This gluten free cinnamon roll sheet cake is one of my favorite things to bake. It has all the flavors of a classic cinnamon roll but in a much easier cake form.

Instead of dealing with yeast dough, rolling, and waiting for things to rise, you just mix up a simple cake batter and bake it in a sheet pan. The cinnamon swirl goes right on top, and it all comes together in no time.

The cake itself is soft and fluffy, and that brown sugar cinnamon layer adds just the right amount of warmth and sweetness. Once you drizzle the icing over it, it looks and tastes like something from a bakery.

And yes, it’s 100% gluten free. You’d honestly never guess it though. It’s one of those recipes that everyone enjoys, whether they eat gluten free or not.

If you’ve been looking for a gluten free dessert that actually feels like a real treat, this one is for you.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

That Gooey Cinnamon Swirl Though – The brown sugar and cinnamon mixture melts right into the cake as it bakes, creating these gorgeous ribbons of warm, buttery cinnamon goodness in every single bite.

Gluten Free and Actually Delicious – A lot of gluten free cakes can taste dry or weird, but this one is soft, moist, and loaded with cinnamon flavor. Nobody at the table will even guess it’s gluten free.

Feeds a Crowd Easily – Because it’s a sheet cake, you can cut it into plenty of squares and serve a big group without any stress. It’s perfect for birthdays, potlucks, brunches, or holiday gatherings.

Super Simple Ingredient List – You only need basic pantry staples like flour, sugar, eggs, butter, cinnamon, and milk. There are no hard-to-find or expensive specialty ingredients hiding in this recipe.

Ingredients

For the Cake

2 cups Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1 tbsp Baking Powder
1 cup Milk
2 large Eggs
1/4 cup Melted Butter

For the Cinnamon Swirl & Icing

1/2 cup Softened Butter
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1.5 tbsp Ground Cinnamon
1.5 cups Powdered Sugar
3 tbsp Milk

How to Make

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.

Step 2

In a large bowl, mix the gluten free all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs, and melted butter until a smooth batter forms. Pour into the prepared pan.

Step 3

In a smaller bowl, mix the softened butter, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon until it forms a thick paste.

Step 4

Drop spoonfuls of the cinnamon paste randomly over the unbaked cake batter.

Step 5

Use a butter knife to swirl the cinnamon mixture through the cake batter, creating a marble effect. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cake is springy.

Step 6

While the cake bakes, whisk the powdered sugar and milk together in a small bowl until a smooth, thick icing forms.

Step 7

Drizzle the sweet icing generously over the warm cake. Let it set slightly before slicing.

Helpful Tips

Pick the Right Gluten Free Flour

Not all gluten free flours work the same way. You want a gluten free all-purpose flour blend that already has xanthan gum in it, like Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 or King Arthur Measure for Measure.

Xanthan gum is what helps hold the cake together and gives it that soft, slightly stretchy texture that gluten would normally provide. Without it, the cake can turn out crumbly and dry.

Check the ingredients list on the bag before you start. If your flour blend doesn’t include xanthan gum, add about 1 teaspoon to the dry ingredients and mix it in before combining everything else.

Don’t Overmix the Batter

When you combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs, and melted butter, stir just until everything comes together and you don’t see dry patches anymore. This should only take about 30-45 seconds of mixing.

Overmixing makes the batter dense and gummy, which is already a risk with gluten free baking. You want a smooth batter, but stop as soon as it looks uniform.

A few tiny lumps are totally fine and they will bake out. It’s better to undermix slightly than to overdo it.

Get Your Butter Temperatures Right

This recipe uses butter in two different ways, and the temperature matters for each one. The melted butter for the cake batter should be warm but not hot. If it’s too hot, it can start cooking the eggs when you mix everything together.

The softened butter for the cinnamon swirl needs to be at room temperature so it mixes smoothly with the brown sugar and cinnamon. If it’s too cold, you’ll end up with chunks that won’t swirl through the batter properly.

A good trick is to set the butter for the cinnamon paste out on the counter about 30 minutes before you start baking. It should be soft enough that you can press your finger into it easily.

Frequently Asked Questions

What gluten free flour brand works best for this cake?

A good 1:1 gluten free all-purpose flour blend like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur works great here. These blends already contain xanthan gum, which helps the cake hold together and gives it a nice soft texture.

If your blend doesn’t include xanthan gum, add about 1 teaspoon to the dry ingredients so the cake doesn’t turn out too crumbly.