Cinnamon Bun Bread

Now, I am a big fan of cinnamon rolls. Whenever I pass a Cinnabon, it's like the Cinnabon is a giant magnet and I am just a big old cinnamon-obsessed paper clip. It's just plain sad, the lack of self-control that I have. But when it comes to actually making cinnamon rolls myself, my recipe goes something like this:

"Hi Mom! How are you? Oh me? I'm fine. I was just sitting here thinking about those fabulous cinnamon rolls that you make...*sigh*...."

Bingo. Cinnamon rolls.

But sadly for me, sometimes Mom is actually out of town and not sitting by the phone waiting for me to call, which is why I was thrilled to find this recipe on Baking Bites. It has all the cinnamon-sweet flavor of those fabulous rolls -- but you make it in a regular 8x8 baking pan with none of the trials and tribulations of the yeast dough, and the rolling, and the rising, etc etc. The cinnamon filling gets swirled right into the dough so that when you cut into it, you get these amazing ribbons of cinnamon sugar goodness right through the center of the cake. (I know, the recipe says this is Cinnamon Bun Bread, and so that is what I am officially calling it, but honestly? It's cake. I'm just being straight with you here.)

So on those occasions when Mom is actually out there doing something besides making me her amazing cinnamon rolls and I have a cinnamon roll emergency, I have this recipe in my back pocket. What a relief.

CINNAMON BUN BREAD, adapted from Baking Bites

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
4 tsp active dry or rapid rise yeast
2/3 cup warm milk
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg

Filling/Topping
3 tbsp butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tbsp milk or cream

1. Lightly grease an 8×8-inch square baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt.

3. Dissolve the yeast in a measuring cup filled with the warmed milk, then stir milk mixture, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and egg into the flour mixture.

4. Mix until very smooth. Pour into prepared pan and let rest for 15 minutes.

5. While the dough rests, mix together butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl until all the butter has been incorporated into the sugar and mixture is crumbly.

6. Sprinkle evenly on top of rested dough and press the mixture down into the dough with your fingertips (or swirl in with a spatula.)

7. Place pan into a cold oven, then set the oven temperature to 350F. Bake for about 30 minutes, until bread is lightly browned at the edges and the center of the bread springs back when lightly pressed. Some of the sugar mixture on top may still be bubbling.

8. Cool for at least 30 minutes before whisking the powdered sugar and milk together to form an icing and drizzling it onto the bread. Serve warm. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave.

Click here for printable recipe