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Every man in my family bought a honey bun with his coffee at some point in his life. My father bought one every morning at the filling station on the way to work, and my brothers picked up the habit the minute they could drive. So when my mother found a way to make a whole pan of that same cake at home, warm and soft, with the cinnamon running through it in long dark ribbons and a thin glaze shining on top, she never had to bake anything else on a Monday morning again. The men in our house ate it standing up at the counter, cutting squares straight out of the pan before it was cool enough to lift cleanly, and nobody ever left a piece for later.
Most recipes you will find start with a box of yellow cake mix. My mother’s never did. Hers is a simple sour cream butter cake, tender and a little tangy, with a thick layer of brown sugar, cinnamon and chopped pecans sandwiched in the middle and swirled through with a butter knife. The real trick is the glaze. A thin vanilla glaze, almost as runny as milk, is poured over the cake the moment it comes out of the oven, while it is still hot enough to drink it in. It runs into every crack in the swirl and sets into that sticky, shiny top that makes a honey bun a honey bun.
Why this honey bun cake works
- Sour cream in the batter. It makes the crumb soft and moist for days and gives a gentle tang that keeps all that sugar from tasting flat.
- The swirl in the middle, not on top. Brown sugar and cinnamon scattered between two layers of batter melt into a thick ribbon instead of burning on the surface.
- A knife dragged through in loops. A few long loops are enough to pull the cinnamon down through the cake the way a real honey bun is rolled. Too many and it turns muddy.
- Thin glaze on a hot cake. A runny glaze poured over a hot cake soaks in and sets glossy. A thick glaze on a cool cake just sits on top like frosting.
Ingredients
Makes one 9x13 inch cake, about 16 squares. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
For the cake
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (315g)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (300g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream (240g), at room temperature
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil (180ml)
- 1/4 cup whole milk (60ml)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the cinnamon swirl
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar (200g)
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans (55g), optional
For the glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar (240g)
- 1/4 cup whole milk (60ml), plus a splash more if needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons melted butter (28g)
Bring the eggs and sour cream out of the refrigerator half an hour before you start. Cold sour cream makes a lumpy batter that does not rise evenly. Leave out the pecans if you want it exactly like the store honey bun.
How to make honey bun cake
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk the eggs, sour cream, oil, milk and vanilla until smooth. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined, with no dry streaks. The batter will be thick.
- In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans for the swirl.
- Spread half the batter in the pan. Scatter the cinnamon mixture evenly over it, right to the edges. Spoon the rest of the batter over the top in dollops and gently spread it to cover.
- Drag a butter knife through the cake in long, wide loops from one end of the pan to the other, going all the way to the bottom. Four or five passes is plenty. Wipe the knife between passes.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean apart from a little melted cinnamon sugar.
- While it bakes, whisk the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and melted butter into a thin, pourable glaze, about the thickness of heavy cream.
- As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, poke it all over with a fork and pour the glaze evenly over the hot cake. Let it cool at least 20 minutes before cutting.
Tips that make the difference
- Spread the top layer of batter gently with the back of a spoon dipped in water. Pushing hard drags the cinnamon up to the surface.
- Do not overmix after the wet goes into the dry. A few small lumps are fine and keep the cake tender.
- If your glaze is too thick to pour, add milk a teaspoon at a time. It should run off the whisk in a ribbon.
- Glaze it hot, always. The glaze needs the heat of the cake to soak in.
Variations
- Honey drizzle. Stir 1 tablespoon of honey into the glaze for a flavor even closer to the wrapped honey buns.
- No nuts. Leave out the pecans for the smooth, nut-free version my grandsons prefer.
- Half pan. Halve everything and bake in an 8 inch square pan for 28 to 32 minutes.
- Cream cheese glaze. Beat 2 ounces (57g) of soft cream cheese into the glaze for a tangier topping, and keep the cake refrigerated.
Storage and make-ahead
Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel or foil and keep it at room temperature for up to 3 days. It stays soft and gets stickier on the second day.
To warm a square the way the men in my family liked it, give it 10 seconds in the microwave. The glaze softens and the swirl turns gooey again.
To freeze, wrap single squares in plastic and foil for up to 2 months and thaw them on the counter.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make honey bun cake without cake mix?
Yes, that is exactly what this recipe is. A simple sour cream butter cake from flour, sugar and eggs replaces the boxed mix and tastes fresher and less sweet.
Why did my cinnamon swirl sink to the bottom?
The batter was too thin or the swirl was spread too heavily in one place. Keep the batter thick, scatter the swirl evenly and drag the knife only a few times.
Why pour the glaze on a hot cake?
A hot cake soaks the thin glaze into every crack, and it sets shiny and sticky like a real honey bun. On a cold cake it just sits on top.
Is there honey in honey bun cake?
Traditionally no. The name comes from the store pastry. The glaze and brown sugar give the honey flavor, but you can add a spoon of honey to the glaze if you like.
Make it on a Monday morning, glaze it hot, and do not expect anybody in your house to sit down to eat it.
Honey Bun Cake from Scratch (Cinnamon Swirl and a Glaze That Soaks In)
Homemade honey bun cake with no cake mix: a soft sour cream cake with a brown sugar and cinnamon swirl, baked in a 9x13 pan at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes, with a thin vanilla glaze poured over while it is hot.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream (240g), at room temperature
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans (55g), optional
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup whole milk (60ml), plus a splash more if needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk the eggs, sour cream, oil, milk and vanilla until smooth. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined, with no dry streaks. The batter will be thick.
- In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans for the swirl.
- Spread half the batter in the pan. Scatter the cinnamon mixture evenly over it, right to the edges. Spoon the rest of the batter over the top in dollops and gently spread it to cover.
- Drag a butter knife through the cake in long, wide loops from one end of the pan to the other, going all the way to the bottom. Four or five passes is plenty. Wipe the knife between passes.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean apart from a little melted cinnamon sugar.
- While it bakes, whisk the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and melted butter into a thin, pourable glaze, about the thickness of heavy cream.
- As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, poke it all over with a fork and pour the glaze evenly over the hot cake. Let it cool at least 20 minutes before cutting.
