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Brown butter snickerdoodle cake cut into six pieces on a piece of parchment paper, with a serving knife nearby.
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4.67 / 6 votes

Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cake

I love the cinnamon spice coupled with the tang of the cream of tartar. I created that same tang in this snickerdoodle cake with the addition of sour cream and buttermilk.
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
Total Time1 hour 55 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 9 to 12 servings
Calories: 712

Ingredients

For the brown sugar–cinnamon swirl

  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

For the brown butter snickerdoodle cake

  • 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup mild vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup low- or full-fat buttermilk, at room temperature and well-shaken
  • 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

For the cinnamon spice frosting

  • 1 1/2 sticks (6 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 12 pieces
  • 3 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 3 tablespoons low- or full-fat buttermilk, at room temperature and well-shaken
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, plus more for dusting, if desired
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or vanilla extract
US - Metric

Instructions

Make the brown sugar–cinnamon swirl

  • In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon.

Make the brown butter snickerdoodle cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
  • Grease a 9-by-9 inch (23-by-23 cm) cake pan with butter and line with parchment paper, letting the excess fall over the sides.
  • In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once melted, crank up the heat to medium-high. Continue stirring until small bronze bits begin to settle on the bottom of the pan, 3 to 5 minutes. Take the brown butter off the heat and pour into a medium heat-safe bowl to cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Whisk the sugar and oil into the cooled brown butter until smooth. Add the eggs and whisk until thick and frothy, about 2 minutes. Add the buttermilk, sour cream, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk until well blended, 2 to 3 minutes more. (It’s okay if the mixture looks slightly curdled at this point.) Fold in the flour until just combined.
  • Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top and sprinkle the brown sugar–cinnamon swirl mixture evenly over the batter. Cover with the remaining batter, smoothing the top once more.
  • Bake the cake in the center of the oven until the top is puffed, lightly bronzed, and bounces back when gently pressed in the center, 40 to 60 minutes. Start looking for the visual cues early, and for extra insurance against a slumping middle, use a cake tester or toothpick. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached.
  • Let the cake cool for 10 minutes in the pan before using the parchment overhang to remove it from the pan. Place the cake on a rack to finish cooling.

Make the cinnamon spice frosting

  • In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until smooth. Slowly add the buttermilk, cinnamon, vinegar, and vanilla and continue to beat until smooth, light, and fluffy.
  • Frost the cooled cake and if you’d like, dust some more cinnamon over the top of the cake. Cut into slices and devour, preferably with a cold glass of milk or a hot cup of coffee!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 712kcal | Carbohydrates: 104g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 449mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 74g