This cinnamon crown cake looks impressive, but it’s surprisingly easy to make! The center of this moist cake is a tunnel infused with a cozy mixture of cinnamon, nuts, and oats.
I’ve been making this cinnamon crown cake for years, so I couldn’t resist sharing it with you here. It’s a bit of an odd cake in how it’s assembled—after the batter is mixed, half of it is transferred to the pan. The rest is augmented with a sweet, nutty, oat-y, cinnamon-y addition and then spooned over the batter in the pan. The end result is a lovely, moist cake with a tunnel of fantastic flavor running through it.
Why You’ll Love This Cinnamon Crown Cake
- Simple to make. Despite the extra addition of ingredients to half of the batter, there aren’t many recipes much easier than this one. The added bonus is that the appearance of this cinnamon crown cake makes it seem much more difficult than it really is, so your guests are sure to be impressed.
- Perfect texture and flavor. I think you’ll find that this cake is wonderfully moist and just sweet enough not to feel heavy. It’s everything you want in a Bundt cake!
- An all-day kind of recipe. This is the kind of cake that can be enjoyed pretty much any time of day. Need a sweet treat for brunch? Totally works. Want a cake for coffee time or just for a snack? Yep. How about a simple dessert? Absolutely.
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- All-purpose flour – Here’s how to measure flour for baking.
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Unsalted butter – Learn more: Unsalted or Salted Butter: Which is Better for Baking?
- Granulated sugar
- Milk – I like to cook with whole milk, as it yields a more tender crumb, but whatever you have on hand is just fine.
- Eggs – Let these come to room temperature, along with the milk and butter.
- Vanilla extract – I love to use my homemade vanilla extract.
- Chopped nuts – Choose your own adventure! Any kind of nut would be fantastic. Pepitas are an excellent substitution for those with nut allergies who still want some crunch.
- Quick cooking oats – These add some texture and oat flavor without dominating as old-fashioned oats might.
- Brown sugar
- Applesauce – Be sure to use unsweetened and unflavored.
- Ground cinnamon – Learn more: Types of Cinnamon: A Home Baker’s Guide
How to Make Cinnamon Crown Cake
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 325°F and grease a Bundt pan, preferably using a baking spray with flour.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter and sugar. Mix in the milk, eggs, and vanilla.
- Combine wet and dry. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add in the dry ingredients. Spoon half of this into the pan.
- Make the “tunnel” batter. Stir the remaining ingredients into the remaining batter.
- Bake. Spoon the cinnamon batter into the pan. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then invert it onto a serving plate.
Tips for Success
- Have everything ready. Gather all of your ingredients before you start baking. Having everything measured and ready to go will help you speed right along when mixing, dividing, and mixing again.
- Soften the butter. For best results, make sure the butter is at softened at room temperature before using it. This will ensure that it mixes well with the other ingredients and creates a light, fluffy texture. Learn more: How to Soften Butter
- Don’t over-mix the batter. Once you’ve added the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, be sure to mix only until they are fully incorporated. Over-mixing can result in a tough and dense cake, and this is especially important when you’ll be mixing half of the batter a second time.
- Don’t over-think dividing the batter. You don’t have to be precise about dividing the batter in half. You can use the eyeball test to do that. Or if you have a kitchen scale, that will make it easier. Just know how much your empty mixing bowl weighs before you get started so you can figure out how much batter to remove initially.
- Know the basics. Read over my Bundt Cake Baking Tips.
Serving Suggestions
This cake is perfect as-is, but a dollop of whipped cream never hurts. I also like serving it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. If you’re making it for dessert, you could also add a glaze over the top—the brown butter glaze from this cinnamon hazelnut Bundt cake recipe would be perfection.
How to Store
Store cinnamon crown cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you prefer to refrigerate the cake, it can last up to 5 days, but be sure to wrap it well in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.
Can I Freeze This Recipe?
For longer storage, you can freeze this cinnamon crown cake for up to 3 months. I recommend slicing the cake into individual portions; wrap each slice tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Thaw at room temperature or in the microwave.
More Crowd-Pleasing Bundt Cakes
- Cookie Butter Bundt Cake
- Marble Bundt Cake
- Lemon Bundt Cake
- Amaretto Almond Bundt Cake
- Key Lime Bundt Cake
Cinnamon Crown Cake
This cinnamon crown cake looks impressive but it’s surprisingly easy to make! It's a delicious, moist Bundt cake that's spiced with cinnamon.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (236ml) milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (about 60g) chopped nuts
- 1/2 cup (50g) quick cooking oats
- 1/2 cup (100g) firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (127g) applesauce
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Generously grease a 12-cup Bundt pan and set aside. (I recommend a baking spray with flour.)
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the milk, eggs, and vanilla, and mix well.
- Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined.
- Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan.
- Stir the remaining ingredients into the remaining batter. Spoon over the batter in the pan without mixing the two batters.
- Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Then invert the cake onto a serving plate.
Notes
Recipe slightly adapted from NordicWare.
Store cinnamon crown cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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24 Comments on “Cinnamon Crown Cake”
National Bundt Day, and I missed it?! Oh, sad! The good news is I can live vicariously through your experience baking this yummy looking cake…
Wow, this sounds great! Cinnamon is such a nice comforting seasonal spice, and I love cakes that aren’t too sweet. There’s nothing more decadent than cake for breakfast!
I love bundt cakes – a piece with a cup of coffee is the ultimate breakfast or snack. And that’s a BEAUTIFUL picture, too!
I am bummed I missed nation bundt day. I saw that is was on Martha, but never got around to baking.
Cinnamon is a great flavor for a bundt.
Oh I love bundt cakes. Too bad I missed it! Your bundt looks yummy!
I made this for Christmas morning brunch. Very moist and good!
Thanks, everyone, for the compliments!
Well, I saw this and had to try. It’s the first recipe in my new bundt pan. It came out pretty, can’t wait to try it
This looks delicious! Can I make it in a mini bundt pan or a cupcake pan?
Hi, Lindsay. A mini Bundt pan should be fine. You’ll just need to reduce the baking time. I’d check for doneness after about 25 minutes.
Don’t have applesauce so what can be used as a good substitute?
You can usually substitute applesauce 1:1 for oil in baking recipes, so I’d assume that works in reverse as well. Try using an equal amount of cooking oil.
Jennifer, I love bundt cakes and your recipe looks amazing. I will give it a go this weekend! You probably have seen or heard about the company in Racine, Wisconsin who specializes in Danish pastries. They have a wonderful cake called the Danish Crown Cake. I am particularly interested in learning how to make their crown cake with sour cream swirled with brown sugar and walnuts. If you have seen this, the company is called O H Danish Bakery, or know where I can get a detailed recipe for this, I would love it! I do all the cooking and baking at my house and love to bake a lot around the holidays, and this would be perfect! Thank you for your website!
Hi, Ted. I hope you enjoy the cake! I’m not familiar with the other cake you mentioned, but I’ll be sure to let you know if I come across a recipe for it. Happy baking!
I do not have a Bundt pan. Would a springform pan work? This recipes sounds so amazing good and cannot wait to try the cake! Thank you in advance!
Hi, Mary. If you don’t have a Bundt pan, my first suggestion would be to use two standard loaf pans. Otherwise, you can theoretically use any cake pan with a similar volume. Just keep in mind that the baking time will likely need to be adjusted due to differences in the thickness of the cake.
Hi Jen. Will this cake work with just a1/2 cup of sugar?? Maybe???
Hi, Liz. That’s a pretty big change, so I’d be hesitant to do that. If you have a sugar substitute you like to use, I think that would be the better way to go.
Ok, I just made this cake. Oh my goodness, it is soooo good. And easy to make too. I love a good bundt cake. Shared with a few neighbours and everyone raved about it. I have also shared a picture on IG. (I did tag you too.) Your recipes just never disappoint. Thank you for all the sharing you do.
That’s wonderful, Elizabeth! Thank you so much for letting me know it was a hit. 🙂
Please give the recipe of the Apple sauce to be used
Hello! I use store-bought applesauce. I don’t think I’ve ever made my own, so I don’t have a recipe to recommend.
Is Apple sauce ..Apple cider vinegar ??
No, applesauce is a mixture of cooked, mashed apples that are sometimes sweetened. If you do a google search, you’ll find many recipes for it.