Moist Cinnamon Bundt Cake
There’s something about the aroma of cinnamon that turns an ordinary day into something special. This moist cinnamon bundt cake is soft, buttery, and layered with swirls of cinnamon sugar in every bite.
Made with sour cream for extra tenderness and baked in a classic bundt pan, it’s the kind of cake you can serve for brunch, bring to a holiday table, or slice up for coffee with friends. It’s comforting, cozy, and beautifully simple — a true cinnamon lover’s dream.
I first baked this cinnamon bundt cake as a weekend treat, planning to save a few slices for the week. Big mistake. It was gone before the day ended. Someone would walk by, grab “just a sliver,” and before I knew it, the whole cake had disappeared.
Now, I know better: I always set aside my slice first. This cake is soft, spiced, and just the right amount of sweet — with that rich cinnamon swirl baked right through the middle. It’s one of those reliable recipes that feels special but never fussy. Whether I’m hosting brunch or just want something to go with my tea, this is the cake I come back to.
Why you’ll love this recipe?
- Soft and Moist Texture – Thanks to sour cream, this bundt cake stays tender for days.
- Cinnamon Swirl in Every Slice – A thick ribbon of cinnamon sugar runs through the center for bold flavor and visual appeal.
- Made in a Bundt Pan – Beautiful shape with minimal effort. No need to frost — just dust with powdered sugar or glaze.
- Perfect for Any Occasion – Serve it for brunch, bring it to a potluck, or enjoy a cozy slice with coffee.
Ingredients and substitutes
- All-purpose flour – Provides structure and softness. You can also replace ¼ cup with whole wheat flour for a nuttier flavor.
- Unsalted butter – Adds rich flavor and moisture. Use softened butter for easy creaming.
- Vegetable oil – Helps keep the crumb light and moist. You can also use canola or sunflower oil.
- White & brown sugar – A combo of the two gives depth. Brown sugar brings molasses flavor, perfect with cinnamon.
- Eggs – Four eggs give the cake structure and richness. Room temperature eggs work best.
- Vanilla extract – Enhances the cinnamon and rounds out the flavor. You can also use vanilla bean paste or vanilla sugar if you prefer.
- Sour cream – The key to a soft, tender cake. Full-fat Greek yogurt also works as a 1:1 substitute.
- Ground cinnamon – The star spice! For a more intense flavor, you can also use Ceylon or Vietnamese cinnamon.
- Nutmeg, cloves, ginger – These spices add warmth and complexity without overpowering the cinnamon.
- Baking powder & baking soda – A combination gives the best lift and soft texture.
- Salt – Balances out the sweetness and enhances the flavor.
Step-by-step: Cinnamon coffee cake
- Step 1: Preparing the bundt pan – Start by preheating your oven to the specified temperature in the recipe. While the oven heats up, generously grease your 12-cup bundt pan with butter or cooking spray. Cover every nook and cranny to prevent sticking when removing the cake from the pan.
- Step 2: Mixing the batter
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, including flour, sugar, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Whisk them together until well incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, cream the butter, brown and white sugar, and oil until they are fluffy and pale yellow. Next, add eggs one at a time, whisking continuously, making sure each is well incorporated. Finally, add the vanilla extract.
- Add the dry and wet ingredients, alternating with the sour cream, until combined. Be careful not to overmix, which can result in a dense cake.
- Step 3: Creating the cinnamon swirl – Mix the soft melted butter with ground cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl until you have a paste. This mixture will serve as the deliciously fragrant and flavorful cinnamon swirl. Set it aside for the moment.
- Step 4: Layering the batter and cinnamon swirl –
- Pour half the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan, ensuring it spreads evenly.
- Next, spread half the cinnamon swirl mixture over the batter, trying not to touch the edges of the bundt pan.
- Then, carefully spoon the remaining cake batter on top, and top with more cinnamon swirl mixture.
- Using a chopstick or skewer, create a few swirls in the batter to help the two combine, but not too much. Just enough to make a ripple.
- Step 5: Baking and cooling
- Place the filled bundt pan in the preheated oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Keep an eye on the cake as it bakes, ensuring it turns golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for a few minutes. Then, gently loosen the edges of the cake with a butter knife and carefully invert the pan, allowing the cake to release onto the rack. Let it cool completely before serving.
🍥 Optional Vanilla Glaze
If you want to add a simple glaze (and give those swirls the star treatment), try this:
Ingredients:
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp milk or cream
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Method:
Whisk until smooth, then drizzle over the cooled cake. Let it set for 10 minutes before slicing.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
- Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with glaze
- Pair with coffee or spiced chai
- Add berries on the side for a brunch-worthy plate
Tips for Success
- Don’t overmix the batter – Mix just until combined to keep the cake soft.
- Use room temperature ingredients – They incorporate better and give the best texture.
- Swirl with care – Don’t over-swirl or the layers will blend.
- Cool fully before slicing – The crumb sets as it cools and slices cleaner.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely Cause / Solution |
|---|---|
| Cake sticks to the pan | Pan wasn’t greased well — use butter + flour or spray |
| Swirl sinks to the bottom | Batter was too thin or swirl too heavy — don’t overdo it |
| The cake is dry | Overbaked — start checking at 50 min mark |
| Cake too dense | Batter was overmixed — fold gently after adding flour |
| No swirl effect | Didn’t swirl deeply — go in with a chopstick or knife |
Frequently asked questions
This cinnamon cake will keep at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. It can also be kept in the fridge for up to a week and frozen for up to a month. Make sure to wrap well to prevent it from drying out.
Absolutely. It keeps well for 3–4 days at room temperature or can be frozen unglazed for up to a month.
Yes! Use full-fat Greek yogurt in equal quantity.
“Coffee cake” refers to the fact that it’s meant to be eaten with coffee, not made with coffee. It’s a style of cake — not a flavor!
Sure! Add ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, or a handful of raisins, into the batter or swirl layer.
A standard 12-cup non-stick bundt pan. Avoid intricate designs if you’re not glazing the cake.
Absolutely! While this recipe calls for all-purpose flour, you can experiment with different types, such as whole wheat or almond flour. Just keep in mind that the texture and taste of the cake may vary slightly.
Yes, you can! This cinnamon coffee cake can be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Also, if you want to make it even further in advance, you can freeze the cake (without the glaze) for up to a month. Just thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and add the glaze before serving.
Cinnamon Bundt Cake
Craving a heavenly treat that combines the warmth of cinnamon and the comfort of coffee cake? You can create a cinnamon coffee cake that will impress your friends and family in just a few simple steps. Combining the moist and tender cake with the sinful cinnamon swirl is a match made in dessert heaven.
Video
Ingredients
- 113 g (½ cup) Soft butter almost melted
- 110 g (½ cup) Brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Ground cinnamon
- 310 g (2½ cups) All-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons Baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ tsp Nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon Cloves
- ½ teaspoon Ground ginger
- 170 g (¾ cups) Unsalted butter softened
- 175 g (¾ cups) Vegetable oil
- 200 g (1 cups) White sugar
- 110 g (½ cups) Brown sugar
- 4 large Eggs
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 240 g (1 cups) Sour cream or yogurt
Method
- Oven – Preheat your oven to 350°F / 177°C/ Gas Mark 4. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan thoroughly to prevent sticking.
- Swirl – Mix the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Set aside.113 g Soft butter, 110 g Brown sugar, 1 tbsp Ground cinnamon
- Dry ingredients – Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in another bowl. Set aside.310 g All-purpose flour, 1½ teaspoons Baking powder, 1½ teaspoons Baking soda, ½ teaspoon Salt, ½ tsp Nutmeg, ½ teaspoon Cloves, ½ teaspoon Ground ginger
- Wet ingredients – In a large bowl, beat the butter, oil, white, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract.170 g Unsalted butter, 175 g Vegetable oil, 200 g White sugar, 110 g Brown sugar, 4 large Eggs, 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- Combine – Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three parts, alternating with the sour cream, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.240 g Sour cream
- Assemble – Pour half of the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Spread half the cinnamon swirl mixture evenly over the batter. Pour the remaining batter over the swirl mixture followed by the remaining swirl mixture. Use a knife or a skewer to swirl the mixture through the batter, creating a marbled effect.
- Bake – Transfer to the oven and bake in the preheated oven for 55 – 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
- Cool – Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve – Once the cake is cool, transfer it to a serving plate. You can serve it as is or dust it with a bit of powdered sugar for a nice presentation.
Notes
Tips for Success
- Don’t overmix the batter – Mix just until combined to keep the cake soft.
- Use room temperature ingredients – They incorporate better and give the best texture.
- Swirl with care – Don’t over-swirl or the layers will blend.
- Cool fully before slicing – The crumb sets as it cools and slices cleaner.
Nutrition
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The coffee cake worth making a million times! Delicious, great looking and absolutely inviting – yum!
Aww, Mirlene. You made my day. So happy to hear such a lovely comment. Thank you for coming back to write this comment.
This looks like the perfect coffee cake! I just adore cakes like this and don ‘t make them often. I look forward to trying your recipe!
Thank you, Patricia. I hope you try it.
I love anything with cinnamon in it and this looks like the perfect afternoon treat.
It sure is perfect for the afternoon. I hope you try it, Dannii
My mother loves coffee cake, I can’t wait for her to try this one! Looks so good
Thank you, Jack. I hope you try it.
An absolutely perfect coffee cake! Thanks for the great recipe.
Thank you, Katherine
This tasted great! Love the tip of inverting the cake on a cooking rack!
Thanks, Beth. So happy you enjoyed it. This one can only be cooled on the baking rack… not inverted. Thanks
What a delicious easy recipe! Quick to make and enjoy when the munchies hit!
Absolutely, Lisalia.
This is my husband’s fave – he’s crazy for coffee cake!
Thank you, Terri. I hope you try this for him.
I love coffee cake and this cinnamon topping just takes it to a whole other level!
It is a whole new layer of yum, Anjali. You must try.
This coffee cake is really good. I made it for some ladies in my book club and they devoured it.
Yay, so happy to hear that Krissy. Thank you so much for the lovely feedback.