Snickerdoodle Cake

Our Snickerdoodle Cake, inspired by the popular cinnamon sugar cookie, is a buttery vanilla layer cake with swirls of brown sugar and cinnamon. It is soft, moist, and so delicious.

You cannot go wrong with this recipe, it is a year-round favorite. In the fall, consider making our Snickerdoodle Cake's cousin, the Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cake! We also have a great recipes for Snickerdoodle Cupcakes and Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake as well!

How to Make a Snickerdoodle Cake

This cake recipe is based on our favorite vanilla buttermilk cake recipe, but the additional swirls of cinnamon and brown sugar take it to the next level! We are in love with this combination of flavors, and the swirled cake slices are beautiful.

*You can find the full, printable cake recipe further down in this post, but here is a quick rundown of our steps!

For the Cinnamon Swirl

First, in a small bowl stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside- we'll come back to this later!

For the Vanilla Cake Batter

The foundation of every delicious Snickerdoodle Cake Recipe is a delicious vanilla cake batter! You can find the complete recipe and ingredients in our printable recipe card. Here is a quick look at our steps!

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, grease and flour three 8×2 inch round pans. We also like to add circles of parchment paper to the bottom of each pan.

• In a medium bowl, whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 30 seconds. Set aside.

• Next, in another bowl, combine the buttermilk, vegetable oil and pure vanilla extract.  Set aside.

• In the large mixing bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the softened butter and mix at medium speed until smooth. Slowly add the sugar and continue to mix on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes until lightened and fluffy.

• Next, add the room temperature eggs one at a time, mixing until the yellow of the yolk disappears.

• With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients (3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 additions of wet ingredients).

Layering the Batter with the Cinnamon & Sugar Swirl

• Scoop approximately one cup of cake batter in each of the three 8-inch round pans.

• Next, sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture over the first layer of batter in each pan and cover with the remaining batter. Make sure to use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.

• Bake the cake layers for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached.

How to Make Caramel Sauce

This easy caramel sauce perfectly complements the buttery, cinnamon swirls in this soft vanilla cake.

Caramel sauce is an optional step as the snickerdoodle cake has amazing flavor just as it is, but it does add an impressive look and decadence to this recipe!

You could even drizzle some caramel sauce between the snickerdoodle cake layers if you'd like even more caramel flavor.

• Melt the butter over medium heat in a medium size sauce pan (deep enough to prevent boil over) .  
• Add the brown sugar and the remaining ingredients (heavy cream, salt, vanilla extract, and light corn syrup). Did you know that light corn syrup helps to prevent crystallization? 
• Combine and stir to blend. Try to keep mixture off the sides of the pan. Once the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat to low.
• Cover the pot and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes, check the pot making sure it will not boil over. Remove from heat. After it cools a bit, pour into a heat proof bowl. It will look too thin but keep in mind that the caramel thickens as it cools. You can refrigerate to speed up the cooling process.

Makes 1 cup caramel.  It can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

Freezing the Cake Layers (optional)

We're often asked if our cake layers can be made in advance and frozen. We actually prefer to freeze or cake layers, even if just for a few hours as we feel it gives the cake an additional boost of moisture (assuming that the cake layers are wrapped while still warm.)

• After cooling the freshly baked layers still in their cake pans for 10 minutes on a wire rack, flip them on to individually foil-wrapped cake boards. (We wrap the boards in foil so that they can be reused.)

• Wrap each cake in plastic wrap, then foil. Write the date and name of cake on the foil if working well in advance.

• Freeze the cake layers for up to three months. When ready to thaw, simply remove the layers from the freezer and place on the kitchen counter to thaw, still wrapped. 

• After condensation (water droplets) have formed on the foil, you can loosen the foil and allow cakes to finish thawing to your desired amount.

• Some bakers prefer to work with layers that are still partially frozen as they are easier to handle and less fragile.

• That's it! The cakes will taste as fresh as the day that they were baked. 

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

We decided that a cinnamon cream cheese frosting would make a perfect filling and frosting for our Snickerdoodle Cake layers.

This creamy frosting is based on our original Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe, but with one teaspoon ground cinnamon added to it. Delicious!

Aside from the wonderful flavor, we LOVE how easy this frosting is to make. It is a simple combination of butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt- you can whip up a batch in no time.

As with any cream cheese frosting, the consistency is a bit softer than most buttercream frostings. So, if at any time it becomes too soft while you are frosting the cake or piping, etc.- just pop it in the freezer!

Cakes frosted with cream cheese frosting should be refrigerated until within a couple of hours before serving.

If you need a cinnamon frosting option that can stay out for many hours, you can add one teaspoon cinnamon to our Classic Vanilla Buttercream! 

Assembling and Decorating the Cake

We kept things very simple when decorating our Snickerdoodle Cake! Here is a quick look at our assembly and decorating steps!

• Place the first cake layer on a serving platter or cake stand. Spread with cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Apply the next snickerdoodle cake layer and repeat. Top with the third cake layer and frost the cake with a thin coat of cinnamon cream cheese frosting. 

• After crumb coating the cake (thin layer), we like to freeze the tier for 15-20 minutes to firm things up. Then, frost the final coat of cinnamon cream cheese frosting and smooth on top and around the sides of the cake with a bench scraper or offset spatula.

• Return the frosted layer cake to the freezer for 15 minutes to firm things up before applying the caramel drip.

• I added the drip around the top of the cake, close to the edge using a disposable piping bag with the tip snipped away.

• Next, I drizzled more caramel sauce on the top center of the cake, leaving space for the border that we will add next. 

• I topped off the cake with a border of piped shells, rosettes and stars using a large star (1M) piping tip. I also added a small bead border around the base of the cake with a small round piping tip 4.

We hope that you enjoy this delicious cake recipe! It is sure to be a crowd pleaser, whether you need a birthday cake recipe, a baby shower cake, a Thanksgiving Cake recipe, or are just craving a delicious dessert!  

If you give our Snickerdoodle Cake recipe a try, we would love for you to leave a comment below!

*Also don't miss our pumpkin version of this cake also! You can find it here: Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cake. It's a delicious fall recipe!

More Cinnamon Cakes and Caramel Cakes 

If you love all things cinnamon or caramel (or cinnamon AND caramel), make sure to put these cake and frosting recipes on your must-bake list. We love these flavors year-round, but we especially crave them in the fall!  

Some of our favorites are Cinnamon Roll Cake, Pumpkin Cupcakes, Cannoli Cake, and Caramel Cake, but there are so many more!

Don't miss our Cake Recipes Section for a full listing, as well as our favorite scratch cakes and cake mix recipes!

Snickerdoodle Cake

BY Melissa and Bebe

This delicious Snickerdoodle Cake has wonderful vanilla flavor with a swirl of cinnamon and sugar.

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Course: Cakes and Cupcakes

Servings: 20 servings

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Ingredients

For the Cinnamon Swirl

• ▢ ½ cup packed light brown sugar (108g)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (2g)

For the Cake

• ▢ 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened ( holds it shape but dents when pressed) (170g)
• ▢ 2 cups white sugar (400g)
• ▢ 4 large eggs, room temperature (if in a hurry, place eggs in a bowl of warm water)
• ▢ 3 cups Cake flour (spooned into measuring cup and leveled off) If you do not have cake flour see substitution in Notes below. (342g)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder (8g)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda (3g)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt (3g)
• ▢ 1 ¼ cups Buttermilk — if you do not have buttermilk, see substitution below (296g)
• ▢ ¼ cup vegetable oil (54g)
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract (12g)

For the Caramel Sauce

• ▢ ½ stick Unsalted butter (if using salted butter, do not add additional salt) (57g)
• ▢ 1 cup Light brown sugar (packed into measuring cup) (217g)
• ▢ ½ cup heavy cream (126g)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt (2g)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (4g)
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon light corn syrup (18g)

For the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

• ▢ 2 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened (226g)
• ▢ 16 oz cream cheese, softened (We use two 8 oz packages, full fat).
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (8g)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt (2g)
• ▢ 6 to 6 ½ cups powdered sugar (690g-747g)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (3g)

Instructions

For the Cinnamon Swirl

• In a small bowl stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon.  Set aside for later

For the Cake Batter

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, grease and flour three 8×2 inch round pans.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 30 seconds. Set aside
• In another bowl, add the buttermilk, vegetable oil and vanilla.  Set aside.
• In the bowl of your mixer, add the butter and mix at medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and continue to mix on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes until lightened in color and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time mixing until the yellow of the yolk disappears.
• With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients (3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of liquid).

Layering the Batter with the Cinnamon & Sugar Swirl

• Put approximately one cup of cake batter in each of the three 8 inch round pans.
• Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the batter and cover with the remaining batter.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.
• Allow the cake layers to cool in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes before turning them out.

For the Caramel Sauce

• Using a medium size sauce pan (deep enough to prevent boil over)  melt the butter over medium heat.  
• Add the brown sugar and the remaining ingredients.
• Stir to  blend, try to keep mixture off the sides of the pan. Once the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat to low.
• Cover the pot and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes, check the pot making sure it will not boil over. Remove from heat. After it cools a bit, pour into a heat proof bowl. It will look too thin but keep in mind that the caramel thickens as it cools. You can refrigerate to speed up the cooling process.
• Makes 1 cup caramel.  It can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

For the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

• Cut the butter into slices and add to the bowl of your mixer. Beat on low to medium speed until the butter is softened and smooth.
• Cut the cold cream cheese into pieces and add to the butter, beating at low to medium speed until incorporated. If you are using a hand mixer you may need to soften the cream cheese a bit more.
• Add the vanilla. Gradually add the powdered sugar and cinnamon beating on low speed until blended. Cover the bowl with a towel to keep down the cloud of powdered sugar.
• Increase mixing speed and beat until fluffy. Don't over beat or it will become too soft. If it becomes too soft, just refrigerate a short while to firm it up a bit.
• This frosting will pipe best if used while still a bit chilled. You can make it in advance, refrigerate and when ready to use let it soften slightly (do not microwave) and remix.

Assembling and Decorating the Cake

• Fill and frost the cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting. I like to chill the cake in the freezer for 15 minutes after applying a thin crumb coat to firm things up. Then apply second coat of frosting and smooth to your liking (I use a bench scraper).
• If adding a caramel drip, chill the frosted cake for 10-15 minutes before applying.
• Add the cooled (but dripping consistency) caramel to a piping bag with the tip snipped away. You can practice applying the drip around the inside of the bowl to see if you are happy with the consistency. If it is too thick, warm slightly. (You can do this by placing a warm wet paper towel or dish towel beneath the bowl for a few minutes). If it is too thin, allow to cool a few minutes more.
• Apply the drip around the top edge of the chilled cake. I then made a zigzag drizzle on top of the cake in the center. I did not take it all the way to the edge as I wanted to leave room for a border.
• I applied my border using a large 1M piping tip, applying rosettes and shells. I also added a small bead border using a tip 4 around the bottom of the cake.

Notes

Substitute for Buttermilk: No Buttermilk? Here is a substitution: To a measuring cup, add 1 Tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice. Add milk to the 1 ¼ mark, stir. Wait 5 minutes and it is ready to use.

Substitution for Cake Flour: Using all purpose flour (plain in UK) to make Cake Flour: For each cup of flour in a recipe, remove 2 Tablespoons of flour and replace with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch (cornflour in the UK). This recipe has 3 cups of flour so you will measure out 3 cups of all purpose flour, remove 6 Tablespoons and replace with 6 Tablespoons cornstarch, whisk to blend

Recipe makes 7 ½ cups batter

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