Recipe

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Name: Giant Cinnamon Bun "Cake"
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 cup milk, warmed; 1 packet yeast, or 2 1/4 teaspoons; 3 tablespoons brown sugar; 1/4 cup butter, melted; 3 eggs, slightly beaten; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 teaspoons cinnamon; 4 cups flour; 1/2 cup butter, softened; 1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed; 2 teaspoons cinnamon; 1/2 cup butter, softened; 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened; 4 cups powdered sugar; 2 tablespoons half and half cream; 1/2 cup half and half cream

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We found that using a bread knife was the best way to serve this cake. Slightly warmed up this made such a delicious treat, especially with all that cream cheese icing. After making this, I have decided that everyone should get to have a massive cinnamon roll cake at least once in their life. It's pretty fun to make, and even more fun to talk about and show off!

So how is this giant cinnamon roll done? It's really very much like making traditional cinnamon rolls. First, you make the dough, then let it rise. After than, roll it out, spread some butter onto the dough, sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on top, then cut into strips. Once you have your strips start rolling them up into one continuous swirl. Finally, carefully transfer to a greased pan, pour the cream overtop, then allow to rise again while your oven preheats. Bake, then allow to cool, spread your icing, and serve! I stacked two on top of each other to get a larger cake, but doing two single layer "cakes" would be just as good I think!

So that's the story of how this giant cinnamon bun "cake" came to be. I adapted my cinnamon bun recipe to be a bit firmer of a dough with cinnamon throughout, and slightly different filling style to help keep it neater. The result was a beautiful 8 inch swirl that held its shape really nicely! We brought it over to my parents to get some help eating it, and everyone really enjoyed it. It is the perfect birthday cake for people who don't like traditional cake, or who just really like cinnamon buns, like my husband. Another great idea for a unique birthday treat that isn't cake comes from my friend Heather at Whisking Wolf, with her Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars. They are so beautiful and so yummy!

For my husband's birthday this year, I asked him "what kind of cake would you like?". After some back and forth he came up with "cinnamon buns, except one giant one that's as big as a cake!!". If you've read my Cinnamon Buns post this response is hardly surprising. I, however, responded with "Nope, sorry, that's not happening", not because I didn't want to, but because I wasn't sure it was even possible. How would I roll an 8 inch cinnamon bun? Would it cook properly? Would it fall apart as soon as I took it out of the cake pan? The next day, his actual birthday, I overheard him sadly telling his friends at work I wouldn't make him a giant cinnamon bun cake. And that, my friends is all it took. Challenge accepted. Is it possible? Yes, yes it is.

Giant Cinnamon Bun "Cake"

This giant cinnamon bun cake is a fun, delicious spin on classic cinnamon rolls. Perfect for a unique birthday cake!

By: Natalie Kollee

Yield: 2 Giant Cinnamon Buns

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Total Time: 50 Minutes

Ingredients

For the dough:

1 cup milk, warmed
1 packet yeast, or 2 1/4 teaspoons
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon
4 cups flour

For the filling:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
2 teaspoons cinnamon

For the cream cheese icing:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons half and half cream

For baking:

1/2 cup half and half cream

Directions

1

Start by preparing the dough; add milk, yeast and brown sugar to a large bowl, mix, and allow yeast to bloom

2

Add the butter, eggs, salt and vanilla, then stir to combine

3

Add the cinnamon, then the flour one cup at a time, stirring until a dough forms, then kneading the rest in (I usually use my dough hook on my kitchen aid)

4

Cover dough with a kitchen towel, and allow to rise for about an hour

5

While dough rises, prepare the filling by mixing brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl

6

Once dough has risen,preheat oven to 350 F and generously grease two 8" cake pans

7

Transfer dough onto floured surface and roll into a 15" x 20" rectangle, spread the softened butter in an even layer, and top with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Gently pat the cinnamon sugar into the butter to help it stick

8

Slice the dough into 1.5 inch strips along the shorter end of the rectangle, you should end up with 10 strips that are 20 inches long

9

Carefully roll 5 strips into one large swirl, and transfer to cake pan, then repeat once more with remaining strips

10

Cover cake pans, then allow dough to rise for 20 minutes

11

Pour 1/4 cup cream over each cinnamon bun, then bake in preheated oven 25-30 minutes, or until top is golden brown

12

Allow to cool, then carefully transfer cinnamon buns from pan to a cooling rack

13

While buns are cooling, prepare the icing by creaming together butter and cream cheese

14

Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating well after each addition, then add the cream to make it a spreadable consistency

15

Spread the icing over the cooled cinnamon buns, stack if desired, serve, and enjoy!

Giant Cinnamon Bun "Cake"

Giant Cinnamon Bun "Cake"

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Giant Cinnamon Bun "Cake"