Last updated: September 29, 2026
This snickerdoodle bundt cake takes everything you love about the classic cookie and turns it into a tender, buttery cake with a crackly cinnamon-sugar shell. You’ll find the full recipe in the card below, but read on first for tips that make this bundt turn out perfectly every time.
Why You’ll Love This Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake
A snickerdoodle bundt cake gives you the same warm cinnamon-vanilla flavor as the cookie, but in a soft, moist crumb that’s easier to share at a gathering than a plate of individual cookies.
The cinnamon-sugar coating presses into the buttered pan before the batter goes in, so it bakes onto the cake’s surface instead of just sitting on top, giving every slice that same sandy crunch a snickerdoodle cookie has around its edges.
What You’ll Need
The base of this cake is simple pantry staples: butter, sugar, eggs, sour cream, vanilla, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and plenty of cinnamon. Sour cream is what keeps this bundt so moist, so don’t swap it for a thinner substitute like milk.
You’ll also need a 10 to 12-cup bundt pan. A well-greased pan is non-negotiable here, since a bundt’s ridges are notorious for sticking. Use softened butter or a baking spray with flour in it, working it into every groove with a pastry brush or your fingers.
How to Make Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake
Prep the Pan
Butter your bundt pan generously, then sprinkle in about a third of the cinnamon-sugar mixture from the recipe card, tilting and rotating the pan so it coats the bottom and sides evenly. This layer becomes the cake’s crust once it’s baked and flipped out, so don’t skip it.
Mix the Batter
Cream the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes with a stand mixer or hand mixer. This step incorporates air into the batter, which is part of what gives the cake its tender rise, so don’t rush past it.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then mix in the vanilla and sour cream until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients in two or three additions, mixing just until combined.
Layer and Swirl the Cinnamon Sugar
Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan, sprinkle with half of the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture, then add the rest of the batter and top with the last of the cinnamon sugar. Run a butter knife through the batter in a gentle zigzag to swirl the layers together without fully blending them.
Bake and Cool
Bake at 350°F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, about 50 to 55 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack, since a bundt that’s turned out too soon can crack or stick, while one left too long can be harder to release.
Variations and Substitutions
For extra tang, swap half the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt. You can also add a simple vanilla glaze on top once the cake has cooled completely, though the cinnamon-sugar crust is sweet enough to serve plain.
Storage and Serving Suggestions
Store the cooled cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. This cake also freezes well: wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 3 months, then thaw at room temperature before serving.
Serve slices with coffee for breakfast or brunch, or warm a piece slightly and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.
The History Behind Snickerdoodles
Snickerdoodles are believed to have German or Dutch roots, brought to America by immigrants in New England during the 19th century. The name itself has no clear meaning and is often credited to the playful naming habits common in old New England recipe books.
Turning the cookie into a bundt cake is a newer tradition, born from bakers wanting the same cinnamon-sugar flavor in a format that feeds a crowd at once.
Use the recipe card below to make your own snickerdoodle bundt cake at home.
Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake
A buttery vanilla bundt cake layered with cinnamon sugar and coated in a crackly cinnamon-sugar crust, tasting just like a snickerdoodle cookie in cake form.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (plus extra for greasing the pan)
- 2 cups granulated sugar, divided
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar (for cinnamon-sugar coating)
- 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon (for cinnamon-sugar coating)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 10 to 12-cup bundt pan, coating every groove.
- In a small bowl, mix the 1/3 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons cinnamon together. Sprinkle about a third of this mixture into the buttered pan, tilting to coat evenly.
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and 2 cups sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and sour cream until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two to three additions, mixing just until combined.
- Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Add the rest of the batter, then top with the last of the cinnamon sugar. Run a butter knife through the batter in a gentle zigzag to swirl.
- Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Store covered at room temperature for up to 4 days, refrigerated for up to a week, or freeze tightly wrapped for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 410Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gSodium: 210mgCarbohydrates: 57gFiber: 1gSugar: 37gProtein: 5g
Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake Questions and Answers
Can I make this cake ahead of time?
Yes, this snickerdoodle bundt cake actually tastes even better the next day once the flavors settle. Store it covered at room temperature and it will stay fresh for up to 4 days.
Why did my bundt cake stick to the pan?
Sticking almost always comes down to an under-greased pan. Make sure you coat every groove and ridge with softened butter or baking spray, and let the cake cool for the full 15 minutes before inverting it.
Can I use a cake mix instead of making this from scratch?
You can, but the sour cream and from-scratch butter and sugar creaming in this recipe are what give the cake its dense, tender crumb, so a boxed mix will produce a lighter, less rich texture.
What size bundt pan should I use?
A standard 10 to 12-cup bundt pan works best for this recipe. A smaller pan can overflow during baking, so check your pan’s capacity before you start.
Can I add nuts or raisins to this cake?
Yes, about half a cup of chopped pecans or walnuts folded into the batter works well with the cinnamon flavor. Raisins can also be added, though they’re not traditional to a snickerdoodle profile.
How do I know when the cake is fully baked?
A toothpick inserted into the thickest part of the cake should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. This usually happens between 50 and 55 minutes at 350°F, though oven times vary, so start checking at the 50 minute mark.
Why This Recipe Works
Creaming the butter and sugar together before adding the eggs builds in the air pockets that give this cake its tender, cake-like rise, rather than a dense, cookie-like texture. Sour cream adds fat and moisture without thinning the batter the way milk would, which is part of why this bundt stays soft for days instead of drying out.
Layering the cinnamon sugar into the batter rather than mixing it in evenly means every slice gets a distinct ribbon of spice and crunch, echoing the sandy exterior of a snickerdoodle cookie instead of just tasting like a cinnamon cake all the way through.
Pressing cinnamon sugar directly into the buttered pan before the batter goes in is what forms the crackly, sugared crust once the cake is flipped out, giving you that same contrast of crisp outside and soft inside that makes a snickerdoodle cookie so good.
Final Thoughts on This Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake
This snickerdoodle bundt cake is an easy way to bring cookie-jar flavor to a cake stand, with a crackly cinnamon-sugar crust and a soft, buttery crumb in every slice. Bake one for your next brunch or potluck and watch it disappear.
