 cup chopped pecans to the batter.
• Include 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips in the batter.
• Try using orange juice or buttermilk in the glaze for a different flavor profile.

More Questions? I’m happy to help!

If you have more questions about the recipe, or if you’ve made it and would like to leave a comment, scroll down to leave your thoughts, questions, and/or rating!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

📖 Recipe

Easy Homemade Honey Bun Cake

Easy Homemade Honey Bun Cake tastes just like the bakery treat. It's simple to make with a cake mix topped with that familiar honey bun glaze.

5 from 8 votes

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Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 18 servings

Calories: 324kcal

Author: Lana Stuart

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Ingredients

For the cake:

• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter for greasing pan
• ▢ 1 cup light brown sugar packed
• ▢ 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ 15.25 ounces yellow boxed cake mix
• ▢ ¾ cup canola oil
• ▢ 4 eggs room temperature
• ▢ 1 cup sour cream

For the glaze:

• ▢ 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
• ▢ ¼ cup milk
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Generously butter a 9 x 13 pan or glass baking dish and set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, canola oil, eggs, and sour cream. Whisk or beat with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.
• Spread half the batter in the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the batter. Top with remaining cake batter. Use a knife to make swirls through the cake batter.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Let cool for 15-20 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine the sifted powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Blend until well mixed. While cake is still warm (but not hot), spread the glaze evenly over the top. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.

Notes

• When measuring the brown sugar, be sure to pack it firmly into the measuring cup to get an accurate amount.
• Store the cake in a covered container at room temperature. It will keep for 4-5 days. To reheat, cut individual servings and warm in the microwave for a few seconds.
• This cake may can also be frozen, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rewarming in the microwave.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1slice | Calories 324kcal | Carbohydrates 46g | Protein 3g | Fat 15g | Saturated Fat 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat 3g | Monounsaturated Fat 7g | Trans Fat 0.1g | Cholesterol 48mg | Sodium 198mg | Potassium 65mg | Fiber 1g | Sugar 36g | Vitamin A 178IU | Vitamin C 0.1mg | Calcium 88mg | Iron 1mg

Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.

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— This post was originally published on July 3, 2015. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.