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
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.
Thank you for this recipe. I made it for my niece’s birthday and several people said it was the best cake they’ve ever had. Now I am making it again to send to my nephew’s girlfriend who still raves about it a year later.
That makes me so happy to hear! Thank you!
I just made this for my daughter’s birthday. The cake turned out fantastic! Just like a snickerdoodle cookie but better. The cake was super moist and had a nice crumb. It held up really well to layering. I made some variations on the filling for my daughter. She wanted caramel, so I replaced the cinnamon sugar layer with a caramel ganache (caramel poured over the white chocolate). To bring back cinnamon, I steeped cinnamon in the cream before pouring over the white chocolate for the white chocolate ganache. Even with those changes the cake was still definitely SNICKERDOODLE!! Thanks!!!
Oh that sounds so good!
I was really wanting to make this one this week, but I am not seeing the actual recipe no matter what device I look it up on. Is the recipe currently up and I’m doing something wrong or is it getting updated and currently not on the website? Thanks!
It’s there! Can you see it now?
Please repost this recipe! It appears to have gone missing from this page. Thank you!
It’s there! Can you see it?
Yep, it’s back! Thank you!
Looking at the recipe it calls for 3 cups of butter. Is that correct or is it 3 sticks. It feels like a lot of butter compared to your other buttercream recipes. Thank you
There’s more because it’s going in the middle of the cake as well.
I’m excited to try this recipe however will be making a gluten-free cake tell me what the adjustment is versus cake flour
1 to !
My moms favorite cookie is snickerdoodle so when I say this recipe I new I had to make is for her birthday. It was a hit. Everybody loved it!! I can’t wait to make it again!
I love hearing this! Thank you for sharing with me!
Is it possible to sub milk for the buttermilk?
No.
It is possible. You can use another type of milk (even skim). It just won’t be as soft and moist of a cake. Another hack, add 1 T of vinegar or lemon juice to one cup milk, let sit 10 min. It makes the milk coddle which makes buttermilk.
This looks delicious!! Is there a way to make this into a 9″ cake? Could I use 9″ pans, thinner layers and bake a tad shorter?
Just use 2 9-inch pans.
Hi Courtney,
I have made this recipe three times now and the texture is off every time. It comes out with lots of air bubbles. I sifted my dry ingredients and made sure not to overmix as well. I was thinking it was because my butter was too cold, but the second time I made it my butter was the right temp and it still came out the same way. I noticed this recipe has a lot of baking powder compared to other recipes, is it possible there is a typo and meant to be 2 teaspoons instead of tablespoons? The buttercream and filling are fantastic. Thanks!
I’ll take a look. Definitely should be two tablespoons, but one is usually right for this kind of cake. Sorry for my error.
Ok! So I should go ahead and try it with just one tablespoon of baking powder?
Is it necessary to divide each cake layer into two? So, I can I make it with 3 layers (8”) rather than slicing into 6 (thinner) layers.
You don’t have to if you don’t want to.
This cake was absolutely amazing. The cake texture was so velvety and the flavor did not disappoint. Snickerdoodle cookies are my favorite and you definitely nailed it with this cake. I will be making this again very soon. I ordered your book today and I can’t wait to try another recipe.
Thank you!!!
I always make my family members cakes for their birthdays. Ny daughter-in-law was going to celebrate her 25th birthday. She told me her favorite flavors for desserts would be vanilla, cinnamon and caramel. I love Snickerdoodles and searched for a Snickerdoodle cake recipe. I came across this recipe and made it. Everyone thought it was delicious, even my two-year old grandson. I did not use the white chocolate though. So, this recipe is a keeper!!
I havent made the cake yet but before I do I want to be sure its 2 tablespoon of baking powder. I saw one person asked and your answer wasnt clear. Please let me know. Thanks
Yes its 2 tbsp
This cake is fantastic! I made it for my husband’s 25th birthday party. He asked for a snickerdoodle cake and I wasn’t sure if it even existed. It was delicious, and I have never seen my husband so pleased with any cake. It was even better the next few days. I’m so glad I found this recipe, and I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
This makes me so happy!! thank you!!
Question about making this in advance! I want to make this for my son’s birthday next week but won’t have time in the days leading up (besides a quick assembly that morning). I love how you often recommend freezing cakes in order to make ahead of time, but can you let me know your recommendation for this one? Would you make the entire thing and freeze completed and thaw in the fridge the night before the party? Or would you make all of the individual elements, freeze them, and then assemble the day of? Thank you!
Make the entire thing. Freeze. Move to the fridge the morning of the party and then take out a few hours before serving.
I made this for mother’s day/my mom’s birthday this year because snickerdoodle is her favorite cookie and wow this was such a hit! The cinnamon buttercream paired with the cake layers and the crunchy cinnamon sugar filling was an amazing combination.
Yay thank you for letting me know!
Hi there! Can this recipe be made into cupcakes?
yea!
This cake was amazing. My son requested a snickerdoodle cake for his birthday and loved this. I am sure he will request this again.
Thank you!
Yay!
Hello, planning to make this cake for my fiance’s birthday. Can you please clarify if it is 1 tablespoon or 2 of baking powder? This will be the first one of your recipes I’m trying, so excited!
its 2
Hi! I’m planning on making this for my wedding! Would it be okay to freeze a completed cake for about 6 days before bringing it to room temperature for the day of the wedding?
Yes!!
I made this cake and it was amazing…everyone loved it. I do have a question though. I only have 9-inch round pans. I still did 3 and it seemed to be fine, would it be better to just do 2?
So glad you loved it! Totally depends if you want your layers to be on the thicker side. The three 9-inch pans just requires you bake it for a tad less time.
My son loves the brown butter snickerdoodles from your new cookbook and requested this cake for his upcoming baptism. Since he loved the cookies so much, I wondered if browning the butter for this cake to make it a brown butter snickerdoodle cake would be an option? It would take this cake to a whole news level of deliciousness. Would I need to change any elements to the cake at all or just brown the butter and make everything as usual? Thanks!
It would be delicious. I would add just a touch more fat in the recipe, so a little buttermilk or even a little oil would do the trick.