Best Recipe for Spice Cake
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4.7
159 reviews
Excellent
Best Recipe for Spice Cake
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Best Recipe for Spice Cake blends toasted warm spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, cardamom, and allspice into a moist butter and brown sugar cake batter enriched with buttermilk, molasses, and sour cream. The cake is baked in three rounds lined with parchment to ensure clean removal and topped with cream cheese frosting. This richly spiced cake delivers a tender crumb balanced by deep spice notes and a classic frosting.
Description
This spice cake starts by toasting a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, cardamom, and allspice in neutral oil to intensify their aroma and flavor. The mixture cools before being incorporated into a butter and sugar batter built from brown and granulated sugars blended with softened butter. Eggs, buttermilk, molasses, sour cream, and vanilla plus almond extracts add moisture and depth, while sifted all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt provide structure. The result is a tender, moist crumb with balanced spice character.
The cake is baked in three 9-inch pans lined with parchment to prevent sticking and promote even baking. The suggested frosting is a double batch of cream cheese frosting, which complements the spicy, buttery cake layers with its tang and sweetness.
This spice cake is suitable for celebrations or gatherings where a warm, aromatic cake is desired, especially in cooler seasons. The notes offer practical advice for preparing cheater buttermilk by combining vinegar and whole milk, and mention the option to substitute almond extract with vanilla to accommodate taste preferences.
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Ingredients
For the cake
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil or light flavored olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon cloves
- 3/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
- 2 cups brown sugar packed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 5 large egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Mexican
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3 cups all-purpose flour sifted, 2 tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
For the frosting
- cream cheese frosting double batch
Instructions
- Start by toasting your spices. Heat a small pan over medium heat and add 1/2 cup neutral oil. In a small bowl, add 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ginger, 3/4 teaspoon cloves, 3/4 teaspoon cardamom, and 1/2 teaspoon allspice. When the oil is hot, add the spices all at once and toast for about 1 minute. Watch it carefully so it doesn't burn. It will bubble a little bit. Take it off heat after about a minute, when it smells very fragrant. Let cool completely. I stuck mine in a bowl in the freezer.
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Trace the outline of 3 9-inch cake pans on parchment paper. Cut out the circles and place in the bottom of each cake pan. See photos. With the paper in the bottom of the pan, use nonstick spray to grease each cake pan very well, including up the sides.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat 1 cup softened butter until is is smooth. (You can actually start with cold butter if you have a stand mixer. Just beat a couple minutes, scraping sides, until it's smooth.)
- Add 2 cups packed brown sugar and 1 cup granulated sugar. Beat butter and sugar for 2 minutes, stopping once to scrape sides and bottom.
- When the spiced oil is cool, add it to the butter mixture and beat well.
- In a medium bowl with a spout (or in one of those giant 8 cup glass measuring cups), add 5 large eggs. Beat with a whisk until smooth. Add 1 cup buttermilk*, 2 teaspoons Mexican vanilla, 1 teaspoon almond extract,** 2 tablespoons molasses, and 1/2 cup full fat sour cream. Whisk it all together until smooth.
- Place a fine mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Spoon and level 3 cups + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour into the strainer. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 tablespoon baking powder. Stir until it has all gone through the strainer and is sifted well.
- Alternate adding the egg mixture and the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating every time. I added half the liquid, stirred, half the flour, stirred, then repeated.
- Mix ONLY until just combined. Scrape the bottom and sides to make sure it's all incorporated.
- Divide the batter between the 3 prepared pans.
- Bake the cakes at 325 for about 27-30 minutes.
- Notes on baking: I like to bake my cakes one at a time because my oven is not exactly amazing. I've also done 2 cakes at a time though. I wouldn't do all 3 cakes at once, unless you have a pretty stellar oven that you trust.
- However you choose to bake, make sure you rotate them 2/3 of the way through the bake time. This means turn the pan 180 degrees if there is one cake, or if there are two cakes, switch their places. The cake pans should NOT touch the edge of the oven.
- Do NOT open the oven door at all, except for when you need to rotate the pans. Rotate the pans at about the 22 minute mark. If the whole top looks completely liquidy, do not rotate yet. You don't want to deflate your cake by moving it. Again, the total bake time for each cake is about 27-30 minutes.
- Remove the cake/s from the oven. Let cool on a cooling rack for about 15 minutes. Use a knife to loosen the edge of the cake from the pan. Use your hand to invert the cake onto the cooling rack and continue cooling. At this point I often put them in the freezer for 20 minutes or so to speed up the cool time.
- When the cakes are cool or partially frozen (I find it easier to frost frozen cakes), frost with a DOUBLE batch of this Cream Cheese Frosting. You will need 2 sticks of butter, 2 packs of cream cheese, and 5-8 cups of powdered sugar, depending on how thick you want your frosting. For the cake in these photos, I used 5 cups of powdered sugar in a double batch. Click the link for recipe instructions.
Notes
- Cheater buttermilk can be made by adding 1 tablespoon vinegar to milk and letting it thicken before use; whole milk is best for richer flavor.
- Almond extract in the recipe can be replaced with vanilla extract if preferred, and Mexican vanilla extract is optional.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
1318kcal
(66%)
Carbohydrates
197g
(66%)
Protein
7g
(14%)
Fat
59g
(91%)
Saturated Fat
21g
(105%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
17g
(100%)
Monounsaturated Fat
14g
(70%)
Trans Fat
1g
(50%)
Cholesterol
126mg
(42%)
Potassium
271mg
(6%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
165g
(330%)
Vitamin A
681IU
(14%)
Vitamin C
0.2mg
(0%)
Calcium
164mg
(16%)
Iron
3mg
(17%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 12Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 1318 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 1318kcal | 66% |
| Carbohydrates | 197g | 66% |
| Protein | 7g | 14% |
| Fat | 59g | 91% |
| Saturated Fat | 21g | 105% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 17g | 100% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 14g | 70% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 126mg | 42% |
| Potassium | 271mg | 6% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 165g | 330% |
| Vitamin A | 681IU | 14% |
| Vitamin C | 0.2mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 164mg | 16% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
159 reviews
Excellent
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