Gluten Sensitive Cinnamon Roll Cake Recipe

Preheat and prepare pan

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch round or square baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper for easy removal. Lightly dust pan with a little gluten-free flour or spray.

Whisk dry ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour blend, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon until evenly combined.

Combine wet ingredients

In a separate medium bowl, whisk the eggs until combined. Add the milk, yogurt, melted butter (or oil), and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.

Make batter

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently with a spatula until just combined. Scrape the bowl so there are no streaks of dry flour but avoid overmixing; the batter should be thick but pourable. If batter seems very thick, add up to 1-2 tablespoons milk.

Prepare filling

In a small bowl, mix the packed brown sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, melted butter, optional rolled oats, and 1/8 teaspoon salt until the mixture is uniform and moist. The oats add texture; omit if you prefer a smoother swirl.

Layer batter and swirl

Spoon about two-thirds of the cake batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle about half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the batter. Dollop the remaining batter on top and gently spread to cover the filling (it’s okay if some swirl mixture shows). Using a butter knife or skewer, drag through the batter in an 'S' or figure-eight pattern several times to create a visible swirl without fully mixing the batter. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture over the top, concentrating slightly in the center for a pronounced cinnamon roll effect.

Bake

Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 28–36 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the cake (avoiding the large pockets of filling) comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, tent with foil for the last 8–10 minutes of baking.

Cool

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15–20 minutes. Run a small knife around the edges, then lift the cake out using the parchment and transfer to the rack to cool another 15 minutes while you make the glaze.

Make glaze

In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and softened butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until thick and creamy. Add milk or cream, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the glaze reaches a pourable but still thick consistency (about 1 tablespoon). Taste and adjust sweetness if desired.

Glaze cake

When the cake has cooled for about 20–30 minutes (still slightly warm is ideal), spoon or drizzle the cream cheese glaze over the top, allowing it to run into the swirls. Use a spatula to spread gently if desired. Let glaze set for 15–20 minutes before slicing.