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Snickerdoodle Cake

Snickerdoodle Cake with 3 layers of decadent cinnamon swirl cake and homemade cream cheese frosting is a cinnamon sugar delight! Classic snickerdoodle cookie taste in cake form!

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Additional Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 966 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For the Cake:
  • 3¾ cups cake flour (468g)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened (227g)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
  • 1 cup buttermilk room temperature (240mL)
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Cinnamon Swirl:
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
For the Frosting:
  • 2 (8-ounce/227g) blocks cream cheese room temperature
  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened (113g)
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar (220g)
  • 6 cups powdered sugar (720g)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

For the Cakes:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease three (8-inch) round cake pans with baking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
  4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until well combined before adding the next one. Stop to scrape down the sides as needed. Beat in the vanilla.
  5. With the mixer on low speed, add a third of the flour mixture, followed but half of the buttermilk. Repeat, alternating between the flour mixture and the buttermilk until both are fully combined. Stop to scrape down the bowl occasionally. Divide the batter among the prepared cake pans.
For the Cinnamon Swirl:
  1. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the cake batter in each pan and swirl gently with the tip of a knife.
  2. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs. Let the cakes cool for 20 minutes in the pans. Invert onto cooling racks, remove the parchment paper, and let the cakes cool completely.
For the Frosting:
  1. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cream cheese and beat until creamy and well combined, about 1 minute.
  2. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar. Stop occasionally and scrape down the bowl. Beat in the vanilla. Once combined, increase the speed to medium-low and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute.
For the Assembly:
  1. Place 1 cup of frosting in a piping bag fitted with a star tip.
  2. Place one cooled cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with 1 cup of frosting, spreading smoothly out to the edges. Place another cake layer on top and repeat with 1 cup of frosting. Top with the final cake layer, and spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides of the cake.
  3. Pipe decorations on the top edge of the cake with the reserved frosting. Chill for 30 minutes to set the frosting before serving. Cake can be covered and stored at room temperature or refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Notes

  • Use cake flour. Cake flour has a lower protein content resulting in a light and soft vanilla cake with the perfect crumb.
  • Set the mixer to a low speed when adding dry ingredients. When mixing in the dry ingredients, use a low speed so that you don’t create clouds of flour and sugar in your kitchen or lose valuable ingredients!
  • Allow time for ingredients to reach room temperature. Some ingredients for this recipe need to be used at room temperature. This includes the buttermilk and eggs for the cake and the cream cheese for the frosting. Plan to remove these ingredients from the refrigerator a few hours before you plan to start baking.
  • Line cake pans with parchment. To easily remove the three cake layers from the pans, grease the pans and line them with a circle of parchment paper. You can use pre-cut parchment rounds or trace your pan and cut your own.
  • Portion the cake batter with a large scoop. To evenly divide the batter between the three cake pans, use a large cookie scoop or ice cream scoop. You can also use a kitchen scale to help ensure that the cakes are the same size.
  • Swirl the cinnamon mixture with the tip of a knife. Using just the tip of the knife, swirl the cinnamon mixture into the cake batter. Move your knife across the pan a few times in a swirl pattern, being careful not to touch the bottom of the pan which may cut the parchment liner.
  • Cool the cake before frosting. While assembling the cake is exciting, make sure the cake layers cool to room temperature before adding the frosting. A hot or warm cake will melt or soften the frosting.
  • Refrigerate the decorated cake for 30 minutes before serving. The icing will firm in the refrigerator for clean slices that are easy to cut.
  • Enjoy the decorating process. This snickerdoodle cake is decorated with simple swirls of frosting, but you can personalize the decoration process. If you’re newer to layer cakes, see my tips on how to decorate a cake for both troubleshooting and inspiration!

Nutrition Information

Calories 966kcal (48%) Carbohydrates 148g (49%) Protein 10g (20%) Fat 39g (60%) Saturated Fat 23g (115%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Monounsaturated Fat 10g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 163mg (54%) Sodium 484mg (20%) Potassium 177mg (5%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 117g (234%) Vitamin A 1342IU (27%) Vitamin C 0.02mg (0%) Calcium 144mg (14%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 966

% Daily Value*

Calories 966kcal 48%
Carbohydrates 148g 49%
Protein 10g 20%
Fat 39g 60%
Saturated Fat 23g 115%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 10g 50%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 163mg 54%
Sodium 484mg 20%
Potassium 177mg 4%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 117g 234%
Vitamin A 1342IU 27%
Vitamin C 0.02mg 0%
Calcium 144mg 14%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.