How to Make Hot Cross Bun Cake

by Abbas Jahangir · Published February 14, 2025 · Updated February 14, 2025

It’s that time of year again—Easter is on its way, and you know what that means… hot cross buns! How good are they.
But why stop at buns when you can turn those classic flavours into a cake? Yes, you heard that right—a hot cross bun cake. It’s like the perfect marriage of two of life’s guilty pleasures.

We bake hot cross bun dough balls into a cake tin and the result is a hot cross bun pull-a-part cake! You can take a look at Pinterest to see examples of what a hot cross bun cake may look like.

But we’re not going to give you any old hot cross bun cake recipe. This one is packed with warming spices, juicy dried fruit, and all the nostalgia.

Yet, what’s best is there’s no need for yeast or waiting for dough to rise. Which means that it’s easy to make and even tastier to enjoy.

Let’s take a bite out of this topic.

Why you’ll love this cake

It’s everything you love about hot cross buns—but in the form of a juicy cake and without the hassle! This cake is soft, spiced, and bursting with juicy dried fruit. Can you smell it already?

No yeast, no proving—just mix, bake, and enjoy.

The buttermilk adds a slight tang, mimicking the depth of traditional buns. The molasses gives it a rich, caramel-like flavour.

Top it with zesty orange buttercream, fresh figs, or crunchy toasted bun crumbs for a salivating finish. Mmm…

Here is why each ingredient is important and what it adds to the overall recipe:

Butter and brown sugar—for richness.
Eggs & vanilla—To bind and enhance flavour.
Spices—cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, and ginger for warmth.
Molasses & buttermilk—Adds depth and tang, mimicking the taste of traditional buns.
Plain & wholemeal flour—For a soft yet hearty texture.
Baking powder & sea salt – Ensures a light, fluffy rise.
Dried fruits—sultanas, raisins, currants, and diced figs—for a fruity punch.

Ingredients you’ll need

For the cake:

125g unsalted butter
150g brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Spices (just a sprinkle, ¼ tsp each): cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, and ginger
1 tbsp molasses
250ml buttermilk
100g wholemeal flour
200g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp sea salt
100g sultanas
75g raisins
50g currants
50g diced dried figs

For the orange buttercream:

3 large egg whites
150g caster sugar
200g unsalted butter, softened
Zest of 1 orange

Optional decorations:

Fresh figs & muscatels for a beautiful Easter touch.
Toasted hot cross bun crumbs for added crunch.

Step-by-step instructions

Prep & preheat

Preheat the oven to 175°C and line a 20cm round cake tin with baking paper.
Soak the sultanas, raisins, currants, and diced figs in warm water for 10 minutes, then drain.

Grind the spices

Crush 2 cardamom pods, then grind with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger.

Make the easter bun dough

In a bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Add molasses and vanilla extract, mixing well.
Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
Pour in buttermilk and mix until combined.
Sift in plain and wholemeal flour, baking powder, salt, and ground spices, folding gently.
Fold in the drained dried fruits.

Portion the hot cross bun dough

Divide the dough into 80g portions and roll into round balls.
Arrange them in the prepared cake tin, ensuring they touch to create a pull-apart effect. The key is to let each hot cross bun dough ball bake into each other, which results in a pull-apart type of cake. If you were to bake each dough ball individually, you would end up with hot cross buns!

Bake

Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Let cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Make the buttercream

Heat the caster sugar with 2 tbsp water in a saucepan until it reaches 245°C.
Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, then slowly pour in the sugar syrup while whisking.
Continue beating until the mixture cools.
Add butter a little at a time, beating until smooth.
Stir in the orange zest.

Decorate & serve

Frost with buttercream, add fresh figs or muscatels, and sprinkle with toasted hot cross bun crumbs.

Final touches & serving suggestions

The final idea behind this cake is that it’s more of an Easter pull-apart with each of the Easter bun dough balls baking into each other. This makes for an interesting finish, where you can pull off a baked bun and enjoy.

Serve this cake warm with a drizzle of honey or an extra swirl of buttercream for a truly indulgent treat.

Pair it with a spiced chai or a rich, bold coffee to complement the warming flavours of cinnamon and nutmeg.

For a festive Easter touch, pipe and bake flour crosses, then arrange them on top of the cake for a nod to the classic hot cross bun.

Recipe tips

Here are some extra tips to help you bake the perfect hot cross bun cake.

Soak your dried fruit

Soak the sultanas, raisins, currants, and figs in warm orange juice or spiced tea for 10–15 minutes before using. This keeps them plump and prevents them from drying out during baking.

Don’t overmix the dough

Gently fold in the flour and dried fruit to keep the cake light and tender. Overmixing the dough can make it dense, as it activates the gluten protein in the flour.

For a moister dough

Swap half the butter for an equal amount of Greek yoghurt or apple purée. It adds richness while keeping the cake soft.

Warm it up before serving

A quick 10-second zap in the microwave brings out the spices and makes the cake extra delicious.

Try a glaze

For extra shine, brush the top with warm apricot jam before serving.

Pro tip

If you want to save time this Easter and get the same, if not a better, result, try this pro baking tip.

Use Suprima’s pre-made Hot Cross Bun Dough as the base for your cake! It’s as easy as: