The Best Snickerdoodle Cake with Cinnamon Sugar Swirl Filling

Snickerdoodle Cake – tender cinnamon cake layers with a crunchy cinnamon sugar spread and white chocolate ganache filling and cinnamon sugar frosting.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

The kids and I made snickerdoodle cookies the other day and I was reminded how much I love a classic snickerdoodle! They’re so easy to make and the buttery cookie base with cinnamon sugar rolled on top is just simplicity at its finest. As I ate one, I couldn’t help but wonder how I could turn the classic cookie into a cake.

Snickerdoodle Cake

To get lots of flavor in this cake, I decided to do three buttery vanilla cake layers all split into two layers. Splitting each layer into two layers menas MORE FILLING!

Fillings

For the fillings, I used a cinnamon sugar spread made with sugar, cinnamon, and butter. I love the texture it adds to the cake, as well as the added punch of cinnamon sugar. 

I also decided to add a little drizzle of white chocolate between each layer too, but you can leave that out if you want!

Tip: make sure to split your layers once they’ve cooled completely to room temperature.

HOW TO MAKE MOIST CAKES FROM SCRATCH

• Preheat oven 30 minutes before baking.
• Use room temperature ingredients.
• Spray your pan. Line with parchment paper.
• Beat butter and sugar on high for a few minutes.
• Turn mixer to LOW once you add dry ingredients.
• Don’t over bake your cake layer. When you insert a toothpick in the center of the cake it should come out with a few moist crumbs on it.

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

To get a light and fluffy homemade buttercream frosting, I have a detailed post: HOW TO MAKE THE BEST BUTTERCREAM to give you in depth instruction for making your buttercream unreal! Here’s a quick overview.

• Sift your powdered sugar
• Use slightly cold butter and mix on its own for 2 to 3 minutes
• Use heavy whipping cream
• Beat for 5 minutes
• Stir by hand

Snickerdoodle Cake

5 from 39 votes

Tender cinnamon cake layers with a cinnamon sugar spread and white chocolate ganache filling and cinnamon sugar frosting.

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Ingredients

  

FOR THE CAKE

• 1 1/2 cups (339 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2 3/4 (550 g) cups sugar
• 9 egg whites at room temperature
• 4 1/2 cups (517.5 g) cake flour
• 2 tablespoons (24 g) baking powder
• 1 1/2 (8.4 g) teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon (8 g) cinnamon
• 2 1/4 cups (540 g) buttermilk at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon (13 g) pure vanilla extract

FOR THE FILLING

• 1 cup (200 g) sugar
• 1/4 cup (32 g) cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter melted

FOR THE GANACHE

• 1 1/4 cup (188 g) white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup (115.5 g) heavy whipping cream

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• 3 cups (681 g) unsalted butter slightly cold
• 3/4 cup (165 g) brown sugar
• 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar measured and then sifted
• 3 teaspoons (12.6 g) pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon (8 g) cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping you’ll want to make an extra ½ batch.

Instructions

 

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare three 8 inch or four 6 inch round pans with nonstick spray, parchment paper and another layer of nonstick spray.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
• Stir vanilla into buttermilk. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed using the paddle attachment. Cream until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• With the mixer on low, add egg whites one at a time. Mixing well after each egg.
• Add one third of your dry ingredients and mix just until combined. 
• Add one half of your buttermilk. Mix. Alternate ingredients again. Dry, wet, dry and mix gently. Do not over mix.
• Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake 35-40 minutes. Cake is finished when a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. 
• Cool 10-20 minutes before inverting cakes from pans. Cool completely before assembling cake or wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate if not using until the next day.

FOR THE FILLING

• Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir until incorporated.

FOR THE GANACHE

• In a small sauce pan, heat the cream to a simmer and then pour over the white chocolate chips in a separate bowl. 
• Let the cream sit on top of the chips for 10 minutes, and then stir until glossy and shiny. 

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• In a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar together for 3-6 minutes until nice and fluffy.
• Gradually add the powdered sugar, and then the vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. You can add a tablespoon or two of cream if the frosting feels too dense. Beat the frosting again for another few minutes.

ASSEMBLY

• After cakes are cooled and chilled, divide each cake in two, horizontally. Place your first cake layer, face up, on a cake plate or foil wrapped cardboard. Spread the cake with about ½ cup of buttercream and then three tablespoons of the cinnamon sugar filling, followed by a drizzle of the white chocolate ganache.
• Place your next cake layer on top and repeat.
• Crumb coat the cake with the brown sugar frosting and chill for 15 minutes.
• Frost the cake with the remaining brown sugar buttercream. Can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, overnight but make sure to serve room temperature.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Cake

Keyword: Beginner, Snickerdoodle Cake