"Layers of spiced, buttermilk pound cake, frosted with sweet cinnamon buttercream, and garnished with Pirouette cookies. It tastes just like a snickerdoodle cookie, but in a cake!"
Snickerdoodle Cake
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- Recipe Card
Prep time 20mins
Cook time 30mins
Serves or Makes: 10-15
Recipe Card
For the Cake
ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups cake flour, or all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup whole buttermilk
To Make the Cake
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Prepare three 8-inch or 9-inch round pans by spraying the bottoms with non-stick spray.
Step 2
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese and sugars for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl down and beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating for a full minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
Step 3
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour; mix just until combined.
Step 4
Divide the batter between the pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out with moist crumbs but not batter. Set the pans on wire racks, cover loosely with clean kitchen towels, and cool completely before frosting. (The cake can also be made one day ahead of time; keep fresh and moist by cooling in the pans for one hour, then turning out the warm cakes onto pieces of plastic wrap. Wrap each cake individually in plastic wrap and assemble/frost/decorate the following day.)
For the Cinnamon Vanilla Bean Buttercream and Garnish
ingredients
- 2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (or 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste)
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon meringue powder, optional
- 1 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 tablespoons milk, or cream, if needed
- 1 box Pirouette cookies
To Make the Buttercream, Garnish and Assemble
Step 1
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter and vanilla bean seeds/paste for one minute. In a separate bowl, combine the powdered sugar, meringue powder, cinnamon and nutmeg, then with the mixer on low, add by spoonfuls to the butter until mostly combined.
Step 2
Add the milk or cream and whip on medium high, scraping the bowl down occasionally, for 4-5 minutes until very light and fluffy.
Step 3
Stack the cakes, filling them with a ¼ inch thick layer of buttercream between each. Frost all over with a thin crumb coat of buttercream, then chill for 15 minutes before frosting all over with a final layer of buttercream. If desired, fill a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip (Wilton #1M) and pipe rosettes on the top of the cake.
Step 4
Sprinkle the top of the cake with the cinnamon. Place the pirouettes (cut in half) all around the side of the cake, and tie with a pretty ribbon.