Cinnamon Flop Cake
Cinnamon Flop Cake is a fluffy coffee cake, with a buttery cinnamon brown sugar topping that sinks into the batter as it bakes, and makes a gooey cinnamon roll center in cake form. Also known as Swedish flop cake, it’s an old fashioned recipe that comes together fast with pantry staples. Perfect with morning coffee or as an easy dessert. Made with pantry staples, it comes together in about 30 minutes and serves 9.
The name does this cake no favors, I’ll admit that up front. Flop cake. It sounds like a mistake, or a warning.
It’s neither. It’s wonderful. It’s ooey, gooey, and delicious!
The “flop” is the whole point, actually. You sprinkle a buttery cinnamon brown sugar topping over the batter, and as it bakes, it sinks and flops down into the cake.
This creates a gooey, cinnamon roll type filling that runs through the middle of the fluffy coffee cake. If you love cinnamon rolls, coffee cake, or a good Sock It To Me cake, you will love this one!
It comes together in about 30 minutes with stuff you already have, which makes it perfect for a lazy weekend morning or a last minute dessert.
More Easy Cake Recipe
- Cherry Dump Cake – four ingredients, gooey and effortless
- Louisiana Stranger Cake – easy cake mix cake with frosting baked right in
- Blueberry Coffee Cake – tender crumb cake with sweet blueberries
- Oreo Poke Cake – creamy chocolate Oreo soaked poke cake
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See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.
Ingredient Notes
Butter – Unsalted, always, so you control the salt. Soften it for the batter (don’t melt it), but the topping calls for melted butter, so don’t mix those up.
Cinnamon – Saigon cinnamon is more intense with a sweeter flavor so I only use this kind. Any good quality cinnamon works, so use up what you have first.
Milk – Whole milk is richer, but use whatever you have. My family uses 2% so I use it more.
Brown Sugar – Light brown sugar is for the topping. Be sure to remove any small, hard clumps and pack it into the measuring cup. You can also use dark brown sugar if you want a deeper flavor.
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How To Make Cinnamon Flop Cake
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and grease a 9×9 baking pan with nonstick spray.
- In a mixer, cream the sugar and softened butter until it looks like sticky sand. Add the beaten egg and vanilla, and mix to combine.
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and milk to the batter in alternating batches, starting and ending with the flour.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer.
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter for the topping. Spread it over the batter as evenly as you can.
- Bake at 425°F for 18 to 20 minutes, until the middle is set and a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Cool and cut into 9 squares.
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Storage & Reheating
Room Temperature: Wrap tightly or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Reheat: Warm a slice in the oven when you want it fresh, which brings back that gooey center.
Freezer: Wrap tightly in plastic or foil, place in an airtight container or freezer bag, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw before serving.
Make Ahead: It holds up well for a day or two, so it’s a great one to bake the night before a brunch.
Variations
Add Fruit: Sprinkle sliced apples or pears over the cinnamon topping before baking for a sweeter, fruitier cake.
Almond Twist: Use almond extract in place of the vanilla.
Add Nuts: Sprinkle chopped walnuts or Toasted Pecans over the topping.
Chocolate Chips: Scatter chocolate chips over the cinnamon sugar mixture for a delicious twist.
Coconut: Add shredded coconut for a little more texture and flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Because the cinnamon brown sugar topping “flops” or sinks down into the batter as it bakes, creating that gooey cinnamon layer running through the cake. The name sounds like a warning, but it’s the best part.
Yes. Double all the ingredients and bake in a 9×13 pan or two 9 inch pans. Baking times vary, so start checking around the original time, and check back in 5 minute intervals.
Yes. Wrap it tightly in plastic or foil, place in a freezer bag or airtight container, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw before serving.
No, use softened butter for the batter so it creams properly. Only the topping uses melted butter. Melted butter in the cake changes the texture and it won’t puff up.
Up to 4 days at room temperature, wrapped or in an airtight container. Warm a slice in the oven to bring back the gooey filling.
Adding them in alternating batches, starting and ending with flour, keeps the batter smooth and prevents overmixing, which gives you a lighter, fluffier cake. It also stops clumps from forming when mixing the batter.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Soften the butter for the batter so it creams easily, but don’t melt it.
- Use high quality cinnamon like Saigon cinnamon for the best flavor.
- Alternate the flour and milk into the batter, starting and ending with the flour.
- Spread the filling as evenly as you can so every bite gets that gooey cinnamon layer.
- Try sliced apples or pears over the topping for a fruity version.
This Cinnamon Flop Cake recipe is fluffy, gooey, and full of cinnamon roll flavor with almost no effort. Bake one for your next lazy morning and serve it warm with a cup of coffee!
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please leave us a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ five-star review in the comment section below. Thanks!
Cinnamon Flop Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
Cinnamon Topping
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F. Grease a 9×9 baking pan with nonstick spray
- In a mixer, cream the sugar and butter until it’s like sticky sand.
- Add in the egg and vanilla. Mix together.
- In alternating batches, add the flour and the milk. (start and end with flour)
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
- In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients.
- Place topping over the cake batter. Try to get as evenly as possible.
- Bake at 425F for 18-20 minutes or until the middle is set and a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
- Cool and cut into 9 squares. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- Soften the butter for the batter so it creams easily, but don’t melt it.
- Use high quality cinnamon like Saigon cinnamon for the best flavor.
- Alternate the flour and milk into the batter, starting and ending with the flour to avoid clumps.
- Spread the topping around as evenly as you can so every bite gets that gooey cinnamon layer.
- Try sliced apples or pears over the topping for a fruity version.
Nutrition
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