it’s a cake – not a roll

I found this cake on Pinterest. I made it for the first class of my three-week series of cooking classes at Les Gourmettes. It was a brunch menu and the cake was a hit.

The recipe makes one cake. In some of the photos, there are two cakes since I needed to make two for the class.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Cake
2 ¾ cups flour, divided
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 package yeast
1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup cold tap water
1 egg, room temperature
Filling
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ½  tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
Vanilla Maple Glaze
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake: Place 2 ¼ cups of the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in the bowl of a standing mixer and blend together until combined.

Heat the milk and butter together in the microwave until the butter is melted. Add the cold water and test the mixture to be sure it is not too hot but just warm to touch, test on your wrist as you would a baby bottle.  Stir the butter mixture into the flour mixture.  Add the egg and just enough of the remaining 1/2 cup of flour to make a soft dough. The dough will be ready when it gently pulls away from the side of the bowl and has an elastic consistency.  On a clean surface that is just lightly dusted with flour, knead the dough for about 3 minutes.

Form a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, roll the dough out in a 15 x 12- inch rectangle.

Using a sharp knife and cut the dough into six 2-inch wide by 15-inch long strips.

Filling:  Spread the softened butter on top of the dough, covering it completely.

Mix together the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle it all over the dough. Spray a 9-inch round pan with nonstick spray.

Loosely roll up one strip and place it in the center of the pan.

Coil the remaining 5 strips around the center roll, starting each strip at the end of the previous one to make one large rolled cake.

Quite a bit of the cinnamon sugar will fall off as you create the cake.

This is normal, just scoop it up once the cake is assembled and sprinkle it on top.

Loosely cover the cake with plastic wrap and allow it to rise for 90 minutes.

After the cake’s dough has nearly doubled in size, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until lightly browned.

Glaze: Mix the powdered sugar, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla together until smooth.

Pour the glaze over the cake.  Slice the cake into wedges to serve.

Serves 8

The cake is best enjoyed the same day but will stay fresh covered tightly for up to 2 days at room temperature or in the refrigerator.