This cinnamon toast crunch cake features moist cinnamon cake layers, a crunchy cereal crumble, and cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Best of all? It's loaded both inside and out with your favorite Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal!
This cinnamon sponge cake is exactly like the beloved cinnamon toast cereal that we all grew up eating. There's cinnamon in every aspect of this cake too: in the cake layers, the crumble, and the cream cheese frosting. Plus, the top of the cake is even decorated with the cinnamon sugar cereal!
The cake itself is super soft, moist, and spiced to perfection. All in all, this cake is awesome and gives you a great excuse to have some cake for breakfast if you'd like!
Craving even more cinnamon desserts? Then check out these: snickerdoodle cookies, cinnamon streusel coffee cake, and snickerdoodle cupcakes.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Cake
- The warm flavors of cinnamon is tasted in every bite.
- It tastes just like Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
- Each bite includes a nice crunch from the cereal.
- It's covered in cinnamon cream cheese frosting!
Each component of this cake comes together so nicely and tastes incredible. And overall, this cake recipe is easy to make too.
If you're looking for your next birthday cake, I highly recommend this cinnamon sugar cereal cake!
Ingredients Needed
- All-Purpose Flour: Unless otherwise stated, I always use all-purpose flour in my recipes. Be sure to check out my baking tips above on how to properly measure flour.
- Leavening Agents: Both baking powder and baking soda are used to help the cake rise when baking.
- Butter: Unsalted butter is needed in both the cake and the frosting.
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal: The star ingredient! This cereal is used in both the crumble and for decorating the top of the cake.
- Cream Cheese: Always use the block-style cream cheese for baking.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: I like to use heavy whipping cream in most of my frostings, but you could substitute it for milk if you don't have any.
Instructions
- Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt until combined. Set aside.
- Wet Ingredients: In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on high speed until light and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Then reduce the speed to medium and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then add the vanilla extract.
- Combine Ingredients: Reduce the mixer speed to low and alternately add the flour mixture and milk (flour, milk, flour), mixing until just combined.
- Bake: Divide the batter amongst the three prepared pans and use an offset spatula to smooth out the batter. Bake for 28-33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes come out clean.
- Cereal Crumble: In a small bowl, combine the crushed cereal, melted butter, and salt and mix together with a spoon. Set aside.
- Frosting: In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachent, cream together the butter and cream cheese on med-high speed until creamy and combined (1-2 minutes). Add the powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and cinnamon and mix on low speed until combined (about 30 seconds). Then beat on high speed until creamy (about 1 minute).
Assemble The Cake
Make sure the cake layers are completely cooled before assembling and decorating.
First, place one of the cake layers on a cake stand or plate and evenly cover it with cream cheese frosting (I like to use my offset spatula for this part). Then sprinkle on some of the cereal crumble. Place the next cake layer on top and repeat until each layer is frosted and coated with the crumble.
Next, give the entire cake a crumb coat by spreading a thin layer of buttercream around the sides and top of the cake. Place the entire cake in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to chill.
Then, remove the cake from the refrigerator and finish frosting. Cover the sides and top of the cake again (use a cake scraper for a smooth finish if desired).
With any remaining frosting, pipe a cute border on top (I used the Wilton 6B tip) and top the cake with the rest of the crumble and Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal.
Expert Baking Tips
- Cake Pans: This recipe calls for three 6-inch cake pans. Line each pan with parchment paper and non-stick spray.
- Measuring Flour: To help ensure you don’t add extra flour, follow these three simple steps: 1) Fluff up the flour using a fork. 2) Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. 3) Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level out the flour.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: If an ingredient calls to be at room temperature before baking, do it. This helps to ensure the best quality in both flavor and texture. For this recipe, you’ll want the butter, eggs, milk, and cream cheese to be at room temperature before baking.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: Make sure that the cream cheese and butter are at room temperature before creaming together. This helps to ensure a smooth frosting.
- Crumb Coat: This is where we add a thin layer of frosting on the cake in order to catch the crumbs and keep them secure. You’ll want to chill the cake in the refrigerator for 10 minutes after the crumb coat has been put on before the final frosting layer.
Recipe FAQs
This recipe calls for three 6-inch cake pans, but you could also use two 8-inch or two 9-inch cake pans. Just note that the bake times will be slightly less and the cake layers will be a bit thinner.
Yes you can. Simply bake the cake layers the day before, wrap them in plastic wrap, and leave them on the counter at room temperature overnight. Make the frosting and crumble the next day and then decorate.
Wrap each individual cake slice in plastic wrap before placing it into the refrigerator. This method will help the cake not to dry out too quickly. You can keep the cake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Depending on how you slice the cake, this cake will give you between 10-12 slices.
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below. I love hearing from you! Also, please tag me on Instagram and check out my Pinterest for even more recipe ideas.
It brings me so much joy to see you make my recipes. 🙂
Happy Baking!
More Cake Recipes
📖 Recipe
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cake
Equipment
- Three 6-Inch Cake Pans
- Electric Stand Mixer
- Silicone Spatula
- Mixing Bowls
Ingredients:
Cinnamon Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (1.5 sticks)
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk, room temperature
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Crumble
- 1 ½ cups crushed cinnamon toast crunch cereal
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- dash of salt
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 ounces brick-style cream cheese, room temperature
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper and nonstick spray. Set aside.
Cinnamon Cake
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt until combined. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on high speed until light and creamy (2-3 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Then reduce the speed to medium and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then add the vanilla extract.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and alternately add the flour mixture and milk (flour, milk, flour), mixing until just combined. The batter will be a little lumpy (be careful to not overmix).
- Divide the batter amongst the three prepared pans and use an offset spatula to smooth out the batter (this helps for the cake layers to bake evenly). Bake for 28-33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes come out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely in the pans on a wire rack.
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Crumble
- In a small bowl, combine the crushed cereal, melted butter, and salt and mix together with a spoon. Set aside.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and cream cheese on med-high speed until creamy and combined (1-2 minutes). Add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract, and mix on low speed until combined (about 30 seconds). Then beat on high speed until creamy (about 1 minute).
Assemble
- If needed, use a serrated knife to level off the tops of each cake layer to create a flat surface. Place one cake layer on a cake stand or plate and evenly cover it with cream cheese frosting (I like to use my offset spatula for this part). Then sprinkle on some of the cereal crumble. Place the next cake layer on top and repeat until each layer is frosted and coated with the crumble.
- Give the entire cake a crumb coat (see note below) by spreading a thin layer of buttercream around the sides and top of the cake. Place the entire cake in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the refrigerator and finish frosting. Cover the sides and top of the cake again (use a cake scraper for a smooth finish if desired). Top the cake with extra cream cheese frosting and the cinnamon crumble (optional). Decorate however you like!
- Keep any leftover cake slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
This cake literally tastes like cinnamon crunch cereal, but better!! My favorite part is probably the cinnamon cream cheese frosting.