The Swirl Sponge: What Happens When a Cinnamon Bun Meets a Cake?

It started with a very simple thought. We love cake. Swirl loves cinnamon buns. Surely something delicious could come out of that?

Turns out, yes. Meet Swirl Sponge, our brand-new collaboration with Norfolk cinnamon bun heroes Swirl. It's two very good things in one very cosy cake, and honestly, we're a bit smug about it.

From cinnamon bun to cinnamon cake

If you've ever had a Swirl cinnamon bun, you'll know the deal: warm cinnamon, soft squidgy dough and that sugary crunch that makes you go quiet for a second.

So when we started dreaming up a cake together, there was only one place to begin. Cinnamon. Lots of it.

But we didn't want a cake that was just vaguely inspired by a cinnamon bun. We wanted something that had a proper bit of both of us in it.

So here's what we came up with: three layers of marbled cinnamon and vanilla sponge, stacked up with cream cheese-inspired buttercream. And then, the bit we're most excited about, the Crunch. Between every layer is a sugary, crunchy cinnamon surprise that gives you texture, flavour and a very good reason to go back for another forkful.

Meet The Swirl Sponge

Three layers of marbled cinnamon and vanilla sponge

Cream cheese-inspired buttercream

Crunchy cinnamon sugar between every layer

Available in standard, gluten-free and vegan

Made together by Swirl x Sponge

If you're going to turn a cinnamon bun into a cake, you might as well commit.

Two bakeries, one very good cake

Let's be clear: this isn't Sponge baking a cake and sticking a Swirl label on it. We built this recipe together.

Swirl brought the cinnamon bun know-how. We brought the cake obsession. Somewhere in the middle there was a lot of baking, a lot of debating, and an extremely generous amount of taste testing (it's a tough job, but someone had to do it).

It's a proper team-up between two local bakeries who make things by hand and really care about getting them right.

Perfect timing, if we say so ourselves

Cinnamon just tastes better in autumn, doesn't it? The jumpers come out, the leaves go all crunchy and the kettle basically never gets switched off. Suddenly everything needs to be warm, spiced and eaten next to a hot drink.

Swirl Sponge was made for exactly this. Autumn birthdays, cosy get-togethers, thank-you gifts, afternoon coffee breaks, and those days when there's no occasion whatsoever. "I fancied cake" is a completely valid reason, and we'll defend it.

A slice for everyone

We wanted as many people as possible to get stuck in, so Swirl Sponge comes in standard, gluten-free and vegan versions. Whether you're a die-hard Swirl fan, a Sponge regular, or just someone who has strong feelings about cinnamon, there's a cake with your name on it.

Got an autumn birthday coming up? We think this might just be the star of the table.

So, why Swirl?

We love working with other creative businesses, but teaming up with a fellow Norfolk bakery felt especially good. Swirl has built a loyal following across Norfolk and East Anglia for its hand-rolled cinnamon buns, baked fresh in Norwich every day. Like us, they're all about making things people actually want to eat, and making them by hand.

So instead of asking, "What if we put cinnamon bun flavours in a cake?", we asked something a bit more fun: "What would happen if Swirl and Sponge made a cake together?"

Now we know. And we think you're going to like the answer.

Landing Wednesday 21st October 2026. Get in quick, because cake this cosy won't hang around.