Spice cake has a distinct flavor. Rich in warming spices, it’s the ideal dessert for a cold day. It’s also the perfect dessert to serve during the holidays. This recipe uses all our favorite spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves:
Spice Cake Recipe
Adapted from the Food Network
Ingredients:
3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
2 sticks unsalted butter, warmed to room temperature
½ teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
Icing of choice
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a Bundt pan or a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray that is designed for baking.
Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Whisk them together gently with a balloon whisk until ingredients are well incorporated.
Add the butter, sugar, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Cream together with an electric mixer that has been set on medium speed until the mixture is well combined and has a light texture. Add the eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed after each egg is added. Slowly beat the dry ingredients and the buttermilk in alternating batches with the mixer set on low speed. Beat until the mixture is smooth and fully combined. Pour into the greased pan.
Place the cake in the center of the oven and bake until cooked all the way through. This should take about 30-40 minutes, depending on the type of pan you used. Check the cake periodically throughout the cooking process by inserting a toothpick in the center. Once it comes out clean, the cake is done. Let the cake cool for about 20 minutes in the pan. Remove from pan and let it cool on a wire rack. Ice the cake with frosting of choice after the cake has cooled all the way through.
Variations:
Spice Cake Cupcakes. Prepare the recipe listed above as directed. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners. Fill each cupcake ¾ of the way up. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until cupcakes are cooked all the way through, which should take 12-15 minutes. Test the cupcakes by poking a toothpick in the center of one of the middle cupcakes. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cupcakes are done. Remove from oven and let pan cool on a wire cooling rack. Remove cupcakes from the pan and ice them with frosting of choice after the cupcakes have cooled completely.
Spice Layer Cake. Prepare the recipe listed above as directed. Bake several layers of the cake using separate layer pans. This recipe comfortably uses 3, 8-inch round cake layers. Each layer should take 20-25 minutes to cook. Let each layer cool completely before assembling the cake. Be sure to ice each layer of the cake as you assemble it.