Strawberry Honey Bun Cake (Easy Cake Mix Recipe)

Name: Strawberry Honey Bun Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 box Strawberry Cake Mix 15.25 ounces; 4 Large Eggs; 8 ounces Cream Cheese; 2/3 cup Vegetable Oil; 1 cup Brown Sugar; 2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon; 2 cups Confectioners Sugar; ¼ cup Milk; 1 teaspoon Strawberry Extract; Red Food Coloring

Strawberry Honey Bun Cake is a pink, strawberry version of the classic honey bun cake. A boxed strawberry cake mix gets beaten with cream cheese, layered with a brown sugar cinnamon swirl, and topped with a sweet strawberry glaze while it’s still warm. The entire 9×13-inch cake costs about $4.93, or just $0.41 per serving, making it an affordable and pretty dessert to bring to a party.

Strawberry Honey Bun Cake sliced and served on a plate with a fork.

With eight kids in our family, colorful desserts always get attention, and the pink color of this Strawberry Honey Bun Cake makes it a fun choice for birthdays, Valentine’s Day, or spring celebrations. I love recipes that bring a little something different to the dessert table without requiring specialty ingredients or a long shopping list.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe!

It starts with a cake mix. One box, one bowl for the batter, and a 9×13 pan.
So much strawberry flavor. Strawberry cake mix plus a strawberry glaze instead of plain yellow cake.
Extra moist without extra work. A block of cream cheese in the batter makes it rich and tender, a lot like a pound cake.
Feeds a crowd. One pan makes 12 generous pieces for potlucks, birthdays or holiday brunch.

One thing I pay attention to when developing cake recipes is how the layers work together. The brown sugar and cinnamon add a warm contrast to the fruity strawberry cake, while pouring the glaze over the cake while it’s still warm helps create that sweet topping that makes honey bun cakes so recognizable.

You might also like Coca Cola Cake and Tiramisu Poke Cake.

Ingredients

Cake

Strawberry Cake Mix. A boxed strawberry cake mix provides the base and fruity flavor for this cake.
Eggs. Large eggs help bind the ingredients together and give the cake structure. Let them come to room temperature so they blend more easily into the batter.
Cream Cheese. Use a full 8-ounce block, softened to room temperature. Cold cream cheese leaves little white lumps in the pink batter that never fully bake in.
Vegetable Oil. Keeps the cake moist for days. Canola oil or any neutral oil works too.
Brown Sugar. Brown sugar adds sweetness and a rich molasses flavor to the cinnamon swirl. Pack it firmly when measuring for consistent results. You can also make your own with this Homemade Brown Sugar Recipe.
Cinnamon. Cinnamon gives the cake its classic honey bun flavor. Mix it thoroughly with the brown sugar so the warm spice is evenly distributed throughout the swirl.

Icing

Confectioners Sugar. Sift the powdered sugar before mixing to remove lumps and create a smooth icing.
Red Food Coloring. This is optional, but a few drops give the icing a pretty pink color that matches the strawberry cake.
Milk. I prefer whole milk for the icing because it adds a creamy texture. Add it gradually until the icing is thin enough to drizzle over the warm cake.
Strawberry Extract. Strawberry extract adds extra fruity flavor to the icing and complements the strawberry cake mix.

Find the complete list of ingredients at the bottom of the post.

Step By Step Instructions

Step 1. Go ahead and preheat the oven and prepare the baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 9X13 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Bowl of cake mix cream cheese, eggs and vegetable oil.

Step 2. Get out a large mixing bowl. Stir together the cake mix, cream cheese, eggs, and vegetable oil together in a large bowl. Beat for about 2 minutes until the batter is smooth and no white specks of cream cheese remain. It will be thick.

Bowl of brown sugar and cinnamon combined.

Step 3. You will need a separate small bowl. Stir together the brown sugar and ground cinnamon.

Step 4. Spread half of the cake batter in the prepared baking dish. Spread it all the way to the corners with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.

Brown sugar mixture sprinkled on top of batter in baking dish.

Step 5. Next, sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture on top of the cake batter.

Batter spread on top of brown sugar mixture.

Step 6. Then pour the remaining cake batter on top. Drop the top batter in spoonfuls all over the pan, then gently spread to connect them. Pouring it all in one spot pushes the cinnamon sugar to the edges.

Step 7. The cake needs to bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. The top should spring back when lightly pressed and the edges will start pulling away from the pan. Start checking at 30 minutes.

Step 8. While the cake cools, stir together the icing ingredients in a bowl. Once combined, add a few drops of the food coloring until the icing is pink.

Step 9. Pour the icing over the cake while it is still warm, about 10 minutes out of the oven. Some of the glaze will soak into the top, which is what gives honey bun cake its sticky, sweet finish. Let it cool completely before slicing.

Pro Tips

Glaze while warm. A warm cake soaks up some of the glaze. If you prefer a thick layer of pink icing on top, wait until the cake is completely cool.
Use an offset spatula. An offset spatula helps spread the thick batter evenly in the pan without disturbing the cinnamon-sugar layer.
Spread the top layer gently. Spoon small amounts of batter across the cinnamon-sugar mixture, then carefully connect them to cover the filling without pressing down too hard.
Cut with a sharp knife. Use a sharp knife to make neat slices, wiping it clean between cuts if the icing sticks.

Additions and Substitutions

Cake Mix. You can also use white cake mix or vanilla cake mix.
Extract. Swap the strawberry extract for vanilla extract if you prefer a plain glaze.
Strawberry Preserves. For an extra fruity swirl, dot ½ cup strawberry preserves over the cinnamon sugar layer before adding the top batter.
Fresh Strawberries. Serve slices with sliced fresh strawberries. We don’t fold fresh berries into the batter because the extra juice makes the center gummy.

Make It Taste Like a Strawberry Crunch Honey Bun

If you love the strawberry crunch honey buns from the store, sprinkle a crunch topping over the glaze while it’s still wet. Crush 12 Golden Oreos and stir in 2 tablespoons of strawberry gelatin powder and 2 tablespoons of melted butter.

It’s the same topping we use on our Strawberry Crunch Cake, and it turns this into a copycat-style honey bun cake for a few cents more.

Storage

Because of the cream cheese in the batter, store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Let slices sit out for 15 minutes or warm them for 10 seconds in the microwave for the softest texture.

Make Ahead: Bake and glaze the cake the day before your party, cover the pan and refrigerate.

Freezing: Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap, place in a freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Learn How Long Does Birthday Cake Last.