Honey bun cake is a rich, soft, moist and fluffy yellow cake layered with swirls of sweet cinnamon sugar, topped with a creamy honey glaze. This homemade honeybun cake is perfect for dessert or as dessert for breakfast.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
I absolutely adore a deliciously cozy cake recipe. My Date Cake, Donut Cake, Oatmeal Cake, Apple Spice Cake and French Apple Cake are just a few simple but decadent cake I love from the blog. This honey bun cake recipe is filled with the coziest flavors and textures I know you will love. Bonus, it works just as well for dessert dish as it does dessert for breakfast treat.
- Layers of flavors and textures. From the soft, fluffy and moist yellow cake to the sweet cinnamon sugar and creamy honey glaze, this cake will have you going back for seconds (or thirds).
- Easy to make, bake and eat. This honey cake tastes like you just bought it from a bakery, but simple to make and comes together quickly. Simply make the cinnamon sugar and yellow cake batter, layer, top, bake and enjoy.
Ingredients
This old fashioned honey bun inspired cake requires a handful of simple ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge.
Honey Bun Cake
- Dry Ingredients: Gather all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Wet Ingredients: Gather butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and buttermilk.
Honey Glaze
Gather all powdered sugar, butter, honey and milk or heavy cream.
Substitutions
This honeybun cake is as easy to make as it is delicious. Here are my recommended substitutions to make this cake if you need them.
- All purpose flour: To make this honey bun cake gluten free, use a good 1-1 gluten free flour. I recommend using the one from Bob’s Red Mill. Measure based off of weight (240 g) versus cup for cup.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: These both act as leaveners in this cake.
- Granulated Sugar: This honey cake calls for granulated sugar but maple sugar would also work well to make this refined sugar free.
- Unsalted Butter: Feel free to use an equal amount of salted butter in place of the unsalted butter. Just make sure to omit the added salt. Vegan butter or plant based can also be used in place of regular unsalted butter.
- Eggs: This recipe has not been tested without eggs.
- Vanilla Extract: This is more for background flavor and nicely enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Buttermilk: Sour cream works well in place of the buttermilk.
- Cinnamon Sugar: This layer, along with the honey glaze really makes this cake taste like a honey bun pastry. I recommend you keep the cinnamon sugar as written in the recipe.
- Honey Glaze: I recommend you keep this glaze as written.
Variations
Honey Bun Cake with Cake Mix: Prepare the cinnamon sugar as listed in the recipe. For the cake layer mix together a 15.25 oz. yellow cake mix with ¾ cup (180 ml) oil, 4 large eggs and 1 cup of sour cream until smooth and well combined. Follow the assembly and baking steps of the recipe as written.
How To Make
Learn how to make honey bun cake in a few easy steps.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Lightly grease and line the bottom and two sides of a 9 x 9 inch (23 cm) or 9 x 13 cake pan with parchment paper. In a small bowl whisk the light brown sugar and cinnamon together until well combined. Set aside for now.
- In a medium bowl whisk the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together until well combined. Set aside for now.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This takes about 2-3 minutes on medium speed. On low, mix in the eggs and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined. Alternating dry ingredients and buttermilk, mix in ? of the dry ingredients into the wet, followed by ½ of the buttermilk. Repeat until all the ingredients are just combined.
- Evenly spread half of the honey cake batter into the prepared pan. Top the cake layer with the ½ of the cinnamon sugar. Repeat with the remaining cake batter. Top with the remaining cinnamon sugar. Swirl the sugar into the cake batter. Bake the honey bun cake for 40 - 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the pan in the pan for 15-20 minutes. Once the cake has cooled a bit, take a toothpick and poke lots of holes all over the top of the cake. Make the honey glaze by whisking powdered sugar with melted butter, honey and milk or heavy cream. Top the honey cake with the glaze, allow about 30 minutes for the glaze to set.
How To Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Store: Keep the honey cake stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 - 4 days. The cake can be stored in the fridge for about 3 days. For longer storage store the cake in the freezer.
- Freeze: Make sure the honey cinnamon cake is completely cooled to room temperature. Individually wrap each slice in plastic wrap and place in a ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. If you plan on freezing the cake right away, I suggest leaving the glaze off until after thawing the cake and right before serving.
- Thaw: The easiest and tastiest way to thaw the cake is to let it sit out at room temperature for at least two hours or until thawed all the way through.
M’s Expert Tips
- Bake the cake in the lower third of the oven. If your oven heats food from the top, moving the cake to the rack right under the center rack will help keep the cake from browning too soon. Alternatively, allow the cake to bake for 30 minutes and then top the cake for an additional 10 - 20 minutes or until the cake is finished baking.
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature. This allows the ingredients to mix together more evenly which requires less mixing, resulting in soft, fluffy, moist and tender honey cake.
- Use whole fat ingredients. The more fat, the more tender and flavorful the cake will be. Use whole milk buttermilk or sour cream.
- Measure the flour properly. I highly recommend using a food scale to get perfectly measured ingredients every time.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Always use the lowest speed on your electric mixer or mix in the dry ingredients by hand. Make sure to mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
- Use the baking times as a guide. All ovens vary and baking times should be used as a guide. As a general rule, when the cake becomes really fragrant, it’s a good idea to start checking. Begin checking on the honey cake at the minimum baking time. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out with a few moist crumbs or clean.
FAQs
What is honey bun cake?
Honey bun cake is single layer cake made with rich and buttery yellow cake layered with swirls of sweet cinnamon sugar. After baking the cake is then poked with very small holes and topped with a honey vanilla glaze. The finished cake tastes very similar to the honey bun pastry.
What does honey bun cake taste like?
The finished honeybun cake has strong flavors of cinnamon and cake, similar to coffee cake. Once the honey glaze is applied to the cake, the final flavor of the honey cake taste remarkably like honey bun pastries.
Can I make this honey cinnamon bun cake in another pan?
This cake works well in a 9x9 or 9x13 pan.
Other Honey Recipes to Try
If you try this Honey Bun Cake recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! - M
Honey Bun Cake Recipe
Honey bun cake is a rich, soft, moist and fluffy yellow cake layered with swirls of sweet cinnamon sugar, topped with a creamy honey glaze. This homemade honeybun cake is perfect for dessert or as dessert for breakfast.
Equipment
- 1 9x9 or 9x13 pan
- 1 stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters
Ingredients
Honey Bun Cake
- ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1½ cup (300 g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, room temperature
Honey Glaze
- 1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) melted butter
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 - 3 tablespoons milk, room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Lightly grease and line the bottom and two sides of a 9 x 9 inch (23 cm) or 9 x 13 cake pan with parchment paper. Alternatively, grease the pan really well and omit the parchment paper.
- In a small bowl whisk the light brown sugar and cinnamon together until well combined. Set aside for now.¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- In a medium bowl whisk the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together until well combined. Set aside for now.2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This takes about 2-3 minutes on medium speed. On low, mix in the eggs and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined. Alternating dry ingredients and buttermilk, mix in ⅓ of the dry ingredients into the wet, followed by ½ of the buttermilk. Repeat with until all the ingredients are just combined.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature, 1½ cup (300 g) granulated sugar, 3 large eggs, room temperature, 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract , 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, room temperature
- Evenly spread half of the honey cake batter into the prepared pan. Top the cake layer with the ½ of the cinnamon sugar. Repeat with the remaining cake batter. Top with the remaining cinnamon sugar. Swirl the sugar into the cake batter.
- Bake the honey bun cake for 40 - 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool the pan in the pan for 15-20 minutes. Once the cake has cooled a bit, take a toothpick and poke lots of holes all over the top of the cake.
- Make the honey glaze by whisking powdered sugar with melted butter, honey and milk or heavy cream. Top the honey cake with the glaze, allow about 30 minutes for the glaze to set.1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) melted butter, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 - 3 tablespoons milk, room temperature
Notes
Store: Keep the honey cake stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 - 4 days. The cake can be stored in the fridge for about 3 days. For longer storage store the cake in the freezer.
Honey Bun Cake with Cake Mix: Prepare the cinnamon sugar as listed in the recipe. For the cake layer mix together a 15.25 oz. yellow cake mix with ¾ cup (180 ml) oil, 4 large eggs and 1 cup of sour cream until smooth and well combined. Follow the assembly and baking steps of the recipe as written.
did you make this recipe?tag @olivesnthyme on Instagram
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