I’m an equal-opportunity dessert person, but I have a special place in my heart for a nostalgic treat. Topped with a crackly glaze and filled with a ribbon of cinnamon brown sugar, this honey bun breakfast cake will take you back to your childhood with just one bite.
The origins of honey bun cake:
Most of us have had a honey bun or two in our lives, but if you poke around online, you’ll find that a honey bun cake is also an established dessert in its own right. The recipe typically includes a box of yellow cake mix, which is doctored with sour cream and an extra egg to produce an extra-tender, plush crumb. I haven’t strayed too far from the classic here, but I have made small tweaks here and there, such as adding salt to bump up the flavor and opting for artificial vanilla flavor, or vanillin, rather than typical vanilla extract. In testing, I found that it makes the topping taste more like that sticky honey bun glaze. That said, if you don’t have it, feel free to use regular vanilla extract!
Achieving the cinnamon brown sugar ribbon:
This cake is simple to make, but getting the perfect ribbon in the center can be surprisingly tricky. In testing, I fiddled around with it several times, trying various tricks to make it easier to execute. Here are my tips:
- Use slightly more cake batter on the bottom: The brown sugar layer will tend to want to sink, so it’s smart to have a little more batter beneath to hold it up.
- Whisk the sugar, cinnamon, and salt until completely combined: Clumps in your brown sugar will create big pockets of melted sugar in the cake, and the ribbon will be patchy instead of smooth and continuous. This isn’t the end of the world—I have a huge sweet tooth, so I actually love hitting a big sugar pocket when I’m eating it—but if you want that beautiful, distinctive ribbon, avoid those lumps at all costs.
- Gently spoon and spread that top batter layer: The trickiest part of making this cake is actually getting that top layer of batter to spread evenly over the layer of sugar. The batter is thick, and it will want to pull up the brown sugar so the layers swirl and mix. To avoid this, I recommend gently laying the batter in long, thin swaths all over the top and using an offset spatula to gently connect the swaths. Do your best, and if it mixes in a few places, don’t sweat!
Make ahead & storage:
This honey bun breakfast cake is best served the day it’s made. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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