"An heavenly honeybun cake made with a tender homemade yellow cake, swirls of gooey brown sugar cinnamon and the best buttery vanilla honey glaze!"
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American, southern
Keyword cake, cinnamon, glaze
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 50 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour15 minutesminutes
Servings 12
Calories
Ingredients
YELLOW CAKE
2cupsall-purpose flour
1teaspoonbaking soda
1 teaspoonbaking powder
½teaspoonsalt
1cupunsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature
1½cupsgranulated sugar
2eggs, room temperature
2egg yolks, room temperature
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
1cupbuttermilk
CINNAMON SUGAR LAYER
2/3cuplight brown sugar, packed
2tablespoonsgranulated sugar
1tablespooncinnamon
VANILLA HONEY GLAZE
2cupspowdered sugar sifted
2tablespoonsbutter, melted
1teaspoonlight colored honey
1teaspoonvanilla extract
3-4tablespoonsmilk
salt, pinch
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325 F. Grease a glass 9x13 baking dish with shortening or cooking spray and set aside.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer.
Mix in eggs and egg yolks one at a time until combined.
Mix in the vanilla extract.
On low speed, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk until the batter is combined and fluffy. Set aside.
In a bowl, combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon.
Pour half the cake batter into the prepared pan in an even layer.
Sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar mixture in an even layer. (You can use less if preferred)
Top with the remaining cake batter, spreading it out using an offset spatula.
Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon mixture on top.(You don't have to use all of it, just enough to cover the top evenly. I usually have a bit left over.)
Swirl a knife through just the top layer a few times.
Bake for 30 minutes, then tent the cake loosely with foil (don't let the foil touch the batter) and continue baking for another 10-20 minutes or until the middle is set. (Or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.)
Place cake on a cooling rack.
Immediately make the glaze by stirring together the powdered sugar, butter, honey, vanilla extract, and enough milk to make a pourable, silky glaze. Stir in a pinch of salt.
Immediately pour it over the hot cake and gently spread it into an even layer.
Let the cake cool for about 20 minutes, allowing the glaze to firm up. I place it in the freezer for a few minutes which makes cutting this gooey cake into bars much easier (see note).
Video
Notes
I like to place the cake in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes (or until the bottom of the pan is cool. This will allow the glaze to harden and the cinnamon layer to firm up. This is a rich and gooey cake regardless, but this tip makes it MUCH easier to cut into squares.