Honey Bun Cake

Take this easy Honey Bun Cake to potlucks and make all the friends! Moist yellow cake layered with a brown sugar-cinnamon swirl and topped with a silky vanilla glaze is irresistible!

We can’t ever resist a layer of cinnamon-sugar like in this cake, along with our Cinnamon-Streusel Coffee Cake and Cinnamon Roll Quick Bread.

Easy Honey Bun Cake Recipe

What can I say about this Honey Bun Cake. It’s better than a back massage after a long day. It’s better than getting into a freshly made bed. Better than 75 degrees and sunny. Better than finding the missing sock. It’s better than 9-week old puppies licking your face (not really. HA!)

Tender yellow cake with a touch of honey and a layer of brown sugar-cinnamon, then lightly glazed. It’s so tasty! So good with a cup of coffee or cold glass of milk, great as a breakfast treat or after-dinner dessert.

What is a Honey Bun Cake?

This cake is a fun and delicious twist on the popular Little Debbie® Honey Buns, which are soft, deep fried glazed pastry flavored with honey and cinnamon, and individually wrapped. A honey bun cake takes the elements and flavors of the commercial snack cakes, but ditches the deep frying and converts it into one large cake, great for get togethers!

Ingredients Needed

This simple cake calls for just a handful of pantry items.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)

• Boxed yellow cake mix – Just the cake mix, not the other ingredients listed on the package. If you have a yellow cake mix recipe you love, feel free to use that.
• Eggs – To bind the batter and give the cake structure.
• Sour cream – This keeps the cake moist and adds tanginess.
• Vegetable oil – Contributes to the light sponge and tender crumb.
• Honey – Adds a touch of sweetness and richness to the batter.
• Brown sugar – Mixed with cinnamon for that awesome swirled layer.
• Cinnamon – For that warm flavor.
• For the Glaze – The sweet glaze is a combination of powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla

Recipe Variations

• Use a different cake mix. White cake, vanilla cake, or even spice cake could all be used instead of the yellow cake mix, if desired.
• Add in chocolate chips. Semi-sweet, white chocolate, or butterscotch chips would be a delicious addition!
• Include some nuts. Chopped walnuts or pecans would be so good. You could mix them into the batter or the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture.

How to Make Honey Bun Cake

This easy cake recipe comes together in a few quick steps.
(Scroll down to the printable recipe card for details and measurements, and don’t miss the video below.)

1. Combine the batter ingredients. Whisk together the cake mix, eggs, sour cream, oil, and honey until well-incorporated.
2. Make the cinnamon-swirl layer. Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon until well-blended.
3. Prepare the cake. Pour half of the cake batter into a greased 9×13 pan in a thin even layer. Sprinkle half of the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture evenly on top of the batter. Repeat the layers once.
4. Bake. Transfer to a preheated 325F degree oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
5. Make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Pour over the cake when it’s done baking, tilting the pan if necessary to coat evenly.
6. Serve. Let the cake sit for a bit so the glaze can set. Serve warm or at room temperature. And enjoy!

Video: Honey Bun Cake

Proper Storage

• To store: Glazed honey bun cake can sit out at room temperature, tightly covered in an airtight container, for 2 to 3 days (unless your kitchen is too warm, then you should refrigerate or freeze it.) You can also store it in the fridge for a few extra days, making sure the container is 100% sealed so the cake doesn’t dry out.
• To freeze: Let cool completely, but do not glaze. Wrap in plastic wrap and then again in foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then apply the glaze.

More Easy Cake Recipes:

• Honey Cake
• Gooey Butter Cake
• Pistachio Cake
• Simple Cinnamon Cake
• Easy Apple Cake

I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!

Honey Bun Cake

5 from 11 Ratings

Take this easy Honey Bun Cake to potlucks and make all the friends! Moist yellow cake layered with a brown sugar-cinnamon swirl and topped with a silky vanilla glaze is irresistible!

Print Recipe Rate Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings: 20

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 15 ounce box yellow cake mix
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

For the Glaze

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 4 to 5 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a 13×9 glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the cake mix, eggs, sour cream, oil, and honey until well-incorporated.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon until well-blended.
• Pour half of the cake batter into your greased pan, spreading it out into a thin layer.
• Sprinkle half of the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture evenly on top of the batter. Pour the remaining batter on top and spread evenly. Top the cake with the rest of the brown sugar-cinnamon.
• Bake for 45 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.
• In the meantime, make the glaze: in a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla (adding more powdered sugar or milk to get a thick, but pouring consistency.)
• Immediately pour over the cake when it’s done baking, tilting the pan if necessary to coat evenly.
• Let the cake sit for a bit so the glaze can set. Serve warm or at room temperature. And enjoy!

Video

Notes

Use a different cake mix. White cake or vanilla cake could be used instead of the yellow cake mix, if desired.

Add in chocolate chips. Semi-sweet, white chocolate, or butterscotch chips would be a delicious addition!

Include some nuts. Chopped walnuts or pecans would be so good. You could mix them into the batter or the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture.

Nutrition

Calories: 216kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 177mg | Potassium: 60mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 131IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.

Other Notes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy cake recipes, honey bun cake, Little Debbie Honey Buns

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