Gram's Really Good Snickerdoodle Cake
Baking with Gram
This past week, I had the joy of making Gram's Snickerdoodle Cake with my Grandma. Growing up, Gram would bake this cake regularly, and it quickly became a family favorite. Recently, she let me in on a little secret – this beloved "Snickerdoodle Cake" is actually a coffee cake! She cleverly renamed it because she knew we wouldn’t touch a "coffee cake" as kids. Genius, right?
This cake tastes a lot of like the glory of her Snickerdoodle Cookies- its light and tangy, sweet and cinnamon-y and it really just tastes like the comfort of home. This past week, I baked this cake for her to enjoy for dessert. I decided to add some icing on top (not part of her original recipe) to make it extra special. The result was a deliciously indulgent dessert that we enjoyed together, reminiscing about old times and sharing lots of laughter. Baking for Gram at her house always feels full circle after all those years she spent cooking and baking for all of us.
Snickerdoodle Cake is fun to make on those lazy Sunday mornings at home or also as a special "back to school" afternoon treat. It can be consumed for breakfast or for dessert, too. I hope you enjoy this versatile and nostalgic comfort of Gram's Snickerdoodle Cake.
Gram's Snickerdoodle Cake Recipe:
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Yield: serves 9-12
Ingredients
Cinnamon Crumb Mixture
2/3 cup (135g) packed light or dark brown sugar
3/4 cup (95g) all-purpose flour
2 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Cake
1 and 1/3 cups (166g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (120g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
2 Tablespoons (30ml) milk (any kind, dairy or nondairy, is fine)
Vanilla Icing (Optional)
1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons (30ml) heavy cream or milk
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an 8-inch square pan (make sure to use 8-inch) with lightly greased parchment paper or directly grease the pan.
Make the cinnamon crumb mixture: Combine the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Cut in the chilled butter with two forks, your hands, or if you're fancy, a pastry cutter, until the mixture is in pea-sized crumbs. Some larger crumbs are OK. You’ll have a little over 2 cups of crumb. Refrigerate until step 5.
Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until combined. Beat in the sour cream. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula and beat again as needed to combine. Mixture will be lumpy.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, and beat on low speed until just combined. Finally, beat in the milk. Do not overmix this batter. The batter will be thick. You’ll have about 2 and 1/2 cups of batter.
Carefully spread about half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle 1 cup (about half) of the crumb mixture evenly on top. Carefully spread the remaining batter on top. This can be a little tricky since you’re spreading thick batter on top of crumbs, but do your best. I usually dollop the batter onto all 4 sides and spread with a knife or spatula. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture evenly on top.
Bake for around 32–38 minutes or until the cake is baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is done. Allow cake to cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
Make the icing: Whisk all of the icing ingredients together. Drizzle over the cake. If you drizzle the icing when it's warm, it will melt a bit and look messier (trust me, it will taste the same!). Drizzle over a cooled cake for a more uniform look.
Lift the cake from the pan using the overhang parchment paper around the sides and slice into squares. Or, if you didn’t use parchment, slice directly in the pan. Serve cake warm or at room temperature.
Cover leftovers tightly and store at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up 1 week.
Enjoy with someone you love!
When you whip up Gram's Snickerdoodle Cake, don't forget to snap a pic and tag us on Instagram. We can't wait to see your delicious cake and hear all about your baking adventure!