In August, Reddit user HumawormDoc posted a picture of a rustic-looking glazed cake in the Old_Recipes group, along with brief instructions for making it.
My Big Mama’s Secret Cinnamon Roll Cake, a family favorite from her grandmother, claims to offer all the flavor of ooey, gooey cinnamon rolls without all the mess and effort.
Since being posted it’s gone viral, broken the internet ... you pick the hyperbolic statement, this recipe has achieved it.
It’s been baked by followers in Paris and Helsinki. By the end of October, it had been written about on BuzzFeed and Yahoo!.
It’s been made with a substitution of pumpkin pie spice for cinnamon, as well as both lard and butter for the shortening. It’s been veganized, made with gluten-free flour at high elevation, and health-fied with whole wheat flour and olive oil. It’s been downsized to an 8-inch baking pan.
And everyone has loved it. Nothing can stop this cake — it’s on a roll (pun, and subsequent groans, intended).
I finally had a chance to make it myself, and tweaked it slightly for the version given below. It’s a lovely tender cake full of sugar, spice, and everything nice.
Big Mama and her comfort food classic have found a place in people’s hearts and homes. It’s perfect sweet, spicy fall fare.
My Big Mama’s Secret Cinnamon Roll Cake
1½ cups sugar
½ cup butter, softened
4 eggs
2 cups self-rising flour (see note)
1 cup buttermilk
Vanilla extract
Filling:
½ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Icing:
¼ cup milk
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 2½ cups powdered sugar
Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9- by 13-inch pan.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar and butter. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add half the flour and mix well, then add the buttermilk and the vanilla and combine. Add the last of the flour and beat until well blended. Pour half the batter into the prepared pan.
Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle this over the cake batter. Pour the rest of the batter over the filling, then swirl together with a sharp knife.
Bake the cake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Use a skewer to poke holes all over the cake.
In a medium mixing bowl, heat the milk, butter, and vanilla together just until the butter liquifies. Add powdered sugar until an icing consistency is achieved, then pour this over the still-hot cake and spread it over the top. Let set, then slice and serve.
Note: If you don’t have 2 cups of self-rising flour, substitute 2 cups all-purpose flour plus 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt.
Yield: 15 servings
Source: Adapted from HumawormDoc on Reddit
Contact Mary Bilyeu at 419-724-6155 or mbilyeu@theblade.com, and follow her at facebook.com/FoodMavenMary.
First Published November 5, 2022, 1:00 p.m.
