Dough
345g all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
50g granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1 standard packet of yeast
180ml whole milk
60g unsalted butter
1 large egg, at room temperature
Filling
60g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
50g light or dark brown sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
Vanilla Icing
120g confectioners’ sugar
30ml milk or heavy cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Make the dough: Heat the butter and milk together. Next, stir or beat the milk mixture into the dry ingredients, then add the egg. After mixing, your dough is ready to knead.
Knead the dough: You can use your mixer or hands to knead the dough. When you’re finished kneading, cover the dough and let it rest for about 30 minutes. It won’t really rise during this time, but this allows the gluten to relax, which makes shaping much easier.
Fill & shape the cinnamon roll cake: Roll the dough out into a 15×12 inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter on top, then sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, slice the dough into 6 horizontal strips. (Each are 15 inches long.) Roll up 1 strip and place in a 9″ round greased pan. Coil the remaining 5 strips around the center roll, starting each strip at the end of the previous one to make one large cinnamon roll. Some of the filling may spill out as you pick up the strips, so just sprinkle it on top of the cake when you’re done shaping it.
Rise: Let the shaped cake rise until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.
Bake: After the cake’s dough has doubled in size, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. If you notice the top or edges browning too quickly, tent the cake with aluminum foil. While the giant cinnamon roll cake is baking, some spots may rise up more than other spots. Simply remove the pan from the oven and, with the back of a spatula, press down the spots that are rising taller than others to help keep them even. Return to baking. Remove the finished cinnamon roll cake from the oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
Drizzle with vanilla icing: Whisk confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla extract together until smooth. Drizzle all over the warm cake.