Cinnamon Roll Dump Cake with a Brown Sugar Caramel Bottom

Cinnamon roll dump cake turns 2 cans of refrigerated cinnamon rolls into a warm, gooey 9×13 dessert: soft rolls on top, a brown sugar caramel sauce underneath, and cream cheese icing melting into every swirl. Nothing gets mixed in a bowl. Everything goes straight into the dish.

The sauce is the point. Melted butter and 3/4 cup (150 g) of brown sugar go in first, the rolls sit on top, and 1 cup (240 ml) of heavy cream is poured over everything. In 30 to 35 minutes at 350°F (175°C) the cream and sugar cook into caramel while the rolls bake through and soak some of it up. About 10 minutes of work, and it serves 10 for brunch or dessert.

At a Glance

• Yield: 10 servings, one roll each with sauce
• Pan: 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) baking dish, glass or ceramic
• Time: 10 minutes prep, 30 to 35 minutes bake, 10 minutes rest
• Difficulty: very easy; no mixer, no bowl for the base
• Key technique: cream poured over the rolls, then a 10 minute rest so the sauce thickens

Where the Caramel Comes From

The caramel forms in the dish, not on the stove. As the dish heats, the butter melts the brown sugar, and the heavy cream poured over the rolls runs down to join it. The mix bubbles for half an hour, water cooks off, and the sugar, butter and milk solids turn into a thick, toffee-colored sauce.

The ratio keeps it saucy rather than runny or hard: 1/2 cup (113 g) butter, 3/4 cup (150 g) brown sugar and 1 cup (240 ml) cream. The rolls drink some of the cream from below, so their bottoms bake soft and custardy while the tops brown. Right out of the oven the sauce is thin; it thickens as it cools for 10 minutes.

Seven Ingredients, Plus the Icing in the Can

The icing cups that come with the rolls get used too. Here is what each ingredient does:

• Cinnamon rolls: 2 cans (17.5 oz / 496 g each) of large refrigerated rolls, 5 per can. Smaller 8-count cans (12.4 oz / 352 g) work; use 2 cans, 16 rolls, and bake 25 to 28 minutes.
• Heavy cream: 1 cup (240 ml), at least 36% fat. Half-and-half or milk makes a thin, watery sauce that does not set.
• Brown sugar: 3/4 cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar. Dark brown sugar gives a deeper molasses caramel.
• Butter: 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted, melted, plus 1/4 teaspoon of salt to balance the sweetness.
• Cream cheese: 2 oz (57 g), softened, beaten into the canned icing so it tastes less sugary and holds its shape on the warm rolls.

Into the Dish in Four Steps

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Pour the melted butter into an ungreased 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) dish and tilt it to coat the bottom. Sprinkle the brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and the salt evenly over the butter; there is no need to stir.

Open the cans, set the icing cups aside, and place the 10 rolls spiral side up on the sugar in loose rows, with small gaps between them. Slowly pour the cream over the rolls and into the gaps, so some lands on every roll and the rest pools around them.

Baking and Checking the Middle Roll

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Check at 20 minutes, and if the tops are already deep golden, lay a sheet of foil loosely over the dish. It is done when the tops are deep golden-brown, the sauce bubbles thickly at the edges, and the center roll reads 190°F (88°C) on an instant-read thermometer. With no thermometer, lift the edge of the middle roll with a fork: it should look set and bready, not glossy and raw.

Rest the dish for 10 minutes. While it rests, beat the softened cream cheese with the icing from both cups and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of heavy cream until smooth. Spoon it onto the warm rolls in big dollops and let it melt into the swirls.

When the Sauce or Rolls Go Wrong

Variations Worth Trying

• Apple: scatter 1 diced apple (about 150 g) over the brown sugar before adding the rolls.
• Pecan: sprinkle 1/2 cup (55 g) chopped pecans on the sugar layer for a sticky-bun style bottom.
• Maple: swap 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar for 2 tablespoons (30 ml) maple syrup.
• Orange rolls: use canned orange rolls and add 1 teaspoon orange zest to the icing.

For more cake-mix dump cakes, pumpkin dump cake bakes a pumpkin custard under a buttery cake topping, and pecan pie dump cake puts a pecan pie filling underneath. Chocolate fans can try German chocolate dump cake with its coconut pecan layer.

Serve It Warm, Keep It 3 Days

Serve it warm, scooped with a big spoon so each roll comes with its sauce. Extra homemade caramel sauce or a scoop of vanilla ice cream is not needed, but neither hurts.

Cover leftovers and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The caramel firms up in the fridge; warm single servings in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds, or the whole dish covered with foil at 300°F (150°C) for 15 minutes. It does not freeze well once baked, as the rolls turn soggy when thawed.

To get ahead, assemble the dish without the cream, cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours, then pour over the cream and bake, adding 5 minutes. Cinnamon fans can also look at snickerdoodle bars or, for a lighter morning, a cinnamon roll smoothie bowl.

Cinnamon Roll Dump Cake FAQ

Is this the same as cinnamon roll casserole?

Close. Casseroles usually soak cut rolls in an egg custard. This version uses no eggs; the cream and brown sugar make a caramel sauce instead.

Can I use Grands or regular-size rolls?

Both work. Large rolls take 30 to 35 minutes; regular 8-count rolls are done in 25 to 28 minutes.

Do I need to grease the dish?

No. The melted butter layer coats the bottom, and the sauce keeps the rolls from sticking.

Pin It for Brunch

Save this cinnamon roll dump cake to a brunch or easy dessert board, so the 3-layer order and the 10 minute rest are easy to find on a busy morning.

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Yield: 10 servings

Cinnamon Roll Dump Cake

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Cinnamon roll dump cake made with 2 cans of refrigerated cinnamon rolls set over melted butter and brown sugar, with a cup of heavy cream poured over the top. In 30 to 35 minutes at 350°F the cream and sugar cook into a thick caramel sauce while the rolls bake soft and gooey on the bottom. Rest it 10 minutes, then spoon on the canned icing beaten with a little cream cheese so it melts into the swirls. Seven ingredients, no mixing bowl, 10 minutes of prep, 10 servings.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

Dump cake

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• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 cans (17.5 oz / 496 g each) large refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing (10 rolls)
• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream

Icing

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• Icing cups from the cinnamon roll cans
• 2 oz (57 g) cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) heavy cream

Instructions

1. HEAT: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. BASE: Pour the melted butter into a 9x13 inch dish. Sprinkle the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt evenly over it.
3. ROLLS: Set the icing cups aside. Place the 10 rolls spiral side up on the sugar in loose rows, with small gaps.
4. CREAM: Slowly pour 1 cup heavy cream over and between the rolls.
5. BAKE: Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until deep golden, bubbling at the edges and 190°F in the center roll. Tent with foil after 20 minutes if browning fast.
6. REST: Let stand 10 minutes.
7. ICE: Beat the cream cheese, the icing from the cans and 1 tablespoon cream until smooth. Spoon over the warm rolls and serve warm with the sauce.

Notes

• Use heavy cream; milk or half-and-half makes a thin sauce that does not set.
• Leave small gaps between the rolls so the center ones bake through.
• Done: deep golden tops, thick bubbling sauce at the edges, center roll 190°F (88°C).
• Rest 10 minutes before icing; the sauce thickens as it cools.
• Storage: covered in the fridge 3 days; reheat servings 30 to 45 seconds in the microwave.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 551Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 730mgCarbohydrates: 63gFiber: 1gSugar: 38gProtein: 5g