Recipes Desserts Cakes Cinnamon Sugar Snack Cake 4.3 (4) 4 Reviews 1 Photo While this cake is delicious any time of day, its warm spices and tangy frosting lend themselves particularly well to breakfast or brunch, pairing perfectly with a cup of coffee. By Erin Jeanne McDowell Erin Jeanne McDowell Erin Jeanne McDowell is an author, teacher, and video host specializing in all things baking. She is the author of The Fearless Baker (2017), Savory Baking (2022), and the bestselling The Book on Pie (2020). She hosts the YouTube series Happy Baking, where she shares free recipes and deep dives into baking science and techniques. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Published on August 19, 2024 Save Rate Print Share Close Add Photo Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 30 mins Total Time: 50 mins Servings: 9 Jump to Nutrition Facts Jump to recipe Cinnamon is often a complementary flavor, but it’s an ingredient worth celebrating all on its own! This cake gives major snickerdoodle vibes; the welcome addition of tangy cream cheese frosting ties it all together. The cake itself starts with a base of cinnamon, brown sugar, and buttermilk flavors. The real beauty of this cake is the crackly top layer of cinnamon sugar on top. As you sprinkle on a generous layer of this mixture, you may find yourself asking: Is this too much? Have no fear: The cake itself contains less sweetener to make room for this topping, some of which sinks into the batter and some of which remains a perfect layer on top. After the cake cools, it gets finished with tangy, cream cheese frosting. Cook’s Note You can apply the frosting with a spreader, but I like to pipe it on with a large round piping tip, which dresses up this otherwise simple cake a bit. Pipe it using a back-and-forth zigzag effect, which is easy to achieve but looks stunning in the end. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1x 2x 4x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. Original recipe (1X) yields 9 servings 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, plus more for garnish, divided 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 1/3 cup vegetable oil 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter 1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup white sugar, divided 1/4 cup light brown sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature 3 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided 1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar 2/3 cup whipping cream, chilled Directions Preheat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and position rack in center of oven. Coat a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper and coat parchment with cooking spray. Whisk together flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, mix together oil and butter. Mix in 1/2 cup white sugar and the brown sugar until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well to incorporate and scraping bowl well after each addition. Mix in 2 teaspoons vanilla. Add about 1/3 of flour mixture; mix at low speed until combined. Mix in half of buttermilk, scraping bowl well. Repeat, alternating between flour mixture and buttermilk, until both are fully incorporated and batter is smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread in an even layer. Stir together remaining 1/3 cup white sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly over batter. Wash and dry stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. For frosting, in bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat cream cheese at medium speed 1 minute. Add powdered sugar and beat at medium speed until well combined. Scrape bowl well. With mixer running at medium-low speed, add cream and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla in a slow, steady stream. Gradually increase speed to medium-high and beat to medium peaks, 2 to 3 minutes more. Fit a disposable pastry bag with a large round or star tip (about 1/4-inch wide). Fill bag with frosting. Run a small offset spatula or a knife around outside of cake and gently invert onto a cutting board. Remove parchment paper. Cut into 9 squares. Pipe frosting onto each cake piece: Starting at one corner of a square, pipe zigzag diagonally, ending at opposite corner. Repeat with remaining squares. Garnish with cinnamon. Chill in an airtight container until ready to serve, up to 4 days. I Made It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 459 Calories 26g Fat 51g Carbs 6g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 9 Calories 459 % Daily Value * Total Fat 26g 34% Saturated Fat 11g 57% Cholesterol 91mg 30% Sodium 294mg 13% Total Carbohydrate 51g 18% Dietary Fiber 1g 4% Total Sugars 32g Protein 6g 12% Vitamin C 0mg 0% Calcium 106mg 8% Iron 2mg 8% Potassium 117mg 2% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.