Honey Bun Cake
This easy honey bun cake starts with a buttery yellow cake mix, swirled with brown sugar cinnamon and topped with a sweet honey glaze for an ooey-gooey treat that tastes just like the classic.
Honey Bun Sheet Cake
If you love classic honey buns, this cake is a must-try! It tastes just like the original, but in an ooey-gooey sheet cake that’s a snap to bake!
We started with a box of yellow cake mix as an easy shortcut, and this gives our cake a buttery base. The cake is swirled with a delicious brown sugar cinnamon filling, baked to perfection, and topped with a smooth honey glaze that soaks into the cake while it’s still warm. Every bite is sweet, moist, and filled with that nostalgic honey bun flavor.
The first time we made this recipe, I had everyone in the family begging for a slice as soon as it was finished. I barely had time to snap a few pictures for this post! As soon as they had the ok, the fam ate every bit of that cake! All in the name of taste-testing of course!
And if you’re wondering, this honey bun cake tastes even better than it looks! It’s definitely a keeper in our baking rotation! So so good!!
Related: Make the real thing with our homemade honey bun recipe!
Ingredients
I’ve provided this quick list of shop-able ingredients and supplies for your convenience; read our disclosure policy here.
- Dry Goods: Yellow cake mix (15.25oz box), brown sugar, ground cinnamon, vanilla bean paste, powdered sugar, honey
- Dairy: Milk, butter, eggs
Full ingredient amounts and detailed instructions available in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
Instructions
To Prep: Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and coat a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Make the Batter – Whisk together batter ingredients (cake mix, eggs, butter, and milk) until just combined and pour half the batter in the bottom of the pan.
- Add the Filling – One by one, sprinkle the brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla paste on top of the batter. Use a butter knife to gently swirl.
- Bake – Pour the rest of the batter into the pan and bake for 26-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Glaze – Whisk together glaze ingredients and pour on the cake while it is still warm. Allow to set before cutting and serving.
Prep Tips
- Vanilla Paste – Vanilla bean paste is a thick, syrup-like blend made from real vanilla beans and extract, so you get a rich flavor plus those pretty little specks of vanilla in your baked goods. It’s a great way to boost flavor without needing to split a whole vanilla bean. If you don’t have this on hand, you can substitute the same amount of vanilla extract in the glaze, and simply omit it altogether from the filling.
- Glaze – The amount of milk needed to make your glaze will vary depending on your preferred consistency. If you like a thicker frosting-like topping, use less milk. If you like a thinner icing, more like a classic honey bun, use more milk.
- Storage – Keep cake covered or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The cake can also be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
More Easy Sheet Cake Recipes To Try:
- Texas Sheet Cake
- White Texas Sheet Cake
- Peanut Butter Sheet Cake
- Pumpkin Sheet Cake
- Key Lime Pie Sheet Cake
- Chocolate Mint Sheet Cake
Honey Bun Cake Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)
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Honey Bun Cake
Equipment
- 9×13 inch Baking Pan
- 2 Large Mixing Bowls
- whisk
- Spatula
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1 cup milk
Filling Ingredients
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla paste
Glaze Ingredients
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla paste
- 2-4 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
- To Prep: Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and coat a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk together batter ingredients until just combined.
- Pour half the batter in the bottom of the pan.
- One by one, spread the brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla paste on top of the batter.
- Use a butter knife to gently swirl the brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla, without scraping the bottom of the pan.
- Pour the rest of the batter into the pan.
- Bake for 26-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Whisk together glaze ingredients. Use 2 Tablespoons milk for a thicker glaze, more milk for a thinner glaze.
- Pour glaze on the cake while it is still warm.
- Allow to set before cutting and serving.
Notes
- Vanilla Paste: Adds rich flavor and vanilla specks; if you don’t have this ingredient, substitute 1:1 with vanilla extract for the glaze and omit in filling.
- Glaze: Adjust milk for consistency – less milk for thick frosting, more milk for thin icing.
- Storage: Cover and store at room temp up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 months; thaw overnight.
Nutrition
Pin our Easy Honey Bun Cake on Pinterest:
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