Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll Cake

This gluten-free cinnamon roll cake has vanilla cake, a cinnamon-sugar swirl and cream cheese icing. It is a stirred cake batter baked in a square pan, so there is no proofing or dough log to roll. The dark cinnamon pattern comes from small dollops swirled through the surface.

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Make the topping separately

The cinnamon component contains its own brown sugar, butter and small flour quantity. Mix it in a separate bowl before dolloping onto the vanilla batter. Small, distributed portions make a more even pattern than one heavy mound in the middle.

Keep the cake layer even

Spread the batter into the corners before adding cinnamon. A light swirl joins the two mixtures without blending them into one brown batter. Check the middle for raw cake batter near the end of the bake. The icing will cover the surface, so you do not need an artificially smooth top.

Warm cake, pourable icing

Unlike a whipped cupcake frosting, this icing is spread onto a cake that has rested about twenty minutes but is still warm. Mix the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth before deciding whether the measured milk is enough. It should spread easily rather than run like water.

Control sweetness at serving

The full icing amount is provided, but you can use about three-quarters on the cake and offer the remainder with individual portions. Keep that a serving choice rather than changing the batter. Refrigerate leftovers with their dairy topping and bring slices toward room temperature if that texture is preferred.

Gluten-free ingredients and allergens

Use the listed flour weights and distinguish individual bread flours from a plain gluten-free blend. Follow each xanthan or psyllium instruction rather than changing binder amounts automatically. Check packaged ingredients and use clean tools and surfaces to limit gluten cross-contact. Other allergens are listed separately; gluten-free does not mean dairy-free or nut-free.

Contains: Egg and milk. Check the flour blend.

For packaged ingredient claims, see FDA gluten-free label guidance.

Serving and storage

Best on baking day. Refrigerate covered leftovers for 2–3 days because of the cream cheese icing; let individual slices lose their chill before serving if preferred.

For another gluten-free idea, browse gluten-free cinnamon roll cookies. You can also explore the DayTasty recipe collection.

Emma Collins

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll Cake

Bake gluten-free cinnamon roll cake with a vanilla base, cinnamon swirls and cream cheese icing. Includes square-pan baking and warm icing tips.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 28 minutes mins

Cooling before icing 20 minutes mins

Servings: 12 squares

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Vanilla cake

• 150 g granulated sugar
• 70 g unsalted butter melted and cooled until warm
• 55 g neutral oil
• 3 large eggs room temperature
• 115 g full-fat plain or Greek yogurt room temperature
• 60 g whole milk room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 280 g plain gluten-free flour blend
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum; omit if already in the blend
• 1/4 tsp salt

Cinnamon mixture

• 75 g light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 8 g plain gluten-free flour blend
• 40 g unsalted butter melted and cooled until warm

Cream cheese icing

• 115 g full-fat cream cheese room temperature
• 120 g powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 g whole milk plus 1–2 tsp only if needed

Method

 

1. Heat a conventional oven to 350°F / 180°C and line a 9-inch square pan with parchment handles.
2. Whisk cake sugar, melted butter, oil, eggs, yogurt, milk and vanilla. Combine its flour, baking powder, xanthan and salt separately, then whisk into the wet mixture. Spread the smooth batter in the pan.
3. Mix the cinnamon component’s brown sugar, cinnamon and flour, then stir in melted butter. Place small 1–2-tsp dollops over the batter and swirl lightly with a skewer.
4. Bake 25–28 minutes, until golden and a tester comes out without wet cake batter. Rest in the pan about 20 minutes while making the icing.
5. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla smooth, then add the milk. The icing should be pourable but not watery; add a little extra milk only if required.
6. Spread icing across the warm cake and let it settle into the surface. Use all or about three-quarters, keeping the remainder for serving if preferred. Cut into twelve squares.

Notes

Bake 25–28 minutes; rest about 20 minutes before adding icing to the warm cake.
Best on baking day. Refrigerate covered leftovers for 2–3 days because of the cream cheese icing; let individual slices lose their chill before serving if preferred.
Contains: Egg and milk. Check the flour blend.
Use the specified flour and binder amounts. Check packaged ingredient labels and avoid gluten cross-contact.