Honey Bun Cake

In under one hour you can be enjoying this semi-homemade Honey Bun Cake with cinnamon pecan streusel and an easy glaze.

Old Fashioned Honey Bun Cake is a classic cake recipe. Where did it come from? I’ve heard it originated from Betty Crocker and tastes like a honey bun roll. And I’ve also heard it got its name by saying “Honey, I made a cake for you!”

Whichever was the source, this semi-homemade cake is all over my old church cookbooks so it is a recipe that has stood the test of time.

honey bun cake in a baking pan with slices missing

Why you’ll love this cake:

starts with a cake mix, but jazzed up for extra flavor and texture
cinnamon sugar pecan swirl inside and on top
a delicious powdered sugar glaze that sinks into every bite
ready in under an hour

How to Make Honey Bun Cake

You’ll need a 9×13 cake pan to bake this cake.

Mix. In a mixing bowl, beat together the cake mix, eggs, oil, water, vanilla and sour cream. Mix for about 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Set aside.
Combine. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon.

Layer. Pour half of the cake batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the sugar mixture over the batter. Spread the remaining cake batter in the pan, then top with the remaining streusel. Gently swirl the batter with a knife.

Bake. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cake tests done.

After you’ve baked the cake, simply whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla (or maple) extract and heavy cream. This is the glaze you’ll drizzle over the cake.

powdered sugar glaze with a whisk in a bowl

Recipe Variations

Make this cake in a bundt cake pan for a beautiful presentation! Layer as the recipe suggests, just use a bundt cake pan instead. Watch the baking time closely. It may take slightly longer.
Want more streusel? Double the streusel recipe!
Use a chocolate cake mix and chocolate chips in the streusel for a delicious twist. You can frost with chocolate frosting.
Use a gluten free cake mix for a gluten free version.
Use light sour cream to cut back on calories a little.
Top with cream cheese frosting so it tastes like a cinnamon roll.

5 from 3 votes

In under one hour you can be enjoying this semi-homemade Honey Bun Cake with cinnamon pecan streusel and an easy glaze.

Servings 15

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

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Ingredients

For the cake:

1 box yellow cake mix (about 15.25 ounces)
4 large eggs
⅔ cup vegetable oil
⅓ cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces sour cream

For the streusel:

½ cup finely packed brown sugar
⅔ cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the glaze:

1 cup sifted powdered sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350º Fahrenheit.
In a mixing bowl, beat together the cake mix, eggs, oil, water, vanilla and sour cream. Mix for about 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon.
Pour half of the cake batter in the prepared pan.
Sprinkle half of the sugar mixture over the batter.
Spread the remaining cake batter in the pan, then top with the remaining streusel.
Gently swirl the batter with a knife.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cake tests done.
To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, cream and vanilla extract until you have a drizzling consistency. Add a tablespoon or two more cream if needed.
Drizzle the glaze over the warm cake.
Serve with ice cream if desired. It’s excellent with cinnamon or even caramel based ice cream!

Notes

The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 15 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**