Honey Bun Cake Recipe (2024)

A Southern Soul › Recipes › Desserts

by Donya Mullins February 2, 2024 3 Comments This post may contain affiliate links.

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This moist, flavorful Honey Bun Cake is a ‘short-cut’ recipe that starts out as a box mix and is completely transformed by adding just a few simple pantry ingredients! With all the flavors of a classic Honey Bun, this cake is perfect to serve at any event, from weeknight dinners to cookouts and parties.

From Homemade Cinnamon Rolls, Skillet Cinnamon Apples, to Cinnamon Sugar Pizza, if you say cinnamon, I’m all in!

Honey Bun Cake is one of those recipes that brings back special childhood memories. I remember getting a slice for weekend breakfasts and, every now and again, rewarded with an extra large piece at the end of a busy school week. Desserts like Apple Crisp, Lemon Squares, and this cake always make me smile when I think about how much happiness they’ve brought throughout the years.

What Is Honey Bun Cake?

Delicious honey bun cake is a simple dessert with all the flavor of a traditional honey bun and is actually a doctored cake mix with a light texture, a cinnamon sugar layer, and a sweet vanilla glaze. This easy cake recipe is made with pantry ingredients and baked in one pan.

Honey Bun Cake Ingredients

The dry ingredients – Cake mix, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon are all you need for this cake. I use a regular yellow cake mix, but feel free to use your favorite!
The wet ingredients – eggs, sour cream, and vegetable oil will help pull the cake together.
The glaze – Powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract will make our easy glaze.

Variations and Additions

Try turning this into a strawberry honey bun cake by mixing the glaze with pulverized freeze-dried strawberries.
Try baking this as a honey bundt cake (see what I did there?) by baking it in a bundt pan. This is a festive version of the classic cake!
Add chopped pecans for a Southern twist. You can also use walnuts or sliced almonds.

How to Make A Honey Bun Cake

Preheat the oven and grease (you can use cooking spray) and flour a 13 x 9 pan. Using an electric mixer, combine all the cake ingredients except the brown sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle on the brown sugar mixture evenly.
Then, pour the remaining batter on top.
Use a knife to make a cinnamon swirl into a Figure 8 pattern on the top of the cake. Bake and let cool.

Success Tip: The Best Way To Grease A Cake Pan

Greasing a pan with butter is a must for cakes, no matter how non-stick it might be. But the key is to grease it with butter or spray it and dust it with flour. I like to do this by sprinkling it around the pan as best I can and then gently shaking and tapping the pan to get the flour into all the corners. I use this method for Million Dollar Pound Cake, or Southern Chocolate Pound Cake as well.

Easy To Make Vanilla Glaze

Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl.
Pour it over the cooled cake, slice, and serve.

Tips For Making The Best Honey Bun Cake

DO NOT follow the instructions on the cake mix box. We are breaking the rules with this recipe and essentially making a honey bun cake from scratch.
Make sure to pack the brown sugar in the measuring cup, for the exact amount needed for the recipe.
A toothpick inserted into the middle should come out clean when the cake is done.
Let the cake cool before drizzling on the glaze.

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Recipe Questions and Answers

Is this different than coffee cake?

Yes, coffee cakes typically have a crumble on top and in the middle. This is similar to a coffee cake but better, in my opinion.

Can I use a cake mix that I make from scratch for this?

Yes, you can use a homemade yellow, vanilla, or white cake mix if you have a favorite recipe.

How do I store leftover Honey Bun Cake?

Craving More? Try These Easy Dessert Recipes

Best Homemade Apple Crostata
Easy Bread Pudding Recipe
Easy Coconut Cake (Box Cake Mix Recipe)
Easy Pineapple Upside Down Cake

If you tried thisHoney Bun Cake Recipeor any other recipe, please leave a 🌟star ratingand let me know how it went in thecommentsbelow. Thanks!

4.80 from 10 votes

Honey Bun Cake Recipe

Author: Donya Mullins

Course: Cake, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Equipment

▢
Mixing Bowl

Ingredients

Cake

▢ 1 box (18.25 Oz. Box) Yellow Cake Mix
▢ 4 eggs
▢ 1 cup sour cream
▢ ¾ cup vegetable oil
▢ 1 cup light brown sugar
▢ 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Glaze

▢ 2 cups powdered sugar
▢ 6 tablespoons milk
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

▢
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 13 X 9 inch pan.
▢
In a large bowl combine cake mix, eggs, sour cream and oil, using a hand mixer.
▢
In a separate bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon
▢
Pour ½ of the cake batter into the baking pan. Top with cinnamon sugar, making sure to sprinkle evenly. Pour the remaining batter into the cake pan spreading evenly.
▢
Using a knife, swirl a figure 8 pattern into the cake batter.
▢
While cake is baking, make the glaze.
▢
When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Pour the glaze over the cake.
▢
Cut into squares and serve.

Nutrition

Did you make my Honey Bun Cake Recipe?I’d love to see! Share on Instagram, tag @asouthernsoul, and use the hashtag #asouthernsoul!

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Comments

Rate & Comment

Mary L.
February 22, 2024 at 7:36 am

I made the honey bun cake for the first time and followed the recipe exactly.
Mine baked in about 30-32 minutes at 350, but ovens are different. Everyone loved the cake and I have shared the recipe already. Easy and delicious!!!
I will try with pecans next.
Reply
- Donya Mullins
  March 22, 2024 at 10:45 pm
  Love this!! Thank you, Mary.
  I so appreciate you sharing my recipe as well.
  ~Donya
  Reply
Edie
February 21, 2024 at 3:05 pm
I haven’t tried this but the recipe calls for the older 18.25oz mix vs the 15.25oz mixes that are on the market now. Do you adjust the liquid measure any to account for the 1/6 less volume in the cake mix?
Reply

FAQs

What is honey bun cake made of? ›

You may be surprised to learn that there's actually no honey in this recipe. Named for the cake's cinnamon-roll-like flavor, our delicious Honey Bun Cake recipe brings a whole lot of flavor with brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans baked into Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™ Yellow Cake Mix. Don't forget the vanilla glaze!

Read The Full Story ›

What is honey bun icing made of? ›

combine honey, butter , sugar,and milk in any size pot, then turn the stove on to 4 or 5 whichever you like best. Toast hamburger buns in toaster or toaster oven until golden brown. And ice when icing is still hot.

Explore More ›

What's the difference between a cinnamon roll and a honey bun? ›

Unlike their close cousin, the cinnamon roll, these honey buns don't just offer soft, ooey-gooey vibes. They're more complex in flavor, with deeply caramelized nooks and crannies, floral notes of honey, and the chew of a well-developed yeast bread.

Get More Info ›

Who makes the best honey bun? ›

Mrs. Freshley's® honey buns just may be the most award-winning honey buns in America. We certainly think they're the most delicious.

What was the original honey bun? ›

His nephew Nelson Griffin, Jr. said "In the early 50's they were making cinnamon rolls. From that, he (Howard) added honey to the ingredients, and eventually developed the first commercial honey bun." They eventually sold to Flowers Foods in 1983.

What does honeybun mean in slang? ›

A sweetheart, a darling. Frequently as a term of endearment or affectionate form of address. Cf. honey n.

Tell Me More ›

What is an American honey bun? ›

A honey bun typically consists of a sweet yeast dough that is rolled out, spread with a mixture of honey and cinnamon, and then rolled up and sliced into individual buns. The buns are then baked until golden brown and often topped with a sweet glaze.

View Details ›

What flavors are in a honey bun? ›

Soft, golden and tasty, Little Debbie® Honey Buns are the sweet and flavorful snack that satisfies all day. Prepared with hints of cinnamon, a touch of honey, and dripping with a light glaze, it's easy to understand why this delicious pastry swirl is a Little Debbie favorite.

Keep Reading ›

What is in a Little Debbie honey bun? ›

Little Debbie Honey Bun, Iced - 4 Ounce Enriched Bleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Barley Malt, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Folic Acid), Sugar, Water, Palm Oil, Palm and Soybean Oils with TBHQ and Citric Acid to Protect Flavor, Dextrose, Yeast.

Discover More ›

Who owns honey bun? ›

Honey Bun was founded in 1982 by Herbert Chong, now Executive Chairman, and Michelle Chong, the CEO. The company has grown exponentially from a small retail bakery, to a wholesale bakery publicly listed on the Jamaica Junior Stock Exchange.

Show Me More ›

What are the three types of buns? ›

There are numerous types of buns, but some popular ones include: Hamburger buns. Hot dog buns. Brioche buns.

Discover More ›

Is a sticky bun the same as a honey bun? ›

Sticky buns (also referred to as honey buns or caramel buns) originated in Germany. Sticky buns were introduced to Americans by the Pennsylvania Dutch settlers as a sweet breakfast bread filled with brown sugar, nuts, and sometimes cinnamon.

Read On ›

What type of pastry is a honey bun? ›

Sweet roll

Are honey buns made by Little Debbie? ›

Soft, golden and tasty, Little Debbie® Honey Buns are the sweet and flavorful snack that satisfies all day. Prepared with hints of cinnamon, a touch of honey, and dripping with a light glaze, it's easy to understand why this delicious pastry swirl is a Little Debbie favorite.

Discover More ›

Is honey cake made of honey? ›

This is a Honey Cake made with only honey as the sweetener, no sugar, so you can really taste the honey (such cakes are rarer than you think!). You'll love how it's soaked with rich honey syrup, flooding the cake with extra honey flavour and making the crumb beautifully moist.