Using my vanilla cake recipe as the base, you can create an absolutely mouthwatering snickerdoodle cake filled with buttery cinnamon swirls and topped with creamy brown sugar cinnamon buttercream frosting. This cinnamon cake goes down in history as one of my best cake masterpieces. Everyone raved about it!
Earlier this month, I asked the Sally’s Baking Addiction Facebook group community if they wanted a snickerdoodle cake recipe this fall season. The response was an overwhelming yes. In fact, the general response was HECK YES HECK YES HEEEEEEEECK YES.
Your wish is my cake command.
This Snickerdoodle Cake Is:
- for cinnamon lovers
- special occasion worthy
- equal parts vanilla cake and snickerdoodles
- totally reminding me of brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts
- basically impossible not to love
3 Parts to Snickerdoodle Cake
- Buttery Vanilla Cake
- Pockets of Cinnamon Swirls
- Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream
Snickerdoodle Cake Power Ingredients
The ingredient list below looks long. Thankfully, the ingredients are mostly repeated in each section. If you’ve made or read about my best vanilla cake recipe before, you know that I use a few “power ingredients” that promise the perfect cake texture:
- Butter: Use room temperature butter for the cake and frosting. Remember that room temperature butter is cooler than you think. Use melted butter for the cinnamon swirl.
- Cake Flour: If you want a soft bakery-style cake, cake flour is the secret. The cake will be heavy if you use all-purpose flour. If needed, you can use a cake flour substitute.
- Eggs & 2 additional egg whites: 3 whole eggs provide structure, moisture, and richness. 2 extra egg whites keep the cake light and airy.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Remember the differences in baking powder vs baking soda and why it’s important to use both in some recipes? We’ll use enough baking powder to give the cake height without leaving a bitter aftertaste. Baking soda allows us to use less baking powder.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is an acidic ingredient and baking soda requires an acid to work. Plus, buttermilk yields an EXTRA moist cake crumb. See recipe note about using a buttermilk substitute.
- Brown Sugar: We’ll use brown sugar in the cinnamon swirl and again in the frosting. You can use light brown or dark brown sugar, but I recommend dark brown sugar for bolder flavor.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon is the main flavor, so make sure you’re using a quality product. I adore McCormick and Penzeys brands. (Not sponsored, just a super fan!)
How to Make Snickerdoodle Cake
- Make the cake batter: Use the basic creaming method. If desired, see my vanilla cake recipe for more detail. I reduced the sugar in the cake batter since we’re adding a cinnamon sugar swirl.
- Make the cinnamon swirl: Combine brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Gently mix in melted butter. Drop small spoonfuls over each unbaked cake layer, then swirl with a knife. The cinnamon swirl will slightly sink as the cake bakes, but that’s ok. When you eat the cake, the bits of cinnamon swirl are sticky, chewy, and massively flavorful.
- Bake & cool the cakes: Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, then cool completely before assembling and frosting.
- Make the brown sugar cinnamon frosting: More on that next!
- Decorate the cake: I love a semi-naked cake decoration for this snickerdoodle cake.
- Chill before serving: For beautiful slices, chill the decorated cake for at least 30-60 minutes prior to serving. This tightens up the layers, so slicing is much neater and easier.
This cake batter is moderately thick and fits perfectly in 3 9-inch cake pans. Always line your round pans with parchment paper rounds before adding the batter.
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream
Simply put, this frosting is nothing short of a dream. Brown sugar isn’t a common ingredient in snickerdoodle cookies, but I really wanted to impart its flavor into the cake. Brown sugar weighed down the cake crumb, so I added some to the frosting. Thus, brown sugar cinnamon buttercream was born. (There’s no need for any other frosting flavor again, ever.)
You know what I love about snickerdoodle cookies? Their creamy texture and slightly tangy flavor—both make snickerdoodles uniquely delicious! Cream of tartar supplies those favorable components, but it didn’t really fit into this cake. So I compromised and added cream cheese to the buttercream frosting. Now we have a wonderfully tangy/sweet flavor, plus an ultra creamy texture.
To avoid a gritty texture from the brown sugar, cream it with the butter and cream cheese until relatively smooth. (Once you add the remaining ingredients, you won’t be able to detect its texture anyway.) If you find the buttercream too sweet, add extra salt. If you crave more flavor, add more cinnamon and/or vanilla extract. This brown sugar cinnamon buttercream would be outstanding with banana layer cake or carrot cake, too.
Look at all those cinnamon swirl specks on the bottom of a cake layer! ↑ ↑
Semi-Naked Cake Style
Remember when I taught you how to make a vanilla naked cake? I recreated the look for this snickerdoodle cake. Perfect as a rustic chic autumn cake, no? If you need a visual for this semi-naked look (pretty much a crumb coat), see my naked cake video tutorial.
If you skip the piping detail, there’s enough frosting to cover the whole cake with a generous layer of frosting. 🙂
Need to freeze the cake layers? See how to freeze cakes for detailed instructions.
Love Cinnamon? More Recipes for You:
- Spice Cake
- Chai Cinnamon Swirl Bundt Cake
- Cinnamon Roll Cookies
- Snickerdoodle Cupcakes, Snickerdoodle Blondies, or Soft & Chewy Chocolate Snickerdoodles
- Banana Cupcakes (with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting!)
- Giant Cinnamon Roll Cake
And if you need more inspiration, here is a list of 30+ fall cake recipes.
Print
Snickerdoodle Cake
- Prep Time: 50 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours, 10 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 servings
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Using my vanilla cake recipe as the base, create an absolutely mouthwatering snickerdoodle cake filled with buttery cinnamon swirls and topped with creamy brown sugar cinnamon buttercream frosting. Review recipe notes before beginning.
Ingredients
- 3 and 2/3 cups (433g) cake flour* (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 2/3 cups (330g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs + 2 additional egg whites, at room temperature*
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract (yes, Tbsp!)
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
Cinnamon Swirl
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (41g) or cake flour (38g) (spooned & leveled)
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon*
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, melted
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream
- 1 and 1/4 cups (282g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 8 ounces (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, room temperature and sliced into 4 pieces*
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon*
- 5 and 1/2 cups (660g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream or whole milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
- optional for garnish: snickerdoodle cookies
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Make the cake: Whisk the cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Beat in the 3 eggs, 2 egg whites, and vanilla extract on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. (Mixture will look curdled as a result of the egg liquid and solid butter combining.) Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients. With the mixer still running on low speed, slowly pour in the buttermilk then mix just until combined. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.
- Pour batter evenly into cake pans. If desired, weigh them with a kitchen scale to ensure accuracy. Set aside for a few minutes as you make the cinnamon swirl.
- For the cinnamon swirl: With a fork, mix the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together until combined. Pour the melted butter on top and mix just until combined. Use immediately in the cake batter (next step) because the longer it sits out, the harder it will get as a result of the butter solidifying.
- Drop small spoonfuls of the cinnamon swirl on each of the unbaked cakes. Use a knife to gently swirl the spoonfuls into the batter. Some pieces will remain as chunks (that’s fine!) and some will swirl into the batter.
- Bake for around 23-26 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Switch the mixer up to medium-high speed and add the cream cheese one piece at a time, mixing until each has combined before adding the next. Once the cream cheese is combined, add the brown sugar and beat on medium-high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and add the cinnamon, confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Turn the mixer on low speed and beat for 30 seconds, then turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and beat until completely combined and creamy. Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting seems too thin—I usually add another 1/4 cup (30g) of confectioners’ sugar. You can add more heavy cream if frosting seems too thick or an extra pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet. (I usually add another pinch of salt.) If you crave extra flavor, add a little more cinnamon and/or vanilla extract.
- Level the cakes & add the crumb coat: Using a large serrated knife, slice the domes off the cooled cakes (a semi-thin layer) to create a flat surface. Discard domes (or crumble over ice cream!). Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Evenly spread about 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting on top. Top with 2nd cake layer and evenly spread another 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting on top. Top with the third cake layer. I decorated my snickerdoodle cake with a crumb coat, which makes it a semi-naked style cake. To recreate this, spread a thin layer of frosting around the sides and top of the cake (save extra frosting for the top in the next step). An icing spatula and bench scraper are helpful for creating this look. (If you need a visual, see my Naked Cake video tutorial.) Chill the crumb coated cake uncovered in the refrigerator or freezer for at least 30 minutes to help set the crumb coat.
- Spread a little extra frosting on top of the cake and use any leftover frosting to pipe detail around the edges, if desired. I used Wilton 8B piping tip. Garnish with snickerdoodles if desired.
- Refrigerate cake for at least 30-60 minutes before slicing and serving. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting can be prepared then covered and refrigerated overnight. Let the frosting sit at room temperature to slightly soften for 20 minutes before assembling and frosting. Frosted cake or unfrosted cake layers can be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving. See how to freeze cakes for detailed instructions.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Cake Pans | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack | Cake Turntable | Icing Spatula | Bench Scraper | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | Wilton 8B Piping Tip | Cake Carrier (for storage)
- Cupcakes: Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter. Drop small spoonfuls of cinnamon swirl onto each, then gently swirl with a knife. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 19-21 minutes. Yields about 3 dozen. Or try my snickerdoodle cupcakes recipe.
- 9×13-inch Cake: This recipe yields too much batter for a 9×13-inch pan. Instead, you can use my white cake batter and swirl in the cinnamon swirl. (See those recipe notes for baking instructions for a quarter sheet pan.) I recommend cutting this frosting recipe in half so you don’t have too much leftover.
- Cake Flour: To prevent a dry-tasting cake, make sure you are spooning and leveling the flour or weighing it. For the best results, I strongly recommend cake flour. You can find it in the baking aisle and I have many more recipes using it. If you can’t get your hands on cake flour, you can make a homemade cake flour substitute.
- Eggs: 3 whole eggs provide structure, moisture, and richness. 2 extra egg whites keep the cake light and airy. I don’t recommend using 4 whole eggs; stick to the 3 egg & 2 egg white combination. Here are recipes using leftover egg yolks.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk (an acid) is required for this cake recipe. If you don’t have any, you can make a DIY buttermilk substitute. Add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1 and 1/2 cups. (In a pinch, lower fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the cake won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.
- Cinnamon: Yes, the cinnamon swirl and frosting both call for 1 Tablespoon (not teaspoon) of ground cinnamon. We need that flavor to stand out!
- Brown Sugar: You can use light brown or dark brown sugar, but I recommend dark brown sugar for bolder flavor.
- Cream Cheese: Use brick cream cheese, not cream cheese spread. Slice the brick into four 2-ounce pieces. If desired, you can skip the cream cheese and add another 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) softened unsalted butter instead.
- Why is everything at room temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read more about the importance of room temperature ingredients.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Love this recipe! I think it was pretty simple, and the best part is it doesn’t take any fancy ingredients so I can make it often! Also the frosting is amazing!!
Made this for a baby shower. Cut some sugar from the frosting, but otherwise no changes. Huge hit! Wish I could share a pic- it was beautiful too.
Have anyone ever ttried adding some Snicker doodle dough to the cake and baked it like that?
I once made a cookie cake and added some globs of dough to the cake mix and it turned out wonderful so I’m wondering if that would also work here?
Hi Amber, We have never tried it that way so we are unsure of the results. Let us know if you try anything!
How do I scale this recipe down to a 2 layer cake?
Hi Jenn, For a smaller 2 layer cake you can use this white cake batter and swirl in the cinnamon swirl.
Tasting this made by a coworker & it was amazing! Making it now, is the heavy cream for the frosting supposed to be room temp too?
Either is fine for the frosting!
This is a delicious cake and the frosting is perfection! I was looking for a cake that would compliment my candied cinnamon sugar walnuts. I made the cake as is but left the cinnamon out of the frosting. I frosted the cake and coated the sides with my candied walnuts, finally chopped of course. Worked out perfectly! The cinnamon walnuts are the perfect accompaniment to the brown sugar buttercream. I will be making this cake often now.
Hi Sally, Thank you so much for sharing your recipes. I am planning to make this cake for a party this Saturday. Can I make just the cake on Wednesday and Refrigerate? Also, can I use cream cheese with whipping cream instead of butter? My friends love whipped cream topping. Thanks
Hi Monika, making it that far in advance should be fine, but I would bring to room temperature before decorating. For a whipped frosting, I recommend using the frosting from this Cookies and Cream Sheet Cake and leaving out the chopped Oreos in the frosting.
Would the cake work out if I didn’t do the pockets of brown sugar & cinnamon, instead adding those ingredients into the cake so it’s all one flavour and not marbled? Trying to make a stroopwaffle cake, and the flavouring is the same.
Hi Emily, my team and I haven’t tested this, but to skip the marbling– I would increase the sugar in the cake batter to 1 and 3/4 cups (350g) and perhaps make 1/2 cup of that (100g) brown sugar. Then I would just add the 1 Tbsp of cinnamon to the dry ingredients in the cake.
This recipe looks amazing! I would like to make it a two tiered cake for an event. Is it possible to make it in 6inch cake pans?
Hi MaKenzie! Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes.
Hi Sally,
I made this cake for my coworkers birthday and it was a big hit. Everyone loved it and one friend requested it for her birthday later this spring so I’ll definitely be making the cake again. The frosting was a delicious blend of cinnamon, cream cheese, and brown sugar. I made mini snickerdoodles to decorate the top of the cake,
I made this cake as dessert for Thanksgiving dinner. It turned out beautifully, and was absolutely delicious. It’s not a difficult recipe, but you need to make sure you have plenty of time to assemble it. I will definitely make it again.
Hello Sally,
Thank you for creating delicious and detailed recipes!
Will it work well if I make this frosting with brown butter?
Sounds incredible! Let us know if you give it a try 🙂
I followed the recipe to a T but my cake turned out VERY dense. There was no rise. I noticed that the vanilla cake recipe this one was based on uses 2 tsp baking power where as the snickerdoodle recipe only lists 1 tsp. Could that be why??
Hi Rosh, thank you so much for the feedback– a little extra baking powder can certainly help. Let me look into the differences because we have since added more baking powder to the vanilla cake for added rise.
Hi! I only have two 9-inch cake pans… Will the remaining batter be okay until the other two cakes are finished baking, or would that definitely mess up the leavening?
Hi Samantha! Yes the remaining batter will be fine at room temperature while you wait for a pan to be available. Sorry for the late reply, hope you loved the cake!
Hi! I’m very interested in making this cake, but I was wondering if I could add coloring or other ingredients to the frosting to make it brown/darker? I want to make frosting with 2 colors, 1 that you showed in this recipe for most of my frosting, and 1 darker color to show contrast for some decoration on top of the cake. Thank you!
Hi Wendy, yes, you can absolutely add food coloring to the frosting to make it darker/different colors. We recommend gel food coloring.
This was a hit for Thanksgiving. Will be making it again.
I made this into a chocolate snickerdoodle cake using your chocolate cake as a base and it may just be my new favorite cake! Thank you!
Hi Sally,
I love your recipes. I wanted to make this cake for my thanksgiving dessert table, can I make, frost and freeze it and thaw it the night before? Please let me know. Thanks
I also need to make two 3 layer 8 inch wedding cakes for a friend’s a wedding anniversary and drive 95 miles to the event. I am a little anxious about transporting the cakes smoothly without damaging them. Could you please suggest cake recipes that would reduce the chance of damage and still taste good after the long drive.
Thanks in advance.
Hi,
I’m planning on baking this cake for an event Saturday. With tonight being the only free time I have- Do you suggest baking the layers letting them cool then wrap and store them until Saturday.Or fully assembling the cake and freezing it.
Thanks,
Haleigh Bentley
Hi Haleigh, You can wrap your layers once they have cooled and store them in the refrigerator until Saturday.
Can I substitute butter for the cream cheese? We have one person who is not a fan of cream cheese frosting. If so, should I change the amounts of any of the other ingredients in the frosting?
Hi Rachel, you can skip the cream cheese and add another 1/4 cup (1/2 stick; 60g) softened unsalted butter instead.
Made this for a small dinner and brought the leftovers to work that Monday. My employee that was retiring on Friday requested I make this cake again since he enjoyed it so much!
a HUGE hit with the family and the neighbors, who lined up at my front door! I didn’t make it bare because everyone here loves lots of icing. Thanks so much. Again and Again!
Hi Marci, we are so glad these were such a hit!
Hi!
I’m planning to make this cake for my family’s October birthday party. I have all the ingredients but I’m under some pretty difficult logistical constraints so I’m trying to figure out how to best prepare.
I need to drive ~2 hours over some mountainous roads to visit my family so I don’t trust a fully assembled cake to arrive intact. I thought about freezing the layers and assembling there, but I’m worried it will thaw out before I arrive and we’ll have to rechill it and I’m not sure what that will do to the texture. Also, I’m not even sure I’ll have space in my (rather small) freezer for three whole layers.
Can I mix together the batter a few days beforehand, refrigerate it, and thaw it to bake a couple days later or do the baking soda and the buttermilk need to be baked immediately? Alternatively, could I mix the dry ingredients, wet ingredients, swirl, and frosting separately and then combine and assemble a couple days later?
Hi Tom! Happy to help. Once batter is mixed, the leaveners are activated and the layers will not bake properly. Your best best is to fully make the cake layers ahead of time and freeze as you mention. They likely won’t completely thaw during your drive, but perhaps you could put them in a cooler for the trip if you’re hoping to continue freezing them once you arrive. Or, if you’re planning to assemble and decorate once you arrive, you could use the car time for the cakes to start thawing and then assemble there. Hope this is helpful and that your family enjoys the cake!
Sally, I’ve enjoyed many of your recipes! Do you think this cake would hold up to baking in different shaped pans and carving into a sleeping dragon for a birthday cake? Should I use AP flour for that? My grandson and my son LOVE snickerdoodles!
What a fun idea! I think this recipe, as written, would be just fine for a carved cake. I wouldn’t switch to AP flour. Let us know how it turns out. Sounds like a fun cake!
Hi Sally! I was wondering if there’s a way to make the frosting without the brown color. Could I swap the brown sugar with white sugar? I need a white frosting for the cake I want to make.
I use a lot of your recipes and I love all of them! Thank you for sharing.
Hi Beth, leaving out the brown sugar would take away from the unique flavor of this particular buttercream, but how about using our vanilla cream cheese frosting instead? You could always add a bit on cinnamon there if you don’t mind the slight coloration.
Thank you!
I made this cake twice and I followed the recipe exactly as written. Unfortunately, both times the cake sank in the middle. I made sure that everything was room temperature, all my ingredients weren’t old, and I didn’t over mix.
Definitely one of your best cakes Sally! (And this is coming from someone who has tried a lot of your cakes!) Everyone loved the cinnamon flavor. As usual, I added a little almond extract to the frosting. I also topped it with mini versions of your snickerdoodle cookies. Thank you as always!
Thank you so much for the positive feedback, Danny — we’re thrilled this cake is one of your favorites!
Hiya, how can I increase this amazing recipe? Need enough cake for 20. Possible? Suggestions appreciated! Thanks
Hi Christine, our cake pan sizes and conversions guide will be helpful for scaling this cake up for different sizes. So glad to hear you enjoy this cake!
Can ceylon cinnamon be used or will it change the flavor?
Made this for an office birthday party. Since we’d need to practice social distancing, I divided the cake into 4 6-inch pans and 18 cupcakes. It worked out perfectly! I did go ahead and make mini snickerdoodles from the suggested recipe and that made for really cute decorations.
This cake is way to much for a simple baker. Maybe if you are a professional you can pull it off. The icing is amazing but the rest not so much.
Sally, you outdid yourself with this one!! It’s incredible. I converted to completely dairy-free (full fat oat milk with lemon juice, plant based butter sticks, & a tiny bit of shortening in the frosting instead of the cream cheese) and it’s absolutely perfect. Had enough frosting for some rosettes on top and that cinnamon sugar swirl is amazing. Bravo!
Hi Sally, LOVE all your recipes!! I was wondering have you ever used this recipe and made cake pops? I’m looking for this flavor profile for an event that I’m doing and your recipes are always great! Just curious 🙂
Hi Kellie, we haven’t personally made cake pops with this cake recipe before, but you certainly can! Let us know what you try.
This cake was a hit! Everyone at the party told me it was the best cake they have ever had, and I’m already getting requests to make it again. I was worried people would rather have a basic chocolate or vanilla cake, etc. but they loved it. You have to make it!