Cakes, Frostings

Snickerdoodle Cake & Andy Griffith

June 20, 2020

Some combinations are just classics–mac and cheese, peanut butter ‘n’ jelly, chips and salsa, steak and potatoes, cookies and my Pop. Snickerdoodles and my Pop to be precise! I’ll get back to snickerdoodles in a second.

Since Father’s Day is on Sunday, I should share a few classics lessons learned from my classic Pop. Sure, he can be cantankerous, crotchety, and overly opinionated. BUT…Pop is the first person to offer a helping, hard-working hand if you need it! To the point of blowing out his knees, shoulder and butt–don’t ask!

Pop patiently teaches anyone who will listen and is willing to learn.

He can be extremely tenacious as he tears apart gadgets and gizmos, cusses at the occasional computer, and searches for shoes fitting just right!

Above all else, he’s loyal and loving to all creatures great and small!

Pop is an avid traveler. With Mom, he’s criss-crossed the U.S. too many times to count. Dad prefers to drive back roads when necessary. “To see the country” he says. But one place he’s never been to is Pilot Mountain and Mayberry. This is ironic since his absolute all-time favorite TV sitcom is “The Andy Griffith Show.”

Yes, Barney, there is a Mayberry! The fictional town of Mayberry is actually based on Mount Airy, North Carolina, situated in the north eastern corner of the Tar Heel state. You can find anything and everything Mayberry related here! The Andy Griffith Museum and Playhouse, the Mayberry Courthouse replica, Barney’s squad car, and even Andy Griffith’s actual home.

If learning about all things Andy, Opie, Barney and Floyd isn’t enough, the original Siamese Twins, Chang and Eng Bunker, lived in Mt. Airy. Although not a part of The Andy Griffith Museum, the Siamese Twins Exhibit is on the same property. You can even pay your respects at their gravesite.

Not too far from Mount Airy is Pilot Mountain State Park. Pilot Mountain rises 2,000 feet up from the piedmont area and served as a landmark for travelers for centuries. The drive winds up to the top, giving amazing panoramic views of the region. Hiking trails and camping are readily available too!

Back to that snickerdoodle…2017 must have had some slow news days in East Idaho. One very excited cookie decided to write a whole story about the snickerdoodle. You can read it here if you’re so inclined. The snickerdoodle obsessed writer stated this cinnamon-sugar delight is of German or Dutch origin, dating back to the late 1800’s, and goes by the alias “snipdoodle.” No one can pin point exactly where or how this cracked goodie’s name came to be.

Even though the snickerdoodle’s origins can’t be pinpointed, I can definitely say my cookie-obsessed Pop absolutely loves them. And since I kinda like (ok, love) the old boy, I bake snickerdoodles for him when I’m home. In honor of Pop’s adoring appetite for this cinnamon-sugar delight, I’m baking up a Snickerdoodle Cake for Father’s Day! (Don’t worry Pop! You’ll get one this summer!)

The Snickerdoodle Cake is a basic white cake swirled with cinnamon and surrounded by a luscious cinnamon-y icing. I used my Sour Cream White Cake recipe to start. Then swirled gooey cinnamon goodness into it. The sour cream recipe helps give a “bite” in place of the cream of tartar flavor found in a snickerdoodle cookie, but stays extremely moist.

But the icing in this recipe really takes the cake! I borrowed the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting from Sally’s Baking Addiction. It’s honestly like eating a brown-sugar-cinnamon Pop Tart!

Putting this cake and Sally’s frosting together is a celebration of itself! So, here’s to you Pop! Happy Father’s Day! We love you!

Snickerdoodle Cake

Print Recipe

No reviews

Snickerdoodle cookie meet your cake cousin! Moist, vanilla white cake partners up with a cinnamon swirl and is enrobed in a luscious cream cheese, brown sugar, cinnamon buttercream frosting. Will one slice be enough?!

The Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting recipe is courtesy of Sally’s Baking Addiction.

Author: Erin Thomas
Prep Time: About 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 30-35 Minutes
Total Time: 1 to 1-1/2 Hours
Yield: Two 8– or 9-inch layers; One 9 x 13-inch sheet cake; 20-24 cupcakes 1x

Ingredients

Scale

For Sour Cream Cake:

2–3/4 cups cake flour*

1–1/2 cups + 2 tbsp. granulated sugar

1 tbsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt (kosher or table)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 large egg whites + 1 large egg, at room temperature

3/4 cup all-fat sour cream

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp. vanilla

For Cinnamon Swirl:

1/4 cup brown sugar (light or dark), packed

1 tbsp. cinnamon

1 tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tbsp. water

For Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:

1–1/4 cups (2–1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1–8 oz. package cream cheese, at room temperature and cut into pieces

3/4 cup brown sugar (light or dark), packed

1 tbsp. cinnamon

5–1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1/4 cup whole milk or heavy cream

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt (table or kosher)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8-inch or two 9-inch cake pans. Set aside.

Prepare Cinnamon Swirl by combining brown sugar, cinnamon, a.p. flour, butter and water in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly into a paste-like consistency. Set aside.

Prepare Sour Cream Cake by mixing dry ingredients together (cake flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt) in a large bowl. Add the unsalted butter and beat into a paste-like consistency.

Beat the eggs white in, and then whole egg; being sure to beat well after each addition. Scrap down the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition.

In a small bowl or pourable mixing cup, whisk sour cream, water and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sour cream mixture to the flour batter in thirds, again beating well after each addition. Again scrap down the bowl sides and bottom. Pour into prepared cake pans.

Using a spoon, drop dollops of Cinnamon Swirl on the top of the cake batter. Use a knife to swirl the cinnamon mixture into the cake batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting, beat butter in a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or a standing mixer. Add the cream cheese in pieces, beating well after each addition. Blend brown sugar into cream cheese mixture until well combined. Add cinnamon, powdered sugar, milk or cream, and vanilla. Slowly increase the mixer speed until everything is throughly combined and creamy. If the frosting seems too thick, gradually add more milk/cream by teaspoons. Too thin, add more powdered sugar in 1/4 cup amounts.

To assemble the cake, level the tops of each cake layer. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Top with about 1 to 1-1/2 cups Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting. Spread evenly and place second cake layer on top. Use remaining frosting to cover sides and top of cake evenly. If desired, decorate the cake with various cake decorating tips. To achieve the rosette swirls in the photo, I used a Wilton 1M decorating tip.

Store the finished cake in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

*Don’t have cake flour? Make your own. Measure one cup of all-purpose flour and remove 2 tbsp. of it. Replace with 2 tbsp. cornstarch. Sift flour and cornstarch together twice to thoroughly mix. Use measure for measure in your baking recipes.

Other cake and cupcakes can be used with this recipe:

9 x 13″ cake pan: Pour batter into greased & floured cake pan. Dollop Cinnamon Swirl on top and swirl in with a butter knife. Bake for 23-25 minutes. Frost top with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cupcakes: Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Fill about 3/4 full. Dollop Cinnamon Swirl on top. Use butter knife to swirl into the batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Makes 20-24 cupcakes. Frost tops with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting.