Amazing Strawberry Honeybun Cake

If you ask me, strawberry honeybun cake is one of those desserts that makes everything better.

This sweet, homestyle treat brings together the classic taste of honeybuns with fresh strawberries in a way that’ll make your kitchen smell like heaven. The soft, tender cake gets topped with a sweet glaze that seeps right into every bite.

It’s made with simple pantry ingredients and real strawberries, just like those beloved honeybuns from the corner store, but in a totally homemade way. The swirls of cinnamon and bursts of fruit make each slice special.

It’s a family-favorite dessert that’s perfect for weekend baking or bringing to potlucks when you want something that’ll make everyone smile.

What Kind of Strawberry Cake Mix Should I Use?

Any major brand of strawberry cake mix will work well in this recipe – you’ll find options like Betty Crocker, Duncan Hines, or Pillsbury in most grocery stores. The standard box size is around 15.25 ounces, which is exactly what you need for this honeybun cake. While some bakers prefer to make everything from scratch, using a boxed mix here actually helps create a consistent, reliable result and saves you quite a bit of time. If you find your store doesn’t have strawberry cake mix in stock, you can use a white or vanilla cake mix and add 1-2 teaspoons of strawberry extract plus a few drops of red food coloring to achieve a similar flavor and color.

Options for Substitutions

Need to make some swaps? Here are some helpful substitutions for this sweet cake:

• Strawberry cake mix: While the strawberry flavor is key here, you can use white or vanilla cake mix plus 2 teaspoons of strawberry extract and pink/red food coloring to create a similar effect.
• Cream cheese: If you’re out of cream cheese, mascarpone works great as a 1:1 replacement. In a pinch, you can also use Greek yogurt, though the texture will be slightly different.
• Vegetable oil: Feel free to use canola oil, melted coconut oil, or even melted butter as a substitute. Each cup of oil can be replaced with 1¼ cups of melted butter.
• Strawberry extract: No strawberry extract? Try using strawberry jam (2 tablespoons) or strawberry puree (¼ cup), though you might need to reduce the milk slightly to maintain the right consistency.
• Red food coloring: You can skip this if your cake mix is already pink, or try natural alternatives like beet powder or strawberry powder for color.
• Brown sugar and cinnamon: These create the signature honeybun swirl – they’re pretty important! But you can use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar if needed.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest challenge when making a honeybun cake is getting the cream cheese layer just right – make sure your cream cheese is fully softened at room temperature for at least an hour to avoid lumps in your batter, and beat it until completely smooth before adding other ingredients.

Temperature control is crucial – using cold eggs can cause your mixture to curdle or separate, so bring them to room temperature before mixing, and avoid overbaking as this can lead to a dry, crumbly cake instead of the moist, tender texture you’re looking for.

When adding the cinnamon-brown sugar swirl, resist the urge to mix it completely into the batter – use a knife to create gentle swirls, as overmixing will muddy the distinct layers that make this cake special.

For the perfect glaze consistency, start with less milk than called for and add more gradually – you can always thin it out, but if it becomes too runny, your glaze will soak into the cake rather than creating that classic honeybun topping.

What to Serve With Honeybun Cake?

This sweet and cinnamony strawberry cake is perfect for serving at brunch or as an after-dinner treat! Since it’s already pretty rich and decadent, I like to pair it with a hot cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk to help balance out the sweetness. For breakfast or brunch, try serving it alongside some fresh fruit – strawberries are an obvious choice since they’ll complement the cake’s flavor, but any berries would work great. If you’re having it for dessert, a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side makes this cake even more special, and the ice cream will slowly melt into all those sweet cinnamon swirls.

Storage Instructions

Counter Storage: Your strawberry honeybun cake will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 2 days when covered with plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container. Just make sure it’s completely cooled before covering to keep that lovely glaze intact!

Refrigerate: Thanks to the cream cheese in this cake, it’s best to pop it in the fridge if you’re planning to keep it longer than 2 days. In an airtight container, it’ll stay good for up to 5-6 days. The fridge helps maintain that perfect texture and keeps the glaze from getting too soft.

Freeze: Want to save some for later? Cut the cake into portions, wrap each piece in plastic wrap, and place in a freezer bag. It’ll keep nicely for up to 3 months. When you’re craving a slice, just thaw it overnight in the fridge.

Preparation Time	15-20 minutes
Cooking Time	30-35 minutes
Total Time	45-55 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 3000-3200
• Protein: 20-30 g
• Fat: 150-160 g
• Carbohydrates: 450-480 g

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 box strawberry cake mix (15.25 oz)
• 4 large eggs
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil

For the filling:

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

For the icing:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp strawberry extract
• Red food coloring

Step 1: Prepare the Baking Pan and Preheat Oven

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Spray a 9×13 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray to prevent the cake from sticking during baking.

Step 2: Mix the Cake Batter

• 1 box strawberry cake mix (15.25 oz)
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 4 large eggs
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil

In a large mixing bowl, combine the strawberry cake mix, cream cheese, eggs, and vegetable oil.

Stir until the mixture is smooth and well blended, making sure there are no lumps of cream cheese remaining.

Step 3: Layer the Batter and Cinnamon Sugar

• cake batter from Step 2

Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared 9×13 inch baking pan and spread it evenly.

In a separate small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and ground cinnamon.

Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the layer of cake batter in the pan.

Then, pour the remaining cake batter over the top, spreading it out to cover the cinnamon-sugar layer.

Step 4: Bake the Cake

Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool slightly.

I like to let it sit for a few minutes before icing to keep the frosting from melting too much.

Step 5: Make and Add the Icing

While the cake is still warm, prepare the icing by stirring together the icing ingredients in a bowl (refer to your icing recipe or use a store-bought one if not specified).

Add a few drops of pink food coloring until the icing reaches your desired shade.

Pour the icing evenly over the warm cake.

Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing and serving for best results.