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Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
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Spice Cake

This incredibly moist, dense, and well-flavored two-layered Spice Cake is brimming with cozy fall flavors and frosted with sweet and tangy decadent cream cheese frosting. There's a warm, comforting hug in every bite with its delectable homemade goodness. Indeed, the perfect cake to enjoy during fall's chilly weather.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Southern
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Assembling Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings 8 - 12
Calories 362kcal
Author Imma

Ingredients

Spice Cake

  • 2 ½ cups (310 g) all-purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons (12 g) baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) salt
  • 2 teaspoons (5 g) cinnamon
  • 1 ½ teaspoon (3 g) allspice
  • 1 ½ teaspoon (3 g) ground ginger
  • 1 ½ teaspoon (3 g) nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon (1 g) cloves
  • ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ½ cup ( 118 mL) vegetable oil
  • 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar
  • ½ cup (100 g) granulated white sugar
  • ¾ cup (177 mL) sour cream
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons (40 g) molasses
  • 2 teaspoons (8 mL) vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (125 g) pecans or walnuts, chopped (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 cup (8 oz, or 225 g) cream cheese, softened
  • 4 ounces (113 g) unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon (4 mL) vanilla extract
  • 5-6 cups (565-678 g) spowdered sugar

Instructions

Baking the Spice Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C. Grease two 10-inch pans generously with baking spray and set them aside.
  • Mix flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, ground ginger, nutmeg, and cloves in a medium bowl. Set aside. 
  • In a large bowl, cream the butter, oil, and sugar at high speed in a stand mixture or hand mixer until it's fluffy and pale, about 4-5 minutes. Then, add the sour cream. 
  • Stir in the eggs a little at a time, beating the mixture well between each addition. 
  • Next, mix in flour mixture, followed by the molasses and vanilla extract. Stir until everything is thoroughly combined. DO NOT over mix. As you go, scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
  • Pour batter into greased cake pan. Then tap the pans on the work surface to eliminate the large air bubbles.
  • Bake at 325℉/163℃ until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 25-30. Let it cool. Proceed with the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Whisk cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until creamy. You may use a mixer if desired.
  • Gradually sift in the powdered sugar and mix as you go along until smooth.
  • Finally, stir in the pecans.

Assembling the Spice Cake

  • Place the first cake layer on a serving platter. Spread about 1½ cups of cream cheese frosting over the cake layer. Top with the second layer, add more frosting over the cake layer.
  • Top with the remaining cake layer. Spread the rest of the frosting over the top and sides of the cake.
  • Garnish with pecans and spices if desired.

Notes

  • Feel free to adjust the spices if it's too strong or too mild for you. Go for milder if you want to make it more kid-friendly.
  • Bring all the ingredients to room temperature before starting to ensure the cake cooks evenly.
  • Remember to measure your ingredients correctly for best results.
  • Don't overmix the batter, or else you'll end up with a rubbery cake.
  • Let the cake cool completely before frosting because you don't want your frosting to melt. And you don't wanna have to clean up the mess. Oops!
  • You can use plain yogurt or buttermilk to replace sour cream. Don't skip on this acidic ingredient because it activates the baking powder and contributes to the cake's mouthwatering moistness.
  • Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 125g | Calories: 362kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 288mg | Potassium: 285mg | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 93IU | Calcium: 114mg