The Pioneer Woman Tasty Kitchen
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Snickerdoodle Cake with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream

4.62 Mitt(s) 8 Rating(s)8 votes, average: 4.62 out of 58 votes, average: 4.62 out of 58 votes, average: 4.62 out of 58 votes, average: 4.62 out of 58 votes, average: 4.62 out of 5

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Level: Intermediate

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Description

The name says it all: Snickerdoodle Cake with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream. This is the well-loved snickerdoodle cookie rewritten as a moist cinnamon vanilla butter cake layered and surrounded by a smooth, decadent buttercream that’s laced with sweet ground cinnamon and brown sugar.

Ingredients

  • FOR THE CAKE:
  • 1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
  • 1-½ cup Cake Flour
  • 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
  • ½ teaspoons Salt
  • 1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
  • 2 sticks Butter, Softened To Room Temperature
  • 1-¾ cup Fine Granulated Sugar
  • 4 whole Large Eggs, Room Temperature
  • 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1-¼ cup Whole Milk, Warmed To Room Temperature
  • FOR THE BUTTERCREAM:
  • 4-½ sticks Butter, Softened To Room Temperature
  • 1 cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
  • 2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
  • 8 cups To 9 Cups Confectioners Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • ½ cups Half-and-half
  • Whole Cinnamon Sticks, For Garnish (optional)

Preparation

For the cake:
Preheat oven to 325°F.

Butter and flour two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy and pale in colour. Beat in the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each egg and scraping down the bowl between each addition. Then add the vanilla. Next, add about 1/3 of the milk, beat to incorporate, then add 1/3 of the flour, again beating to incorporate. Repeat this process, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until all of the milk and flour are added and mixed in evenly.

Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and bake in the preheated oven, rotating midway through, for about 35 minutes or until the cake tests done.

Let the cakes cool in the pans on a rack for 5 minutes before turning them out onto the racks to finish cooling.

To make the buttercream:
Beat together the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until fluffy and pale in colour. Add 6 cups of the confectioner’s sugar and the vanilla extract and beat, starting on low and moving up to high, until it is fully incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and add the half and half. Beat to incorporate again. Add another 2 cups of the confectioner’s sugar and beat, starting on low and moving up to high, until fully incorporated.

Check the consistency of the buttercream. If it needs to be thicker, add the remaining confectioner’s sugar. If it is too thick, add more half and half a teaspoon at a time, beating after each addition, until it reaches the consistency you like.

To assemble and frost the cake:
Level out your cooled cakes (cut a sliver of the round top off so that the top is level) and then cut each cake, horizontally, into two even layers (so you’ll have 4 layers total).

Place one layer on a cake plate then add a layer of buttercream, spreading to the edges and evening out as you go. Repeat the process as you add the remaining layers.

Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining buttercream.

If desired, garnish the top of the cake with whole cinnamon sticks.
Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before slicing.

Store leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator.

8 Comments

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free to be me on 2.2.2012

Okay, Rebecca, I am completely obsessed with your recipes! This would happen on the night I vowed to eat a flax seed smoothie for dinner every night for the next month! Well, I guess I will be having some fabulous breakfasts and lunches instead! :)

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dragonfly22 on 9.4.2011

My son loves snickerdoodles so I’m planning to make this for his birthday cake this week! Thanks for the recipe.

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ohsweetgal on 8.30.2011

I am saving this! It looks divine!

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EatLiveRun on 8.30.2011

oh.my.word. This looks DIVINE!

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WenDee Riffe on 8.30.2011

dang~~this is for sure a cake that one eats for special occasions!!! mmmmmm…good!!!!!!!!!!!!

8 Reviews

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Alicia on 2.8.2012

Delicious cake, especially a day or two later. My husband thought is was wonderful. Next time I will just make half the icing.

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The Cyclist's Wife on 1.12.2012

I made this for my hubby’s b-day since he is a lover of all things snickerdoodle. The cake was not difficult to make, but did take some time. I agree there was a ton of frosting, but that is the idea with this cake I think (check out the picture, it speaks and says “frosting”). The cake itself was much more dense than I thought it would be, but had a great flavor. I agree it would make a nice bread all by itself. The frosting was delicious. The cake and frosting together were delectable. I will make this again, but only for special occasions as it is totally NOT on any New Year diet plan. Six and a half cubes of butter?! Dang. Worth it though.

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jaerodriguez on 1.9.2012

This cake was amazing. I love cinnamon, so this might be my new favorite cake. I did have a bit of trouble icing the cake, it was very crumbly, but that was probably user error! :]

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cookingtree on 9.12.2011

Made this up as cupcakes. The flavor was wonderful, distinctly cinnamon and vanilla, but still nice and light. The frosting was also tasty, but makes a huge amount. I made half a batch of it and still had a lot left over. Will definitely make this again. (Oh, I used a cupcake-keeper, and they stayed moist the whole 4 days that they lasted.)

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Katie R on 9.11.2011

It seems weird to say this, but maybe this was a bit too cinnamony. For cinnamon lovers though, it seems to be a super hit. I am super happy this was my first cake ever(hooray!) though. It was easy to make, split and frost. I am quite proud of the final product even if it isn’t to my tastes.

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