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 an alternative.
- 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
- 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.
PrintSnickerdoodle 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 sour milk 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.
This cake turned out beautiful and the whole family loved it. I really like that the cake is not too sweet. I made half the cake and swirl batter and use (2) 8” cake pans for a two layer cake.
Made exactly as directed, using homemade cake flour. It was delicious and everyone loved it! Very tall cake!
Is there any way to half this recipe? I would like to make for a birthday party this weekend but 3 9” cakes will be too big.
Hi Valerie, I have not tested it but you can certainly try. It might work in three 6-inch pans. Don’t fill the pans more than 2/3 full and if you have any extra batter you can always make a couple of extra cupcakes! Let me know if you try it!
As soon as you published this recipe I knew I had to make it. I didn’t grow up with snickerdoodles but they’re my favorite cookie now, I absolutely love cinnamon in everything! I made this for my birthday cake and can honestly say, after baking many, many, many of your recipes that this is my FAVORITE cake ever! Moist & fluffy and full of brown sugar cinnamon deliciousness! I cannot get enough! And the frosting, OMG, i can eat it by the spoonful! Thanks Sally!
Hi Sally! Sorry if you already answered this (I looked through recipe and reviews but couldn’t find!) – I would like to make this a two layer cake instead of three using two 9 inch pans. Do you have suggestions about conversions of measurements and bake time? Thank you! Love all that you do and can’t wait to make this 🙂
Hi Debrah, For a smaller 2 layer cake you can use my white cake batter and swirl in the cinnamon swirl.
So I ended up buying a third cake pan so I could make this as is! WOW did it turn out perfect and delicious! Everyone was raving. I always feel so confident baking one of your cakes because I know whatever I am making will come out great! Thank you Sally!
I used Tofutti cream cheese to make the frosting and it turned out fabulous.
Sally this cake is wonderful, everyone in my family loved it. But unfortunately, no leftovers for me.
Hi! Does it matter if I use unbleached or bleached cake flour for this or is it all preference? Thank you!
Hi Katina, While you likely won’t notice a difference in most baked goods, for the fluffiest cakes I reach for bleached flour.
Hi Sally,
I see that bleached flour is better for fluffy cakes. But for this cake, would you recommend cake flour or all purpose? I know you said it could be either. Is one better for this recipe? Also, which brand all purpose flour do you tend to use? Thanks!!
Hi Nabeela! Cake flour is best for this cake. We usually use King Arthur all purpose flour. Happy baking!
Hi Sally.
Cam this be made with gluten free all purpose flour?
Hi Jessica, I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flour but let me know if you try!
Hi Sally,
I can’t wait to try this cake! I want to make it for Xmas dinner but the design that I am envisioning will require me to dye the frosting. Do you think this cake would taste okay with a vanilla buttercream?
Hi Aubrey, Yes, this cake is still delicious with vanilla buttercream! Enjoy!
Hi Sally! Can this recipe be made into a Bundt cake? I’m dying to try it and want to make it for Christmas but I’m not sure I’d have time to assemble a layer cake, so I’d love to make it in a bundt with a browned butter glaze/icing. What do you think?? Thanks!
It would be great! I’m unsure of the exact bake time though. Make sure you use a large Bundt pan with at least 10-12 cups capacity. The larger the better.
I made this recipe and it is easily now one of my favorite ever! The flavors are amazing and the cake is the perfect texture. So much goodness! And the icing is spectacular. Make this cake!
I want to bake the layers for this 2 weeks ahead and freeze them for a party. Since it’s meant to be “light & airy” will the texture be the same if I freeze/thaw before frosting? Just concerned because I have several recipes that I often bake ahead/freeze layers (chocolate, banana) but those are dense textured cakes. Thanks for any advice – don’t want to lose that lovely light texture for this cake!!
Hi Madeline! I’ve never had an issue with freezing/thawing these cake layers. See my How to Freeze Cakes for detailed instructions on how I freeze them. 🙂
Thanks Sally! I will be baking my layers tomorrow night and freezing them! So excited to serve this cake at our Chanukah party. When I baked 4 types of cupcakes for my daughter’s graduation party, your Snickerdoodle cupcakes were everyone’s favorites! Will be baking several other treats as well, will post some pics on FB when I’m done!
This cake was awesome! Be sure to mix the swirl into the cake deep/well so when you level the cakes you don’t cut off most of the yummy swirl. My family loved it and my office loved the leftovers!
Made this over the weekend and it was fabulous….thanks for sharing with the world!
I made this recipe as cupcakes for a work carry-in and received many compliments! I almost couldn’t believe how light and airy the batter was. The only issue I had was that the cinnamon swirl was quite thick, and sank to the middle of the cupcakes because it was heavier than the batter. It did not sink all the way to the bottom though, so it really wasn’t even an issue at all. Absolutely delicious, Sally!
Hi Sally, My daughter picked this for her birthday last weekend, and I’ve never gotten so many over the top compliments! Everyone loved it!
I do have one question, the icing was slightly gritty. I loved the brown sugar flavor, but I think that is what did it. Any suggestions for next time to avoid this?
I’m thrilled that this cake was such a hit, Johanna! For the brown sugar to really be incorporated into the frosting you likely just need to beat it longer in your mixer. You can also try adding the brown sugar with the butter and mix that until smooth before adding the rest of the ingredients!
Can’t wait to make this, I’m having a dinner party next week. My question is how to convert this to 8-inch pans. Should I cut it back & if so by how much?
You can use three 8-inch pans without changing anything. Your layers will be slightly thicker but bake time will be about the same.
Hi Sally:
I want to make this cake tomorrow, using three 6-inch rounds because I don’t need such a large cake. I’d prefer to adapt this recipe vs. using your snicker doodle cupcakes recipe, because the use of cake flour, buttermilk and additional egg whites in this recipe sounds like it would yield a better crumb for my cake. So, how can I adapt it to smaller? Cut in half? By a third? What about baking time? Thanks!!
Hi Ro! See my reply to this question above using the vanilla cupcakes (egg whites, cake flour!) as suggested. 🙂
Hi Sally
If I wanted to make this in three 6-inch pans, would I make half the recipe?
Thanks, it sounds delicious!
Hi Ro, you can use my snickerdoodle cupcakes recipe for a 3 layer 6 inch cake or even use my vanilla cupcakes recipe. Halve the cinnamon swirl and frosting. Swirl the cinnamon layer into each cupcake.
This one was a huge hit! I already have requests to make it for the holidays.
For anyone with only two cake pans – I didn’t put it together that the cinnamon swirl would be sitting out too while the first layers baked and was worried about it hardening, but it turned out just fine! However it probably would’ve been better to make that in two stages.
Do you only line the pan bottoms or the sides also?. Thx.
Hi Brenda, just the bottom of the pan.
Hi Sally,
Do you think this cake would work well, pinata style? Thinking of following your snickerdoodle recipe, only to make 4 layers out of it (I guess by increasing all ingredients by a third), cut 2 middle layers and stuff cake with candies…. Would you reckon that could work?
Thanks!
Yes, I think that would work! You can follow my instructions for assembling a piñata style cake here: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/how-to-make-a-pinata-cake/
I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfectly! My sons said the frosting reminded them of the butter from Texas Roadhouse – delicious!
The only thing I will do differently next time is use dark brown sugar rather than the light. 🙂
Thank you, Sally! ❤️
I was wondering if this cake could be made in a bundt pan. Looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it out.
Hi Hilda! I can’t see why not. I’m unsure of the exact bake time. Make sure you use a large Bundt pan with at least 10-12 cups capacity. The larger the better.
Hi Sally,
I have been following you for 2 years now. Always kept baking the same ol’stuff. Up until very recently did not have the time to attempt one of your wonderful cakes, cookies etc.
Well the time was right and FINALLY was able to “bake with Sally.” I made your Snickerdoodle cake and icing. The batter was the creamiest softest batter I have yet to come across! The icing omg – a thesaurus would be required to describe the soft, silky texture along with the vanilla, cinnamy sweet aroma that came floating from the bowl.
Anything I was unsure of I found the answer for on your site. Sally, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and end result was phenoninal.
This average baker thanks you as I made my 1st ever triple layer cake.
2- This average baker purchased the necessary #8 tip and icing bag etc. to decorate her 1st also naked cake!!
THANK YOU
Hi Sally…. I made this cake for our anniversary…. it was a big hit .. everybody loved it …. followed your instructions to the tee … THANKS❤️
This cake is delicious and the layers are very moist and airy! The frosting tastes great but I had a lot of trouble frosting the cake. The layers were sliding a lot while I was icing. I also had a lot of trouble getting it to look straight and not lop sighted from the layers sliding. I double checked if I added the right amount of the ingredients and I did add the correct amount. I was wondering if I could leave out the milk/heavy cream or the 1/4 cup of butter to make it a little stiffer?
Hi Zoe! Were the layers completely cool? I find cold cakes are much easier to work with, so you can always refrigerate the cake layers prior to assembling a layer cake. Feel free to play around with the frosting recipe too. You can leave out the milk/cream if needed. If it’s not too late, a little confectioners’ sugar will help thicken the frosting back up.
Already made it and love it. Great recipe Sally and the cinnamon chunks are delicious!
Can it be made in a 9 x 13 inch pan? You normally leave this type of instruction, and since you did not mention this pan size, I assume there would be a problem.
Hi Joan! 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. I would cut the frosting recipe in half just so you don’t have too much leftover.
I only have 2round cake pans. Will that work? Maybe increase the baking time?
Hi Sherrie! No, there is too much batter for a 2 layer cake. You can bake 2 cakes at the same time, keep the extra batter covered lightly at room temperature, then bake the 3rd layer when the cake pan is ready.