This Honey Bun Cake is a delicious, sweet treat that captures the essence of a classic honey bun in a moist, tender cake. Swirled with cinnamon and brown sugar, this cake is baked to golden perfection and then topped with a luscious glaze that seeps into every bite. The result is a cake that’s rich, buttery, and irresistibly sweet, with a warm cinnamon flavor that makes it perfect for breakfast, dessert, or an indulgent snack.

What is Honey Bun Cake

Honey bun cake is a delicious dessert inspired by the flavors of a classic honey bun pastry. It’s a moist, buttery cake infused with swirls of cinnamon and brown sugar, creating a warm, sweet flavor throughout. After baking, the cake is often topped with a sugary glaze, similar to what you’d find on a honey bun, which seeps into the cake and adds extra sweetness and a soft, slightly sticky texture.

My first time eating honey bun cake was at my grandma’s house. My aunt use to make honey bun cake every holiday, and it would be the first dessert that would be cleared by the guests — the cake would leave so fast she had to start making two cakes to ensure there was enough for everyone. I mean, the cake was just that good, and this recipe is inspired by my aunty’s cake.

Ingredients for Honey Bun Cake

Cake

Box Yellow Cake Mix: base of this cake.

Sour Cream: adds moisture, richness, and a slight tang to cakes, enhancing both the texture and flavor.

Vegetable Oil: adds moisture and creates a tender crumb in cakes, ensuring they stay soft and flavorful without altering the taste. Its neutral flavor and liquid consistency make it ideal for keeping cakes moist even at room temperature.

Eggs: adds structure, moisture, and richness.

Vanilla Extract: adds additional flavor.

Salt: helps balance some of the sweetness of the cake.

Brown Sugar Mixture

Brown Sugar: adds a rich, caramel-like flavor and extra moisture. When combined with cinnamon, it creates a sweet, slightly sticky swirl that mimics the gooey center of a classic honey bun, enhancing the cake’s overall warmth and depth of flavor.

Cinnamon: adds warm and spice to the cake

Orange Zest: adds a bright, citrusy flavor that complements the sweetness and spice of the cake and the richness of the glaze, adding a subtle and pleasant twist to the traditional honey bun cake.

Icing

Cinnamon: adds a warm, spicy flavor that enhances the sweetness and complements the honey bun cake 

Powdered Sugar: is the base of the icing and adds sweetness

Vanilla Extract: adds a rich, aromatic flavor to icing, enhancing its sweetness and providing a subtle depth of flavor.

Milk: adds moisture and helps achieve the desired consistency, making the icing smooth and spreadable.

How to Make Honey Bun Cake

Step 1. Preheat oven to 350°F 

Step 2. In a large bowl, beat oil, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer on medium speed until fully blended. 

Step 3. Sift the cake mix into a medium bowl and pour the cake mix into the bowl with the batter (alternatively, you can sift the cake mix directly into the wet batter). Beat for about 2 minutes, and scrape the bowl occasionally to fully incorporate the ingredients. 

Step 4. Spray the bottom and sides of a 13×9-inch pan with cooking spray.

Step 5. Pour about half of the batter into the greased pan. 

Step 6. In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, cinnamon, and orange zest and sprinkle evenly over the batter in the pan. 

Step 7. Carefully pour the remaining batter evenly over the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Then, with a knife, make swirls in the batter. 

Step 8. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. 

Step 9. Prepare Icing. In a small bowl, stir powdered sugar, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla until fully incorporated. Pour and spread the icing over the warm cake and let cool (if you can). 

Step 10. Once cooled, enjoy and feel free to add a comment on my blog! Also, be sure to share your photo on instagram and tag @butterloveandsalt! We would love to see how your cake comes out!

More Southern Desserts

• Lemon Pound Cake with Lemon Icing 
• Easy Blueberry Biscuits
• Sweet Potato Cookies
• The Best Chocolate Chess Pie
• Brown Butter Sweet Potato Pie

I hope you love this Honey Bun Cake! It is absolutely delicious and a piece of nostalgia. If you do give this recipe a try, I want to know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @butterloveandsalt on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews help support Butter, Love & Salt and make it possible for me to continue to create delicious recipes. 

Recipe by: Chavez Adams / Butter, Love & Salt | Photography by: Meg McKeehan