Eggs play several crucial roles in baking cakes, making them indispensable for many recipes. They provide structure, leavening, moisture, richness, color, and flavor. But food science aside, there are few desserts that get me quite as excited as cake. Sinking my fork into a moist cake topped with a smooth, rich icing is a sensory delight. The combination of textures, from a creamy topping to a crunchy filling (or vice versa!), is irresistible.
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I adore this particular cake, which borrows some of the best parts of a cinnamon roll and folds them into a moist, luscious cake with a spicy-sweet filling and a sumptuous sweet glaze. Like most cakes, this Honey Bun Cake relies on eggs for its delightful texture and flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Dish
Everyone loves a honey bun, and believe me, they love a Honey Bun Cake even more. Here are a few reasons why:
- Easy and irresistible: this cake is simple to make—it starts with a boxed cake mix to keep things simple—but the end result is as rich and visually appealing as much more complicated desserts.
- Full of flavor: Rich cream cheese, spicy cinnamon, earthy vanilla, and sweet brown sugar combine to make a cake you’ll never want to stop eating.
- Versatility: Perfect for any occasion, from a casual brunch to a birthday dinner.
Why Do Cakes Use Eggs?
Eggs are a key ingredient in many cakes. Here’s why:
- They provide structure: The proteins in eggs set up as they heat, helping to form the framework that holds the cake together. This is particularly important in flour-based cakes where the gluten structure is reinforced by the egg proteins.
- They help the cake rise: When beaten into the batter, eggs form bubbles that trap air. As the cake bakes, the air expands thanks to heat, causing the cake to rise.
- They keep things moist: Eggs add moisture to cake batters through their liquid content, which is important for the texture of the cake.
- They add rich flavor: The fat in egg yolks enriches the flavor.
- They give the cake a fine crumb: Lecithin in egg yolks is a natural emulsifier. It helps to combine a stable and homogenous mixture, giving the cake a fine and uniform crumb.
- They add color and flavor: Eggs, especially the yolks, contribute to the golden color of many baked cakes, achieved through the Maillard reaction, which also adds a rounded, caramel-like sweetness.
So while you can make a cake without eggs, to do so, you must substitute multiple ingredients to achieve a similar outcome.
Ingredients You Need
The ingredients in this cake are simple. Here’s what you need:
- Cream Cheese: Adds creaminess; ensure it’s at room temperature for smooth blending.
- Eggs: They bind the ingredients together and enrich the cake’s texture.
- Oil: Keeps the cake moist throughout.
- Cake mix: You can use yellow or vanilla cake mix.
- Brown sugar: This gives a deep, caramel-like sweetness to the cinnamon filling. You can use light or dark brown sugar, depending on what you have on hand.
- Cinnamon: This gives the cake its signature warm spice.
- Powdered sugar: This gives the sweet glaze its structure.
- Heavy cream: Makes the glaze thick and rich.
- Vanilla extract: Adds flavor to the glaze that pairs perfectly with the sweet cinnamon and brown sugar filling.
How to Make It
Creating this cake is a breeze with these straightforward steps:
- Preheat the oven and prepare the baking dish by greasing it lightly.
- Beat the cream cheese until it’s smooth, then beat in the oil and eggs, mixing until well combined. Gradually add the cake, beating until it is incorporated.
- Prepare the cinnamon and brown sugar filling.
- Layer the batter and filling in the baking dish.
- Bake until golden and cooked through.
- Cool the cake, mixing up the glaze while it cools. Spread the glaze on top of th cooked cake.
What to Serve With It
Honey Bun Cake is quite versatile. Here are a few ideas:
- Top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a classic touch.
- Serve a strong cup of coffee alongside to balance the sweetness, or a glass of cold milk for the kids.
Other Ways to Use Eggs This Way
Eggs are stars in various recipes due to their binding and enriching properties. All sorts of cakes benefit from the addition of eggs, from chocolate birthday cake to crumb-topped coffee cake.
Honey Bun Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 4 large eggs
- ⅔ cup oil
- 1 15.25-ounce box vanilla or yellow cake mix
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
For the glaze
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- In a bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
- Add the oil and eggs to the cream cheese and beat until smooth.
- Add the cake mix and beat to incorporate.
- In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Add half the cake batter to the prepared baking dish. Top with the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture, spreading it evenly over the top of the batter. Add dollops of the remaining batter and smooth as much as you can.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
To make the glaze
- Stir together the powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour the glaze evenly over the cooked cake and let set.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy
