One of my favorite cake recipes is for this high altitude snickerdoodle cake. Just the aroma of the butter, cinnamon and sugar is intoxicating! This is a buttermilk cake with butter and cream cheese in the batter, for a rich, moist and dense cake that’s somewhere between a cake and a cookie. It’s frosted with cinnamon vanilla bean buttercream and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, and has become a favorite cake with everyone who tastes it. This cake deserves to be made again and again, especially in the fall.
Looking for more snickerdoodle recipes? You’ll love these high altitude snickerdoodle cookies, snickerdoodle muffins, and no churn cinnamon ice cream.
This post was originally written in May 2014, updated in November 2021.
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The Flavor of Snickerdoodles in a Cake
So before we get into making this snickerdoodle cake, let’s talk about snickerdoodle cookies. Snickerdoodles are soft, chewy, sweet and spicy cookies that are coated in cinnamon and sugar. They taste like butter, cinnamon and vanilla. They’re also tangy, from the addition of the leavening agent, cream of tartar. That tanginess is what sets them apart from every other cookie, giving them their own unique flavor.
Snickerdoodles have been around since the 1800s, and their name is half the fun (the other half being how fun and delicious they are to eat). They are likely Dutch or German in origin, and their name may have come from the German word Schneckennudeln, which roughly translates as “crinkly cookies”. Or maybe it was just a fun and silly word that someone made up!
To get as much snickerdoodle flavor into today’s cake as possible, of course there’s plenty of butter, sugar and cinnamon. There’s also buttermilk, which is rich and sour, and perfectly emulates the tangy flavor of the cream of tartar. This is also a more dense cake, almost like a pound cake, so you really feel like you’re eating a snickerdoodle cookie but in a delicious soft cake.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
To emulate that tangy essence of snickerdoodle cookies, I knew that my recipe for snickerdoodle cake needed to be made with buttermilk. Buttermilk is acidic and tangy, and it’s the perfect ingredient to both flavor the cake and give it a beautiful texture and soft crumb.
I make this high altitude cake using the standard creaming method. First, I cream together softened butter and cream cheese (which also adds more snickerdoodle flavor) with granulated sugar and brown sugar until fluffy. Then, I add in the eggs and vanilla.
For the dry ingredients, I sift cake flour together with baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Then I add the dry ingredients to the batter, alternating with the buttermilk.
Because this is essentially a pound cake, you can expect your cake layers to be tender, rich, moist, with a velvety crumb that’s a little dense.
Cinnamon Vanilla Bean Buttercream
The buttercream on this cake is spiced with quite a bit of cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg and salt, and real vanilla bean, although you can use vanilla bean paste also. It’s fluffy and creamy, cinnamony and sweet, and complements the cake perfectly.
An extra sprinkling of cinnamon-sugar on top of the cake adds that cookie essence, since snickerdoodles are always coated in cinnamon-sugar before they’re baked.
TIP: If you found my original snickerdoodle cake on Pinterest (pictured further down in the post), you’ll notice that cake was a shorter, 3-layer, 8-inch cake. I’ve since updated the photos with a taller, 4-layer, 6-inch cake. You can make either version with the amount of batter in this recipe.
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare four 6-inch round cake pans (or three 8-inch round pans) by spraying the bottoms only with non-stick spray.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese and sugars for 5-7 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Scrape the bowl down and beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating for a full minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour; mix just until combined.
- Divide the batter between the pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out with moist crumbs but not batter. Set the pans on wire racks, cover loosely with clean kitchen towels, and cool completely before frosting.
TIP: The cake can also be made one day ahead of time; keep fresh and moist by cooling in the pans for one hour, then turning out the warm cakes onto pieces of plastic wrap. Wrap each cake individually in plastic wrap and assemble/frost/decorate the following day, or freeze for several months.
Buttercream
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter and vanilla bean seeds/paste for one minute.
- In a separate bowl, combine the powdered sugar, meringue powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, then with the mixer on low, add by spoonfuls to the butter until mostly combined.
- Add the milk or cream and whip on medium high, scraping the bowl down occasionally, for 4-5 minutes until very light and fluffy.
- Stack the cakes, filling them with a ¼ inch thick layer of buttercream between each. Frost all over with a thin crumb coat of buttercream, then chill for 15 minutes before frosting all over with a final layer of buttercream.
- Arrange the Pirouettes around the sides of the cake. For a shorter 8-inch cakes, you can cut the Pirouettes in half. For a taller 6-inch cake, keep the Pirouettes whole.
- If desired, fit a piping bag with tip 1M to pipe a rosette on top of the cake, then sprinkle with the cinnamon/sugar mixture.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common questions with cake making, so that you can be successful in your own baking! I also suggest reading these comprehensive posts on making Perfect American Buttercream, How to Stack, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost Layer Cakes and How to Use Piping Bags.
My Original Snickerdoodle Cake Design
When I first made this cake, I placed Pirouette Cookies all around the sides of the cake, piped buttercream roses on top with a generous sprinkling of cinnamon-sugar, and wrapped the whole thing up with a ribbon. People loved this design. I’ve seen so many re-creations over the years with the Pirouettes and the ribbon and rosettes. People have told me how they made this cake for weddings and birthdays and Mother’s Days, and it’s a cake that has become beloved by so many of their friends and family. I love that my cake has been a part of so many special celebrations. I’ve even heard from someone who made this cake to sell at a charity auction, where it sold for $2700!!
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common questions with cake making, so that you can be successful in your own baking! I also suggest reading these comprehensive posts on making Perfect American Buttercream, How to Stack, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost Layer Cakes and How to Use Piping Bags.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still make this recipe if I don’t live at high altitude?
You can make it with a few adjustments for lower altitude. This article has good guidelines on how to adjust recipes for various altitudes.
Is this supposed to be a dense or fluffy cake?
This is a more dense cake that’s very moist and rich, somewhat like a pound cake.
What tip did you use to pipe the roses?
Tip 1M.
What can I substitute for the buttermilk?
If you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, you can make your own sour milk with 1 cup of whole milk + 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
How many Pirouettes will I need?
For a taller 6-inch cake, one can isn’t enough, so definitely get two cans. For a shorter 8-inch cake, you can cut the Pirouettes in half, so one can will be enough.
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Did you love today’s recipe? Please rate the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought! Also, be sure to follow Curly Girl Kitchen on Instagram, and tag me when you try one of my recipes so I can see all your delicious creations!
High Altitude Snickerdoodle Cake
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
Ingredients
Cake
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks or 6 oz), softened to room temperature
- 3 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups cake flour (or all-purpose flour), spooned and leveled
- ¾ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 cup whole buttermilk
Buttercream
- 2 cups unsalted butter (1 lb), softened to room temperature
- 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (or 2 tsp vanilla bean paste, or 1 tbsp vanilla extract)
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp meringue powder (optional)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 2-4 tbsp milk or cream, if needed for desired consistency
- cinnamon & sugar, for sprinkling on top (1 tbsp granulated sugar + 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon)
- 1-2 cans Pirouettes cookies (see note)
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare three 8-inch round pans by spraying the bottoms only with non-stick spray. (Note that for a taller cake, bake the batter in four 6-inch pans.)
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese and sugars for 5-7 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Scrape the bowl down and beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating for a full minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour; mix just until combined.
- Divide the batter between the pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out with moist crumbs but not batter. Set the pans on wire racks, cover loosely with clean kitchen towels, and cool completely before frosting.(The cake can also be made one day ahead of time; keep fresh and moist by cooling in the pans for one hour, then turning out the warm cakes onto pieces of plastic wrap. Wrap each cake individually in plastic wrap and assemble/frost/decorate the following day, or freeze for several months.)
Buttercream
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter and vanilla bean seeds/paste for one minute.
- In a separate bowl, combine the powdered sugar, meringue powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, then with the mixer on low, add by spoonfuls to the butter until mostly combined.
- Add the milk or cream and whip on medium high, scraping the bowl down occasionally, for 4-5 minutes until very light and fluffy.
- Stack the cakes, filling them with a ¼ inch thick layer of buttercream between each. Frost all over with a thin crumb coat of buttercream, then chill for 15 minutes before frosting all over with a final layer of buttercream.
- Arrange the Pirouettes around the sides of the cake. For a shorter 8-inch cakes, you can cut the Pirouettes in half. For a taller 6-inch cake, keep the Pirouettes whole.
- If desired, fit a piping bag with tip 1M to pipe a rosette on top of the cake, then sprinkle with the cinnamon/sugar mixture.
Notes
- For best results, read all the instructions and ingredients lists before getting started. This cake is moist, dense and rich, since it’s intended to be like a snickerdoodle cookie but in cake form.
- In addition to letting your butter and cream cheese soften to room temperature so that you can easily cream them with the sugar, you should let all your dairy ingredients (including eggs and buttermilk) warm up to room temperature, which makes for a better cake batter.
- You can (and I have) make this cake using all-purpose flour instead of cake flour, however, the cake flour makes a much lighter and more tender cake that is just heavenly.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, pour 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar into a liquid measuring cup, then add whole milk up to the 1 cup line. Warm in the microwave on high for one minute to curdle the milk. You don’t need to let it cool, and can add it to your batter while it’s warm.
- For the Pirouettes, you’ll need 2 cans of cookies for a tall 6-inch cake. For a shorter 8-inch cake, you can cut the Pirouettes in half and just use 1 can.
Amazzzzzing!! Everyone’s favorite dessert at Thanksgiving yesterday! I followed your recipe to the T and it turned out perfectly. I was very pleased that your frosting recipe actually made enough frosting to make the cake look like your picture!! I left off the pirouette cookies, as the sides looked too perfect to cover and left off the bow out of fear of wasting any frosting that would have stuck to it!! Love the tangy flavor of the cakes. Love the dense, ultra moist texture. Nailed it. Thanks for sharing!!!!
I'm so happy to hear that! I love that you made it for Thanksgiving. I always like to have a beautiful cake, along with all the pie, at my Thanksgiving dinners, too. 🙂
I made this cake a few years ago for my fiance's birthday and it is the best cake I've ever had in my LIFE. I got sick off the frosting before i even ate it because it was so good.
Let me say, it was the first cake i ever made from scratch and the instructions weren't confusing at all, even with having to tweak for a lower elevation.
And the texture…I'm in love with how divine it it is. The density is awesome, really more cakes need to be this dense. I shared it with everyone i knew, even casting off slivers for friends. They haven't stopped bugging me about it since.
Ive thought of trying this sort of cake with a spiced orange glaze, maybe even a chai tea base. One can get real creative with this cake. Thank you so incredibly much for sharing.
Mmmm, I like your thought about the orange or the chai tea. You're right, there are so many ways to enhance the flavor of a recipe!
Snickerdoodles are my favorite cookies, so I definitely need to try this cake! It sounds and looks amazing and delicious! <3
Hello dear,
The recipe of Snicker doodle Cake is really amazing. And definitely I want to try this at my home for my parents. But I have a question about it can you answer me that can I make it egg less or not? Please suggest me.
Hello! I made this cake twice before realizing that I didn’t know how much baking powder to put in! The instructions mention it, but the ingredients list doesn’t have it. Thank you!
Oh, I’m so sorry! I’ve fixed that in the recipe. It’s 1 1/4 tsp baking powder. Thank you for letting me know!
This cake is insanely good. I love love love how dense it is, while still being soft and not overwhelmingly sweet! It’s like a cross between a regular vanilla cake and a chiffon cake. Love it. For my cake, I baked two actual snickerdoodle cookies in 6″ pans and added those between the layers for extra snickerdoodle effect! Everyone raved about it. I’m going to omit the cinnamon (I used cinnamon instead of nutmeg) and use it as my go-to vanilla cake from now on!
I’m so glad you loved it! The snickerdoodle cookie layer inside sounds amazing..
This cake looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it. Question…. Can I put the cookies on the day before it is served or will they get soggy? Thanks for the recipe 😋
The Pirouettes don’t get soggy, since they’re just touching the frosting, and not the cake. So it’s fine to make and assemble it a day in advance. I hope you love it!
It came out so beautiful and delicious 😋 I wish I could post a pic.