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Pumpkin spice cinnamon roll cake with brown sugar glaze and gooey cinnamon swirl filling inside soft pumpkin cake.
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Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Roll Cake

This Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Roll Cake is soft, moist, buttery, and packed with gooey cinnamon sugar swirls throughout every slice. Real pumpkin puree, warm pumpkin spice, brown sugar, and vanilla create cozy bakery-style flavor that tastes like a cinnamon roll and pumpkin coffee cake combined. Finished with a silky brown sugar vanilla glaze, this easy fall cake is perfect for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or holiday mornings.
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword cinnamon roll pumpkin cake, cinnamon swirl cake, easy pumpkin cake, fall breakfast cake, pumpkin breakfast cake, pumpkin brunch recipe, pumpkin cinnamon swirl cake, pumpkin coffee cake, pumpkin spice cinnamon roll cake, pumpkin spice dessert
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 44 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 4 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Calories 390kcal
Cost $12 for entire recipe

Equipment

  • 9x13-inch metal baking pan
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Medium mixing bowls
  • Whisk
  • Rubber spatula
  • Butter knife or skewer
  • measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons
  • Cooling rack
  • Offset spatula or spoon (for spreading batter)

Ingredients

Pumpkin Cake Batter

  • 2 ½ cups + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • Optional: ½ tsp espresso powder
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ⅔ cup whole milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup unsalted butter melted
  • ¼ cup neutral oil
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • Optional: ½ tsp maple extract

Cinnamon Swirl

  • ⅔ cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp + 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • ¼ tsp salt

Brown Sugar Vanilla Glaze

  • 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2–3 tbsp heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp melted butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Tiny pinch salt

Instructions

Prepare the Pan

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Grease a 9x13-inch metal baking pan or line with parchment paper.

Mix the Dry Ingredients

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and espresso powder if using.
  • Set aside.

Make the Pumpkin Batter

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, sour cream, milk, eggs, melted butter, oil, vanilla extract, and maple extract if using.
  • Whisk until smooth.
  • Add the dry ingredients and fold together until just combined. Do not overmix.
  • The batter should be thick and creamy but spreadable.

Make the Cinnamon Swirl

  • In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
  • Mix until smooth and thick like soft cookie dough.

Assemble the Cake

  • Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
  • Drop spoonfuls of the cinnamon swirl mixture evenly across the batter.
  • Use a butter knife to gently swirl through the batter using figure-eight motions.
  • Do not overswirl.

Bake

  • Bake for 40–44 minutes or until the center is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs but no wet batter.
  • The edges should be lightly golden.
  • Allow the cake to cool for 15–20 minutes before glazing.

Make the Glaze

  • Whisk together the powdered sugar, brown sugar, heavy cream, melted butter, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth and pourable.
  • Drizzle over the warm cake.
  • Serve warm or slightly warm.

Notes

Use Pure Pumpkin Puree

Make sure to use pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling already contains added sugar and spices, which can throw off the flavor balance and sweetness of the cake.

Do Not Overmix the Batter

Overmixing can create a dense or tough texture. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients only until combined for the softest pumpkin spice cinnamon roll cake.

Use a Metal Baking Pan

A metal 9x13-inch baking pan provides the most even bake and helps prevent an underbaked or gummy center. Glass pans may require a slightly longer baking time.

The Cinnamon Swirl Should Be Thick

The cinnamon swirl mixture should resemble soft cookie dough instead of a pourable filling. This helps create thick gooey cinnamon ribbons throughout the cake rather than disappearing into the batter.

Avoid Overswirling

Gently swirl the cinnamon mixture into the batter using a butter knife or skewer. Overswirling can blend the layers together and reduce the cinnamon roll effect.

Bake Until Just Set

The cake is finished baking when the center is set and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with moist crumbs but no wet batter. Overbaking can dry out the cake.

Glaze While Warm

Drizzling the brown sugar vanilla glaze over the slightly warm cake allows it to melt into the surface for a soft bakery-style finish and richer flavor.

Storage Tips

Store the pumpkin spice cinnamon roll cake tightly covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Warm slices slightly before serving for the best texture and flavor.

Flavor Variation Ideas

Add chopped pecans, walnuts, or white chocolate chips for extra texture and flavor. A small amount of maple extract also enhances the cozy fall flavor profile.