Dump the Vending Machine -- Make This Easy Honey Bun Cake at Home

Sour cream, eggs, and oil make this cake moist and rich.I have a love-hate relationship with vending machines.  Sometimes they take my money and act like they didn't.  Other times, they give me what I asked for.  Sort of.  Did I ask for my food to be stale or greasy?  Did I ask for it to look stepped on?  I wish there were a button to press for good-looking, good-tasting junk food.

One of the worst switcheroos in vending machine history: the honey bun.  Ideally, it's a rich cake or pastry, wrapped around a cinnamon spiral, iced or glazed with a mixture of vanilla, sugar, and something vaguely dairy.   (Don't confuse it with its cousin, the cinnamon roll.)  Lately, every one I've seen has been flattened and oozing oil.

Luckily, I know a quick and easy way to get my honey bun fix.  This cake is good hot or cold.  It reheats like a dream.  It's moist and low-profile, so it keeps for days and it packs nicely in lunchboxes.

Like so many quick and easy desserts, it starts with a cake mix.  But when you're through, no one will be the wiser.  Are you ready for the list of ingredients?

Group 1 (batter):

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil

Group 2 (filling):

• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Group 3 (glaze):

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup milk, 2% or whole preferred
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Grease a 9" x 13" pan.

Combine the Group 1 ingredients.  Using an electric mixer, mix for about 3 minutes on medium.  Stop halfway to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula or spoon, so no crumbs remain.  The batter (Group 1) should have a thick, moist texture.

Combine the Group 2 ingredients.  This filling will have a sandy texture.  Pour half of the batter into the greased pan.  Sprinkle all of the filling (Group 2) over the batter in the pan.

Pour the other half of the batter into the pan, spreading it with a spoon so that it reaches the pan edges.  (If you have a skinny offset spatula, definitely use that instead of the spoon.)  Some of the filling may get stirred into the batter; that's not a failure.  If you're worried that you've done it wrong, relax.

Bake for about 50 minutes, until a knife stuck in the cake center comes out dry.  Taking the cake out a bit early will make it fall in the middle, which is not necessarily a bad thing.  A fallen cake will be extremely moist in the middle, but it probably won't be doughy.

While the cake is baking, combine the Group 3 ingredients.  The glaze (Group 3) will have a syrupy texture.  Use good vanilla, as there's not much here to hide the taste of cheap vanilla.  Vanilla beans are overkill, though.

When the cake comes out of the oven, poke holes in the cake with a skewer or chopstick if one is handy, or a knife if not.  Around 4 rows of 10 holes is good.  Pour the Group 3 glaze over the hot cake.  Tilt the cake to allow the glaze to flow over the whole surface of the cake and run into the holes.

Allow the cake to cool, at least enough not to be dangerous.  Serves one or more.