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If Cinnamon Toast Crunch is your love language, buckle up, because this cake is about to make your whole week. We’re talking a moist, tender cake topped with a buttery cinnamon crumble and crushed cereal that bakes up into the most irresistible, crunchy, cinnamon-packed topping. Every single bite is a little cinnamon explosion, and you’ll thank me later.
And yes, this one starts with a box mix. No shame. Semi-homemade is a beautiful thing, and after making this more times than I can count, I can tell you this cake tastes like you spent way more time on it than you did.
My Tested & Trusted Method: After making this more times than I can count, I’ve figured out exactly where it can go wrong. Two things make all the difference:
- The two-stage baking method
- Getting that butter temperature just right
I’ll walk you through both.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
- Semi-homemade and stress-free: It starts with a box cake mix, so it comes together fast without sacrificing any of that homemade feel.
- Cinnamon in every single bite: From the cake itself to the buttery crumble topping to that final dusting of powdered sugar, the cinnamon flavor is layered all the way through.
- Breakfast or dessert: Serve it as a coffee cake in the morning or a dessert after dinner. Either way, nobody’s complaining.
- That crumble topping though: It’s buttery, crunchy, and packed with crushed Cinnamon Toast Crunch. It takes a simple cake mix and makes it feel completely special.
Ingredient Notes
- Betty Crocker Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cake Mix: This mix is the star of the show, and it is every bit as good as it sounds. Grab the extra ingredients listed on the box while you’re making your grocery list.
- Salted Butter: I go with salted butter here to balance out all that sweetness in the crumble. It works perfectly.
- All-Purpose Flour: The base of your crumble topping. Keep it simple, keep it classic.
- Granulated Sugar: Just enough to sweeten the crumb.
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal: Crushed into big, chunky crumbles and sprinkled over the top. This is what gives the topping that signature crunch.
- Ground Cinnamon: Because you can never have too much cinnamon in a Cinnamon Toast Crunch cake. More flavor, always.
- Powdered Sugar: For dusting right before serving. It makes the cake look gorgeous and adds just a touch of extra sweetness.
Swaps and Substitutions
- Can’t find the Betty Crocker Cinnamon Toast Crunch mix? No worries — grab a yellow cake mix and stir in 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon. It works beautifully.
- Want to switch up the cereal? Life Cereal, Cinnamon Chex, Golden Grahams, or Kellogg’s Cinnabon Cereal all make great stand-ins with a similar vibe.
- For the topping, a drizzle of cream cheese frosting is chef’s kiss, or try a dollop of whipped cream with a little cinnamon stirred in. Both are delicious.
How To Make Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cake Mix Recipe
✱ Be sure to see the recipe card below for exact ingredients and full recipe instructions!
Before you get started making this scrumptious cinnamon cereal cake, preheat the oven and line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper. Then lightly spray the sheet of parchment in the pan with cooking spray, so the bottom of the cake does not stick.
Step 1 | Mix Cake & Bake
Preheat your oven and line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper. Give it a light spritz of cooking spray so nothing sticks.
Mix up your cake batter according to the box directions — just don’t overmix it. Over-mixing knocks out the air, and you’ll end up with a denser cake than you want.
Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes.
Step 2 | Make the Crumble
While the cake is in the oven, go ahead and get your crumble started. In a small bowl, beat together the softened butter and sugar.
A note on the butter here: you want it softened, not melted, and not straight from the fridge. Too cold, and the crumble falls apart. Too warm, and it turns into a paste. Softened is the sweet spot.
Add in the flour and cinnamon and mix until it comes together in big, clumpy crumbles. That’s exactly what you’re going for.
Hold off on adding the cereal until you’re ready to top the cake — you want it to keep its crunch.
Step 3 | Top It and Finish Baking
Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar topping over the cake from corner to corner evenly. If you get any overly large chunks, go ahead and break them apart. Once the cake is entirely covered with the butter topping, sprinkle the crushed cinnamon toast crunch crumble crumbs on top and finish baking for the remaining 20 minutes.
Step 4 | Cool & Dust
Once the cake comes out of the oven, let it cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes before cutting.
When you’re ready to serve, dust each piece generously with powdered sugar. It looks like snow, and it’s absolutely beautiful.
Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of homemade whipped cream if you really want to go all out. (You should. You deserve it.)
Nikki’s Expert Tips
- Get your butter right. This is probably the most important tip for a good crumble topping. You want softened butter — not melted, not cold. If it’s too cold, your crumble will crumble apart before it even makes it onto the cake. If it’s melted, you’ll end up with a greasy paste instead of those big, chunky clumps you’re going for. Set your butter out about 30 minutes before you start and you’ll be in great shape.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Mix just until everything comes together and no more. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour and leads to a tougher, denser cake. A few small lumps in the batter are totally fine — they’ll bake right out.
- Crush the cereal, but not too fine. You want big, rustic pieces of Cinnamon Toast Crunch on top — not cereal dust. A rough crush with your hands or a quick pulse in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin does the trick. Those bigger pieces give you that satisfying crunch in every bite.
- Bake in two stages — it really matters. I know it might seem like an extra step, but adding the topping halfway through baking is what makes this cake work. If you pile everything on raw batter, the topping can sink, the cereal burns, and the cake bakes unevenly. Twenty minutes of cake time first, then your crumble and cereal for the final twenty. Trust the process.
- Line your pan. Parchment paper makes life so much easier here, especially with a crumble topping that can stick. If you’re out of parchment, grease the pan really well — but parchment is worth keeping stocked for recipes like this one.
- Wait before you dust. I know it’s hard to be patient when your kitchen smells like a cinnamon dream, but let the cake cool fully before you add the powdered sugar. Dust it on a warm cake and it just melts right in and disappears. Cool cake, fresh dusting — that’s the pretty, snowy finish you’re after.
- Watch your oven. Baking times on box mixes are a starting point, not a guarantee. Every oven runs a little differently, and pan depth can affect how your cake bakes too. Start checking for doneness a few minutes before the timer goes off. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with just a few moist crumbs — not wet batter, not bone dry.
Recipe FAQ’s
You can make this cake ahead for a holiday if you make the cake and add additional topping when you warm it up!
If you would like to plate the whole cake instead of cutting it right from the baking pan, then a spring form pan is a great idea! Simply release the spring, plate the cake, dust the entire cake and serve! Great idea.
What to Serve with Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cake Recipe
I highly recommend a tall glass of ice-cold milk. But there are plenty of other recipes that will go well with this cake recipe, depending on when you are serving it! Here are some ideas.
- As a breakfast coffee cake mix- Serve the cake with a hearty serving of Overnight Breakfast Casserole or a simple serving of Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs, some fruit, and that cup of milk.
- For an afternoon snack or lunch- To the cake, add fresh berries and cream. Then serve alongside a portion of Chicken Salad with Grapes and Pecans over a bead of leafy green lettuce.
- In the evening- Serve this cinnamon cake recipe with a dollop of whipped topping and a side of Fried Green Apples. And why not add a mug of Biscoff Cookie Butter Latte?
Storage and Make Ahead Instructions
Want to get ahead of things? Bake the cake up to a day in advance, then add a fresh sprinkle of crumble when you warm it back up before serving. It freshens everything right up, and nobody will know you made it yesterday.
For leftovers, wrap individual portions in plastic wrap and store them in an airtight container so they don’t dry out. At room temperature, the cake stays moist for 3 to 4 days. Pop it in the refrigerator, and it’ll keep for up to 5 days.
One little tip — wait to dust with powdered sugar until right before serving. It melts into the cake as it sits, so a fresh dusting always looks prettier than one that’s been on there a while.
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Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cake
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Ingredients
- 1 box Betty Crocker Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cake Mix - plus ingredients on package
- 2 sticks salted butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup cinnamon toast crunch cereal - crushed into large crumbs
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon powder
- powdered sugar for dusting - optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with cooking spray.
- Prepare the cake mix per box instructions, making sure not to overmix. Then add to a parchment paper lined pan and bake for 20 minutes.
- While the cake bakes, prepare the crumb topping but do not mix in the cereal. Use a standing or handheld mixer to combine the softened butter, flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Do not overmix, you want a large crumb like textures.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly over the cake, breaking apart any overly large chunks. Then sprinkle the cereal crumbs on top and bake for another 20 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.
- When ready to serve, dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy!
Notes
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I’m always ready for a delicious dessert! Can’t wait to make it this weekend!
Oh how fun! This cake looks fantastic, especially with that topping. I bet my whole family would love it.
Cinnamon Toast Crunch! Looks like I have a new morning go to with my coffee! Thanks!
This looks so good! Definitely making this over the weekend! Thanks for sharing 🙂
wow, thanks for turning my childhood fav cereal into a Cinnamon Toast Crunch cake. super crunch, sweet and addicting