Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cake

Pumpkin snickerdoodle cake is the perfect combination of 2 warm and cozy desserts! The cake is soft and spongy and a beautiful natural orange color. It's layered with cinnamon sugar for little crispy and spicy bites of snickerdoodle goodness. The top of the cake also bakes up crinkly and crackly JUST like a snickerdoodle cookie!

what is pumpkin snickerdoodle cake?

Aside from being one of the best fall desserts around, it's a mix between pumpkin cake and snickerdoodle cookies! There's no one way to make a snickerdoodle cake, but my version is just a simple little snack cake with alternating layers of moist pumpkin cake and crunchy snickerdoodle inspired cinnamon sugar!

This recipe was actually a complete accident, and I was in the middle of working on a recipe for pumpkin snickerdoodle blondies. But I'm really not mad about where we ended up and this has quickly become a dessert I'm putting on repeat for fall!

how to make pumpkin snickerdoodle cake

1. Start by mixing together cinnamon and sugar for layering and set aside.
2. Whisk together butter and sugars for the cake. The butter will keep trying to separate at first but eventually everything should incorporate into a glossy mixture. The mixture should start leaving ribbons behind as you run the whisk through it and should be a paste-like consistency. See photo below for a visual.
3. Whisk in eggs, followed by vanilla and pumpkin puree.
4. Add the dry ingredients and mix until streak free. Now it's time to layer and bake!

choosing the right cake pan

Pumpkin is a high moisture ingredient and can easily throw off the texture of any recipe that features it. The pan that you bake the pumpkin dessert in can make all the difference!

The best type of pan to use for this cake is a light colored metal pan (preferably one that's a bit heavier and higher quality). Lighter colored pans will absorb heat at a slower and steadier rate than a dark colored pan - which absorbs heat rapidly and can burn the edges of the cake before the center is cooked through.

Metal is the best material to use because (again) it absorbs heat at the perfect rate to allow the edges and center to cook through at relatively the same time. Avoid glass, ceramic, or cheaper / flimsier pans as they'll either bake too slowly and dry out the cake or bake too quickly and burn the edges.

tips for layering the cake

This cake batter is quite thick, so it can make layering a bit trickier. The first layer of the cake is super easy and straightforward: just plop half of the cake batter down into your baking pan and spread into an even layer. Once that's down, sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar on top to evenly cover.

Now is where it can get a bit harder. It's time to spread the second half of the cake batter on top of the cinnamon sugar layer. To ensure the sugar layer doesn't get pushed out of place, instead of dropping the cake batter right in the center and spreading it out, drop little dollops of batter evenly overtop (see photo below). A few gaps are fine, but try to get it as evenly dolloped as possible.

Now gently smooth the top of the batter to cover those gaps and even out the top. Again, try not to disturb the bottom layer. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar on top, and then bake!

more tips

1. Measuring the flour: This is a thick cake batter, but it shouldn't be dry. If it's dry, it most likely means there's too much flour. When measuring the flour, it's always best to use a scale if you have one. If you prefer to use cups, never scoop the measuring cup directly into the bag of flour - this can pack in more weight and dry out the cake! Instead, spoon the flour into the cup and then use a flat utensil to level it off.
2. Room temperature ingredients: It's important to allow the ingredients to come up to room temperature to ensure the batter whips up properly. It's ok if the butter is slightly warm but it shouldn't be HOT.
3. Whisking the butter and sugars: This step may seem unimportant, but it also helps guarantee a light and fluffy cake! The butter and sugars should be whisked until the butter stops separating and pulling away from the sugars and you're left with a glossy and paste-y mixture.
4. Pure pumpkin puree: Make sure to use 100% pure pumpkin puree (and not pumpkin pie filling). The only ingredient on the package should be pumpkin. Any additional spices or sugar can throw off the flavor of the cake.
5. Mixing the batter: Take care not to overmix the batter, otherwise the cake will bake up dry and dense! Mix just until the ingredients are incorporated and then stop!
6. Serving and storage: This cake can be served warm or at room temperature. Once it's fully cooled, keep covered tightly with plastic wrap until you're ready to serve. This cake will keep for about 3 days at room temperature or 5 days in the fridge. If you do store it in the fridge, the fat in the cake will solidify and make the cake feel drier and firmer. So I recommend setting it out at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving to allow it to soften.

check out these other pumpkin recipes!

• Perfect Pumpkin Cake
• Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars
• Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes
• Super Moist Pumpkin Bread

Lastly, if you made this or any of my recipes, be sure to leave a comment and review below! I love hearing your thoughts! Also tag me on Instagram @eatsdelightfulblog so I can see what you're making.

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Enjoy!

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