Box Mix Upgraded Honey Bun Cake Recipe

If you're looking for an easy and delicious dessert recipe, this upgraded box mix honey bun cake recipe from recipe developer and blogger Kate Shungu is just what you need! This recipe takes a box of yellow cake mix and a few pantry staples and turns them into a cinnamon roll-esque cake. "I love how easy it is to transform a boxed cake mix into something special," Shungu says. "The cinnamon sugar flavor really shines in this recipe."

The honey bun cake is inspired by the Honey Bun, which are currently mass-produced by Little Debbie. There's no denying that Honey Buns are a quick, tasty treat, but there's nothing wrong with upgrading a classic. This recipe does just that, without getting too complicated or advanced. Once you finish this recipe, you'll no doubt be impressed by how fresh this dessert tastes, especially compared to those Honey Buns that have been sitting in your pantry for ages.

Gather your ingredients for this box mix upgraded Honey Bun cake

To make this honey bun cake, you'll need 1 box of yellow cake mix, granulated sugar, 4 eggs, oil, sour cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, powdered sugar, and milk.

Make the batter

Before doing anything else, preheat your oven to 350 F. Next, grease a 13x9-inch baking dish.

Combine the yellow cake mix, granulated sugar, eggs, oil, and sour cream together in a large mixing bowl. Beat all ingredients together with a handheld mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. If you don't have a mixer, don't worry — just mix all the ingredients together by hand until they form a smooth batter with no lumps.

Assemble the cake

Pour half the batter into the prepared baking dish. Mix the cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl, and sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the batter. Pour the remaining batter into the baking dish, and sprinkle the rest of cinnamon and sugar over the top. Swirl the cinnamon and sugar mix into the cake batter with a butter knife or skewer.

Bake and glaze the cake

Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. While the cake is baking, whisk the milk and powdered sugar together in a small bowl to make a glaze. Remove the cake from the oven, and pour the glaze over the top of the warm cake.

If you're used to frosting or icing baked goods, the idea of icing a cake that hasn't completely cooled may seem a bit weird, but don't worry. "The key to this recipe is pouring the glaze onto the cake while it's still warm," Shungu says. "Instead of acting as a frosting, it is soaked up by the still-warm cake."

Serve the cake

Let the cake cool completely, and then it's ready to serve. Shungu recommends a scoop of vanilla or butter pecan ice cream to go along with a slice, and as a final thought, she says, "I love this recipe for weekend baking, and then snacking on all week long."

Box Mix Upgraded Honey Bun Cake Recipe
4.9 (17 ratings)
Classic Honey Buns get a much-needed upgrade with this tasty cake recipe.
Prep Time
15
minutes
Cook Time
35
minutes
Servings
12
servings
honey bun cake slice
Total time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • ⅔ cup oil
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ½ cup milk
Directions
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 F and grease a 13x9-inch baking dish.
  2. Combine the yellow cake mix, granulated sugar, eggs, oil, and sour cream together in a large bowl. Beat the ingredients together with a hand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.
  3. Pour half of the mixture into the prepared pan.
  4. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Sprinkle half of this mixture over the cake batter in the pan. Pour the remaining cake batter over the bottom layer of cake batter and cinnamon sugar, and sprinkle then the remaining cinnamon mixture on top.
  5. Take a skewer or butter knife and swirl the brown sugar topping into the cake batter.
  6. Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  7. While the cake is baking, whisk the powdered sugar and milk together in a small bowl.
  8. Remove the cake from the oven and pour the powdered sugar glaze over the warm cake.
  9. Allow the cake to cool completely, then cut into slices and serve.

Nutrition

Calories per Serving 429
Total Fat 19.1 g
Saturated Fat 4.4 g
Trans Fat 0.2 g
Cholesterol 64.3 mg
Total Carbohydrates 61.5 g
Dietary Fiber 0.8 g
Total Sugars 44.0 g
Sodium 353.6 mg
Protein 4.2 g
The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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