Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake

A cake that comes together quickly, embraces all the yummy flavors of cinnamon rolls and doesn't require you to roll anything out or lay with yeast dough? Sold!

Note: I love adding the rye flour for the hint of sourness and quasi-nuttiness it provides. Feel free to use all all-purpose flour.

Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake

Yield: 8 - 12 servings (unless you're a teenage boy, and then 3)

Ingredients

½ cup coconut oil

¾ cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

4 large eggs

1 cup milk or buttermilk, or a mix of both

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour ( or 1 ½ cups a.p. flour + ½ c rye)

3 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup brown sugar

4 teaspoons cinnamon

pinch salt

Coarse cinnamon-sugar, optional

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons cream cheese

¼ cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Flaky salt, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9- by 13-inch baking pan.

Make batter

In a large bowl, whisk sugar, salt and coconut oil until combined, and thick. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking well with each addition.

Add milk, and vanilla and whisk for 1-2 minutes until fully combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in flour and baking powder. Stir until all flour is moistened and the batter is well blended.

Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan.

Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and a pinch of salt in a small bowl and mix.

Sprinkle cinnamon-brown-sugar mixture over the batter in the pan, then spread the remaining cake batter on top. Swirl with a knife.

Bake

Bake for 30-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake’s center comes out clean.

Drizzle

While the cake cools, combine milk, butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and heat until a gooey icing forms, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Poke holes in the cake with a chopstick and pour the warm icing over top. Sprinkle with flakey salt, if using.

Enjoy!