This chocolate chip cinnamon roll cake is a giant cinnamon roll baked in a pie pan. It is loaded with mini chocolate chips and topped with cream cheese icing. What makes this fun is that you cut into the cinnamon roll like a cake. Inside are layers of fluffy cinnamon roll dough.
How To Make The Dough
- Heat the milk and the butter- Melt the butter in the microwave and let it slightly cool. Next, heat the milk until 110F. The milk needs to be warm. If it is too hot or too cold it will kill or slow the yeast.
- Mix wet ingredients- Use a whisk and mix the butter, milk, egg, yeast, sugar, and salt together.
- Add in flour- Pour in sifted flour and use a dough hook with a stand mixer to mix until a dough forms.
- Knead for 5 minutes- Set the mixer to medium and knead the dough. It should be tacky, but if it sticks to your fingers, then add 1 TBSP extra of flour at a time.
- Let it rise- Place dough in a large mixing bowl spray with non-stick spray. Stick the bowl in a preheated oven set to 200F. Turn off the oven and crack open the door. Let it rise for 1 hour.
Rolling Out The Dough
Once the dough has risen, roll the dough out to a 15X12 inch rectangle. Use a pizza cutter to cut off any uneven sides. It should be a perfect rectangle.
Next, spread the melted butter over the entire dough. Then, sprinkle the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture. I use my hands to really spread it around evenly.
Sprinkle the mini chocolate chips evenly on the dough. Use your hands to press the chips into the dough.
Assembling The Cake
Once the dough is ready with all the fillings, cut the dough into six 2 inch strips.
First, take one of the strips and tightly roll it up. Then, cut the roll in half horizontally using a knife. This will be the center of the cinnamon roll. The center will be too tall, which is why I cut it in half.
Place the center in the greased pie pan. Then, the roll up the rest of the strips lightly. Wrap each strip one a time around the center of the cinnamon roll. I have a video below that shows how to form the cake. Top the cinnamon roll with any mini chocolate chips that fall out. Then, let the cinnamon roll rise for 30 minutes.
Baking The Cinnamon Roll
Bake the cinnamon roll for 30-35 minutes. To avoid over browning the top, place foil loosely over the top about 15 minutes into baking.
The only way to really tell if the cinnamon roll is baked completely in the middle, while still being gooey, is to use a kitchen thermometer. It needs to be up to 170F. For me, that took 34 minutes of baking.
Cream Cheese Icing
This cream cheese icing is easy to make. The secret is getting it to the best consistency.
It should be thin enough to pour all over the chocolate chip cinnamon roll cake, but not so thin it becomes transparent as it dries.
Start by adding 3 TBSP of milk to the icing. If it doesn’t pour off the spoon, add another TBSP of milk and mix. If you over do it and it’s too thin, add a TBSP of powdered sugar to slightly thicken it.
Pour the icing over the slightly cooled cinnamon roll. Then, top with mini chocolate chips.
Storing The Cake
This chocolate chip cinnamon roll cake can be stored whole in the pie pan and in individual servings. Both ways, it needs to be air tight and stored in the fridge. It will be good up to 5 days.
Other Brunch Recipes To Try
Make sure to tag me on Instagram @stephaniesweettreats and leave me a review below if you made this cinnamon roll cake. I hope you loved it! To get more ideas follow me on Pinterest.
Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Roll Cake
Ingredients
Dough
- 1/4 cup White granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp Fast rise yeast whole packet
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/4 cup Unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 3/4 cup Milk warmed to 110°F
- 1 Large egg room temperature and slightly beaten
- 3 cups All-purpose flour
Filling
- 1/4 cup Unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1/2 cup Brown sugar packed light or dark
- 1 TBSP Ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup Mini chocolate chips
Cream Cheese Icing
- 4 oz Cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup Powdered sugar sifted
- 1/2 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 3 TBSP Milk
- Mini chocolate chips For decorating
Instructions
Dough
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter for 40 seconds in the microwave. Let it sit for a few minutes for it to slightly cool. Heat the milk in the microwave for 50 seconds. It needs to be warm at 110°F. If too hot or cold, it will slow or kill the yeast.
- Use a stand mixer with a dough hook (hand instructions in notes). Whisk together the sugar, yeast, salt, butter, milk, and egg. Pour in the flour and turn the mixer to low. Mix until a dough starts to form. Preheat oven to 200°F
- Once mixed, switch to medium and knead for 5 minutes. Halfway through, if the dough is sticky and sticks to your fingers, add an additional TBSP of flour at a time. The dough should be tacky but not stick to your fingers.
- Place dough in a large mixing bowl sprayed with non-stick spray. Cover with a towel. Place in the oven. Turn off the oven and crack open the door. Let it rise for 1 hour and until doubled in size.
Filling
- 10 minutes before the rise is finished, melt the butter. This will allow it to be slightly cool. In a bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together.
- Punch the dough down. Then, place dough on lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a 15X12 inch rectangle. Use a tape measure. Cut off excess, so it is a perfect rectangle.
- Spread melted butter over dough using a pastry brush. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over the dough. Use your hands to spread it evenly. Sprinkle the mini chocolate chips. Use your hands to press the chocolate chips down into the dough. Spray a deep 9 inch pie pan with baking non-stick spray.
- Cut the dough into 6 strips, 2 inches wide. Roll one strip into a tight cinnamon roll. Cut off half the cinnamon roll horizontally. Place this in the center of the pie pan. Lightly roll each strip one at a time. Transfer each strip to the pie dough and wrap around the center. Continue until all strips are wrapped around the center.
- Cover with kitchen towel, and let rise for 35 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Bake for 30-35 minutes. About 15 minutes into baking, lightly cover with foil to prevent overbrowning. The cinnamon roll cake is done baking when the center reaches 165°F. This will still give you a gooey center, which still being cooked. Once done baking, let it cool for 20 minutes before making icing.
Cream Cheese Icing
- Using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese on high for 1 minute. Add in the sifted powdered sugar. Mix on low until combined. Switch to high and beat until smooth. Add in vanilla and milk. Mix on low until combined. It should be a thin icing. If too thick, add 1 TBSP of milk at a time until pourable consistency . If too thin, add 1 TBSP of powdered sugar at a time.
- Pour icing over cinnamon roll. Top with extra mini chocolate chips. Let the icing set for 15-20 minutes before cutting into it. Best served warm.
Kathy Wakefield
These cinnamon rolls are so so good. They came out perfectly ooey gooey and delicious. The chocolate chips are the perfect addition!