This Cinnamon Crunch Rolls is a great way to have breakfast or dessert anytime of the day. It might be the cross between a cinnamon roll and a dessert cake roll, but has a ton more flavor.
Adding a crunchy cinnamon filling and topping makes this recipe a Mainer favorite, with the taste of vanilla mingling perfectly with cinnamon, all rolled up into a super moist sponge cake.
Ingredients
For the Cinnamon Crunchies
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons butter or margarine, melted
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
For the Cake
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 cup sifted flour
For the Filling
- 2 cups vanilla frosting
For the Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar, plus more for rolling cake
- 1/4 cup water
Preparation
- 1 In a bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon very well.Add to a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook 3 minutes, constantly stirring and breaking up.
- 2 Transfer to a plate, spread out and refrigerate 5 minutes. Remove to break up into smaller pieces. Place back in the refrigerator until needed. If there are still large pieces, place in a baggie and use a rollling pin to crush.
- 3 Meanwhile for the cake, using a tabletop or hand held mixer, beat eggs, sugar, orange zest and vanilla in a large bowl, on high, until almost tripled in volume.
- 4 This will take about 5-6 minutes. Add flour, a quarter cup at a time to the egg mixture and gently fold in completely.
- 5 Pour into prepared pan, level off the top and bake 12-13 minutes, or until springy to the touch. Remove from oven to cool for 1 minute.
- 6 Lay a kitchen towel or large piece of film wrap on counter, sprinkle heavily with powdered sugar and quickly invert cake onto it.
- 7 Start rolling from the long side, gently, making sure you use the towel as a guide to prevent cake from sticking to your fingers.
- 8 Place the roll back into the pan, seam-side down, cover with filmwrap and completely cool on counter.
- 9 Slowly and carefully, unroll cake, spread with vanilla frosting evenly over the entire inside surface of roll.
- 10 Sprinkle half the Cinnamon Crunchies over the frosting. Reroll back into its orginal shape.
- 11 Wrap entirely with film wrap and place in refrigerator at least 2 hours. When ready to serve, make icing by mixing 1 cup powdered sugar and water until smooth; set aside.
- 12 Unwrap roll, pour icing over the top with the remainder of the Cinnamon Crunchies.
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