Just imagine a cross between a cinnamon scroll and a sticky tea cake. Soft, swirled, spiced, and utterly irresistible. It’s indulgent and comforting in the best possible way.
Think about the goodness of buttery cinnamon scrolls, being soft, sweet, warmly spiced, baked together into a golden, gooey pull-apart cake. That’s what this cinnamon scroll tea cake recipe delivers!
Slice it like a cake, pull it apart like scrolls, it’s the kind of treat that flies off bakery shelves. The best part is you can make it all from scratch using a simple enriched dough, just like classic cinnamon scrolls.
Let’s roll into the recipe…
Table of Contents
What’s the sweet spot with this tea cake?
- Soft and fluffy texture from a beautiful homemade dough.
- Swirls of cinnamon sugar in every single bite.
- Glazed to perfection with a silky vanilla icing.
- Bakes like a cake, pulls like scrolls, so you get the best of both worlds.
- Beautiful for gifting, sharing or displaying at your local bakery.
Ingredients
The dough
- 240ml warm full-cream milk (about 40°C)
- 7g instant dry yeast (1 sachet)
- 75g granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 80g unsalted butter (melted)
- 500g plain flour (plus extra for dusting)
- 1 tsp salt
Cinnamon filling
- 100g unsalted butter (softened)
- 150g brown sugar (packed)
- 1½ tbsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Vanilla glaze
- 100g icing sugar
- 2 tbsp milk or cream
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Method
Activate the yeast
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the warm milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Let it sit for 5 – 10 minutes until foamy.
Make the dough
Add the remaining sugar, eggs, melted butter, and salt to the bowl. Stir to combine.
Gradually add the flour. Start with about ¾ of it and mix until a sticky dough forms, then add the rest a little at a time until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Knead the dough
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 8–10 minutes. Use the heel of your hand to push the dough away, fold it over, and repeat. You’re aiming for a smooth, elastic dough that springs back when pressed gently.
If you’re using a stand mixer with a dough hook, knead on medium speed for about 5 minutes.
Tip: Don’t overflour the bench. Too much flour can lead to dense scrolls. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky, but not overly sticky.
First proof (bulk rise)
Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl.
Cover with a clean tea towel or cling film and let it rise in a warm, draft-free spot for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.
The dough should feel light and airy when pressed gently.
Make the filling
While the dough is rising, mix the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl until it becomes a thick, spreadable paste.
Roll and fill
Once the dough has doubled, gently punch it down to release air.
Turn it out and roll into a large rectangle. About 40cm x 25cm.
Spread the cinnamon filling evenly across the surface, right to the edges (leaving a 1cm gap along one long side to help seal it when rolled).
Shape the scrolls
Starting from the long edge, roll the dough up tightly into a log, keeping it even as you go. Slice into 12 even scrolls. Use dental floss or a sharp serrated knife for the cleanest cuts.
Assemble the cake
Grease and line a deep 20–23cm (8–9 inch) round cake tin.
Arrange the scrolls spiral-side up in a circular pattern, leaving a bit of space between each one to allow for their final rise, however have them touching each other so that they expand and bake into each other.
Cover loosely with cling film or a tea towel and let rise again for 30–45 minutes, or until puffy and touching.
Time to bake
Preheat your oven to 180°C fan-forced (or 190°C conventional).
Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until golden brown on top and cooked through.
If the top starts browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil for the final 10 minutes to prevent over-browning.
Let the scroll cake cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack.
Finally, you can glaze!
Whisk together the icing sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
Drizzle generously over the warm scroll cake, letting the glaze melt into the crevices. Serve warm or at room temperature. Either way, it’s irresistible.
Tips & variations
Sticky bun twist
Pour a layer of brown sugar and melted butter into the bottom of the tin before adding scrolls for a sticky, caramelised base.
Cream cheese glaze
Swap the vanilla glaze for a cream cheese version for extra decadence.
Apple scroll tea cake
Add finely diced apple to the cinnamon filling for autumn vibes.
Mini tea cakes
Use muffin tins to make adorable single-serve versions.
Could I make these ahead of time?
You definitely can, and that’s a great idea too! After shaping and placing the scrolls in the tin, cover and refrigerate overnight. Let it come to room temp in the morning, then bake fresh.
You can also freeze the baked (and unglazed) cake. Just defrost, warm gently, and drizzle with glaze before serving.
This crossover of sweet treat is the recipe we didn’t know we needed. With a little more to it than the classic cinnamon scroll recipe, it can take a little longer to make, but definitely worth it to be the ultimate crowd-pleaser.
Pro tip
If you’re a baker or cafe owner, why not scale up your production with wholesale pre-made dough?
With Suprima’s high-quality, Australian-made doughs, you can skip the mixing and get straight to the fun part. Baking creative, customisable products your customers will love. From cinnamon scroll tea cakes to mini scrolls, sticky buns or savoury swirls, you’ll have more time to experiment and sell fresh-baked favourites with less effort.
Create more options for your cafe or bakery and buy pre-made dough to wow your customers even more. Now you’ve made cinnamon scroll tea cakes, what’s next?
