This semi-homemade cake is super easy to make and is perfect for your Thanksgiving or Christmas celebrations. Each bite of Snickerdoodle Cake is sweet, soft and moist with layers of cinnamon buttercream and swirls of cinnamon sugar.
If you like Snickerdoodle Cookies, you’re going to love this Snickerdoodle Cake Recipe. It takes a box of yellow cake mix and transforms into a bakery style cake with luscious brown sugar cinnamon swirled throughout to give it that trademark snickerdoodle flavor we all know and love.
The brown sugar cream cheese buttercream frosting takes it to the next level of delicious. This may soon become your favorite cake!
Serve this easy cake recipe when you’re craving some sweet treats. It’s perfect to serve over the holidays or after a nice meal.
Why You’ll Love Snickerdoodle Layer Cake
- Your favorite cookie in a cake format
- Perfect cake to serve for the holiday season
- A fluffy cake that starts with a box of cake mix
- A crowd pleaser recipe that everyone will be swooning over
- Made with simple ingredients
- Homemade brown sugar cinnamon buttercream is incredibly creamy
Ingredients
Snickerdoodle Cake
- Yellow cake mix
- Eggs
- Milk
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream
- Unsalted butter
- Cream cheese
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Powdered sugar
- Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Cinnamon cereal
How to Make Snickerdoodle Cake
- Step One: Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease three 8-inch cake pans.
- Step Two: In a large mixing bowl, combine the 2 cake mixes, milk, melted butter and eggs. Whisk until all smooth and combined.
- Step Three: Divide the cake batter evenly between the three pans.
- Step Four: Mix the browns sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar across the top of the cakes and swirl through.
- Step Five: Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Step Six: Let the cakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes before transferring from pans to a cooling rack. Cool completely.
How to Make Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Step One: In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese, brown sugar and cinnamon together with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.
- Step Two: Add the powdered sugar to the bowl, a little at time, while continuing to beat with the mixer.
- Step Three: Once the powdered sugar is added, continue to beat until light and fluffy (about 5 to 7 minutes).
How to Assemble
- Step One: Place a cake layer onto a serving plate or cake plate.
- Step Two: Frost the top of the cake with a layer of cinnamon buttercream.
- Step Three: Repeat with the next layer.
- Step Four: Place the final layer on top and frost the whole cake with the cinnamon buttercream. If you like, you can reserve some frosting and pipe a bit on the top and sides for decoration.
- Step Five: Mix the sugar and cinnamon (listed in the topping section) and sprinkle all over the top. Decorate with cinnamon cereal if desired.
Equipment Needed
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Variations and Substitutions
- Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to the cake batter to give it a vanilla flavor.
- Use white cake mix or even spice cake mix if you can’t find yellow cake mix.
- Use dark or light brown sugar in this recipe.
- Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts to the cake batter for a nutty crunch.
- Add a drizzle of caramel sauce on top of each cut piece of cake.
What to Serve with Snickerdoodle Cake
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- It helps to let the cake chill for about 30 minutes before serving to help it set up a little.
- Use cake dowels to keep the cake level if you are transporting the cake. Place them in before you frost the cake.
- Use a cake tester or a tooth pick inserted in the center of the cake to check for doneness. If it comes out wet, it needs more time.
- Use a butter knife to swirl the cinnamon sugar through the cake.
Storage Instructions
Store any leftover cake in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
You can also freeze this cake for up to 3 months. I highly recommend checking out this post on Sally’s Baking Addiction on how to freeze cakes.
Can I Turn This Cake Into Cupcakes?
Yes! You can turn this recipe into cupcakes or into a 9×13 inch cake. Use just 1 cake mix, 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of melted butter and 4 eggs.
Cinnamon Recipes
- Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
- Air Fryer Cinnamon Twists
- Cinnamon Roll Cookies
- Cinnamon Bread
- Cinnamon Coffee Cake
You’ll also like this Pig Pickin Cake.
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Snickerdoodle Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 boxes yellow cake mix 15.25 oz boxes
- 8 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cup brown sugar divided
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter softened
- 1 block cream cheese softened (8oz/250g block)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Topping
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Cinnamon cereal
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease three 8-inch cake pans.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the 2 cake mixes, milk, melted butter and eggs. Whisk until all smooth and combined.
- Divide the cake batter evenly between the three pans.
- Mix the browns sugar and cinnamon together. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar across the top of the cakes and swirl through.
- Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes before transferring from pans to a cooling rack. Cool completely.
Buttercream
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese, brown sugar and cinnamon together with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add the powdered sugar a little at a time to the mixing bowl.
- Whip the frosting with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (about 5 to 7 minutes).
Assembly
- Place a cake layer onto a serving plate or cake plate.
- Frost the top of the cake with a layer of cinnamon buttercream.
- Repeat with the next layer.
- Place the final layer on top and frost the whole cake with the cinnamon buttercream. If you like, you can reserve some frosting and pipe a bit on the top and sides for decoration.
- Mix the sugar and cinnamon (listed in the topping section) and sprinkle all over the top. Decorate with cinnamon cereal if desired.
Kitchen Tools
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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