Fluffy, perfectly moist cake with layers of cinnamon sugar swirl and a cream cheese icing drizzle. This Snickerdoodle Cake recipe is so delicious, easy to make, and perfect for any occasion!
The BEST Snickerdoodle Cake Recipe
Inspired by Snickerdoodle cookies, this Snickerdoodle Cake recipe is truly one of our favorites. Made in a simple 8×8″ cake pan with layers of cake batter and cinnamon sugar, the cake is easily baked to fluffy perfection and then topped with an indulgent cream cheese icing. Cut into slices and there you have it! A beautiful, layered flavorful cake that everyone will love.
Whether you’re making this for a fall gathering, a weekend brunch, or just craving a sweet treat at home, you’ll love the warm flavors of this tasty dessert.
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Ingredients You’ll Need
The ingredients for Snickerdoodle Cake are simple and easy to find! Here’s what you’ll need to get started:
Cinnamon Sugar
- Light Brown Sugar
- Ground Cinnamon
Cake
- Granulated Sugar
- Eggs
- Whole Milk
- Sour Cream
- Unsalted Butter
- Vanilla Extract
- Salt/Baking Powder/Baking Soda
- All-Purpose Flour
- Cream of Tartar
Cream Cheese Drizzle
- Cream Cheese
- Confectioners Sugar (powdered sugar)
- Vanilla Extract
- Whole Milk
How to Make a Snickerdoodle Cake
While this Snickerdoodle Cake looks impressive, it’s actually really easy to make! Here’s how to put this recipe together:
1. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together, then set aside.
2. In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy.
3. Whisk in milk, sour cream, melted butter, vanilla extract, and salt.
4. Add in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cream of tartar, mixing just until combined.
5. Layer the cake batter and cinnamon sugar in an 8×8″ baking pan lined with parchment paper. Use a toothpick or knife to marble the layers, if desired.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 32-35 minutes.
7. While the cake cools, mix the cream cheese ingredients together.
8. Drizzle over the cooled cake, cut into slices, and enjoy!
Tips/Making Ahead
- A trick to getting your eggs to room temperature within minutes: Take whole cold eggs and place them in a bowl. Run warm-hot sink water over the eggs for 1 minute. Then, let the eggs sit in the warm water for 5 minutes before proceeding with the recipe.
- If you don’t have a stand mixer or electric mixer, this recipe can easily be mixed by hand!
- Secret tip: short on time? You can also use cake mix to make the cake batter layer! Shhh…don’t tell anyone!
- Prepare the cake a day or two in advance and make the cream cheese the day you plan to serve it! It will seem as if it was freshly decorated and nobody will know it was prepped in advance.
- Add a little bit of extra cinnamon sugar to the cream cheese frosting, if desired!
- You can also use regular buttercream frosting for this recipe.
How to Store
Iced cake is best stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, then removed and set out at room temperature about 15-30 minutes before serving and enjoying.
More Delicious Cake Recipes
- Strawberry Tres Leches Cake
- Pumpkin Bread With Cream Cheese Frosting
- Tiramisu Cupcakes
- The Best Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Strawberry Crunch Cake
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Easy Snickerdoodle Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Cake
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2/3 cup full fat sour cream
- 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Cream Cheese Drizzle
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1/3 cup confectioners sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8×8” square cake pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper so it overhangs the pan.
Make the Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
- In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside for later.
Make the Cake Batter
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs for 1 minute until pale and fluffy. Next, whisk in the milk, sour cream, melted butter, vanilla extract and salt, just until combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cream of tartar, and whisk until no lumps remain and a batter forms. Don’t overmix otherwise the batter will become dense rather than fluffy.
Assemble the Cake
- Pour half the batter into the pan and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the cake batter with half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Pour the remaining batter on top and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture, and use a butter knife to swirl everything around.
- Bake the cake in the center rack of the oven for 32-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack, in the pan, for 20 minutes. Then, carefully use the parchment paper overhang to lift the cake out of the pan and set back to fully cool before icing the cake.
Make the Cream Cheese Drizzle
- In a medium bowl, use a rubber spatula to press the confectioner's sugar into the cream cheese for 3 minutes, until the cream cheese has loosened and becomes smoother.
- Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Switch to a whisk and add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time, until the mixture is a smooth consistency.
- Drizzle over the mostly cooled cake.
Notes
- A trick to getting your eggs to room temperature within minutes: Take whole cold eggs and place them in a bowl. Run warm-hot sink water over the eggs for 1 minute. Then, let the eggs sit in the warm water for 5 minutes before proceeding with the recipe.
- Prepare the cake a day or two in advance and make the cream cheese the day you plan to serve it! It will seem as if it was freshly decorated and nobody will know it was prepped in advance.
- Iced cake is best stored in the fridge, and removed from the refrigerator 15-30 minutes before serving.
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