Moist, flavorful, and tender but dense do-it-yourself spice cake is topped with a beneficiant layer of the silkiest brown butter cream cheese frosting. Make it as a sheet cake, layer cake, cupcakes, or a Bundt cake! Full of comforting heat spices, this dessert is ideal for cool fall days.
I initially revealed this recipe in 2016 and have since added new photographs and extra success ideas. I now present you precisely easy methods to flip this cake right into a layer cake (see under!).
Chocolate? You’ll overlook all about it after one chunk of this spice cake. It’s dense, moist, and flavorful sufficient that frosting isn’t even a requirement. I can’t consider I’m saying this however, when carried out proper, tremendous moist spice cake doesn’t want frosting.
However that clearly gained’t cease us from including it anyway! Essentially the most luscious brown butter cream cheese frosting takes this already-amazing spice cake to a complete new degree.
One reader, Veronica, commented: “What a success! I used to be in search of a superb spice cake recipe and that is it!!! I took it to a soccer social gathering and other people couldn’t cease raving about it or consuming it! Tremendous moist, tremendous flavorful! ★★★★★“
One reader, Nicqui, commented: “OMG that is probably the most scrumptious cake. Tremendous moist and the spice combine is fabulous. I’ve made many spice truffles and so they often prove dry and dense however this was good. ★★★★★“
This Spice Cake Is:
- Mushy and moist like banana cake
- Cozy and comforting, completely spiced
- Straightforward to make—no mixer required for the batter
- Scrumptious with out frosting, and even higher when it’s topped with clean + silky brown butter cream cheese frosting
- Versatile—make it as a sheet cake, layer cake, cupcakes, or Bundt cake
- A fantastic make-ahead recipe (it’s even tastier on day 2!)
This spice cake is dense, but tender and so-very-rich. It has tight crumbs and a moist texture. And extra taste in 1 chunk than in a whole cupcake—we’re speaking gingerbread-level taste. It’s definitely one in every of my favourite fall cake recipes.
Plus, you possibly can see that I used this very batter as the start line for my favourite apple cake. Such an amazing base recipe!
Selecting the Proper Substances
Some key substances you want:
- Flour: All-purpose flour serves as the bottom. You want sturdy all-purpose flour as a substitute of cake flour on this recipe due to the heavy, moist batter.
- Fall Spices + Molasses: For mega spice taste we use plenty of cozy spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. I all the time add 1 Tablespoon of molasses, however in case you don’t have any available, you possibly can simply depart it out. I cherished its additional strong taste contained in the cake, however I did check the cake with out it. Nonetheless great.
- Oil: Oil ensures a moist crumb.
- Brown Sugar: We use solely brown sugar on this spice cake recipe as a result of you recognize that’s the place one of the best taste lies. I favor darkish brown sugar for even deeper taste.
- Applesauce: Applesauce provides much more moisture.
- Apple: 1 cup of shredded apple provides a lot taste and moisture—it’s what makes this spice cake actually one of the best I’ve ever tasted. You too can use shredded zucchini or carrot as a substitute, or be happy to skip it.
Plus, baking powder, baking soda, eggs, vanilla, and salt.
Overview: Methods to Make Spice Cake
It is a very merely cake to organize—it truly jogs my memory of pumpkin cake by way of preparation, ease, style, and texture. You don’t even want your mixer!
Choose the pan you’re utilizing. Immediately I’ve each the quarter sheet pan (9×13-inch) and 3-layer cake choice pictured. Be certain that the pan you’re utilizing is greased. If making a layer cake, line your spherical pans with parchment paper rounds.
You can also make both of those measurement truffles, or a 2-layer cake, Bundt cake, or cupcakes:
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Everyone knows that cream cheese frosting is spice cake’s good good friend, however do you know that spice cake’s BEST good friend occurs to be brown butter cream cheese frosting?
I’m undecided why I waited so lengthy to show common cream cheese frosting into brown butter cream cheese frosting? This is similar frosting we use on this zucchini cake, and it’s fairly probably one of the best frosting I’ve ever had—tangy and candy, however not as tooth-decayingly candy as American-style buttercream. Creamy, thick, silky, clean.
Right here’s easy methods to make it:
- Brown butter on the range. I wrote a whole tutorial on easy methods to brown butter so you possibly can be taught precisely the way it’s carried out!
- Refrigerate it till strong, then cream it.
- Beat in cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt.
These specks of nutty toasty buttery goodness deliver cream cheese frosting up about 700 notches on the scrumptious scale.
Time-saving tip: Browning the butter and refrigerating it till strong is a complete additional step, however you are able to do this earlier than you even begin making the cake. By the point the baked cake has cooled, the brown butter will likely be re-solidified and able to be whipped into frosting.
That stated, in case you merely don’t have the time to brown the butter and let it re-solidify, this cake is simply as tasty with common cream cheese frosting, or with the cinnamon cream cheese frosting we use on banana cupcakes. You might even use white chocolate buttercream frosting or garnish every slice with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.
Different Dimension Spice Truffles
This spice cake is extremely versatile, which is without doubt one of the many issues I really like about it! There’s sufficient batter for a layer cake, Bundt cake, or cupcakes.
- 2-Layer 9-inch Cake: Divide the batter equally between two 9-inch cake pans and bake the layers for about 26 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted within the middle of the cake comes out clear.
- 3-Layer 8-inch Cake: Divide the batter equally amongst three 8-inch cake pans and bake the layers for about 25 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted within the middle comes out clear. (Pictured under.) See recipe Be aware about easy methods to enhance the quantity of frosting.
- Bundt Cake: This batter suits splendidly into a ten–12-cup Bundt pan and takes round 55–65 minutes. Begin checking across the 50-minute mark, and use a toothpick to check for doneness.
- Cupcakes: This recipe makes about 24 standard-size cupcakes. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 18–21 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted within the middle comes out clear. See recipe Be aware about easy methods to enhance the quantity of frosting.
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Description
Moist, flavorful, and tender but dense do-it-yourself spice cake is topped with a beneficiant layer of the silkiest brown butter cream cheese frosting. Make it as a sheet cake, layer cake, cupcakes, or a Bundt cake! Full of comforting heat spices, this dessert is ideal for cool fall days.
Cake
- 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon floor cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon floor ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon floor nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon floor cloves
- 1 cup (240ml) vegetable oil
- 1 and three/4 cup (350g) packed darkish brown sugar
- 1 cup (240g) unsweetened applesauce
- 4 giant eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (150g) shredded apple (or shredded carrot/zucchini)
- non-compulsory: 1 Tablespoon (21g) unsulphured or darkish molasses (not blackstrap; I favor Grandma’s model)
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, lower into 4 slices
- 8 ounces (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 and 1/2 cups (300g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- non-compulsory, for garnish: sprinkle of floor cinnamon or nutmeg
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13-inch pan. I all the time use this glass pan. See recipe Notes for different pan measurement choices.
- Make the cake: In a big bowl, whisk collectively the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Put aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk collectively the oil, brown sugar, applesauce, eggs, vanilla extract, and molasses (if utilizing). Pour the moist substances into the dry substances and whisk till mixed. Some small lumps are OK. Fold within the shredded apple till mixed.
- Unfold the batter evenly into the ready pan. Bake for 38–40 minutes. Baking occasions fluctuate, so regulate yours. The cake is finished when a toothpick inserted within the middle comes out clear with only a few moist crumbs. For those who discover the highest of the cake is browning too shortly within the oven, loosely cowl it with aluminum foil (I often do that across the 25-minute mark).
- Take away the cake from the oven and set on a cooling rack. Permit to chill utterly.
- Brown the butter for the frosting: Set out a medium heatproof bowl since you’ll want it on the finish of this step. Place the sliced butter in a light-colored skillet or saucepan. A light-weight-colored inside is essential for figuring out when the butter begins to brown. Soften the butter over medium warmth and stir or whisk continually. As soon as melted, the butter will start to foam. Proceed stirring/whisking, holding an in depth eye on it. After about 5–7 minutes, the butter will start browning and also you’ll discover flippantly browned specks forming on the backside of the pan. The butter may have a nutty aroma. The colour will step by step deepen, from yellow to golden to golden-brown; as soon as it’s a lightweight caramel-brown shade, instantly take away from warmth and pour into the bowl, together with any brown solids which have fashioned on the underside of the pan. Cool for 10 minutes, then switch to the fridge to chill utterly and solidify.
- Make the frosting: In a big bowl utilizing a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the solidified brown butter on excessive pace till creamy and clean. Add the cream cheese and beat once more till clean and mixed. Scrape down the perimeters and backside of the bowl as wanted. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low pace for 30 seconds, then step by step enhance to excessive pace and beat for two minutes.
- Unfold the frosting on the cooled cake. If desired, prime with a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg. Refrigerate for half-hour earlier than serving. This helps units the frosting and makes slicing simpler.
- Cowl leftover cake tightly and retailer within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
Notes
- Make Forward & Freezing Directions: Put together cake by way of step 5. Cowl the cake tightly and set at room temperature for as much as 2 days or freeze for as much as 3 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge, and convey to room temperature earlier than serving. Proceed with step 6.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): Field Grater | 9×13-inch Baking Pan | Electrical Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer) | Gentle-Coloured Skillet | Whisk | Icing Spatula
- Quarter Sheet Pan: I actually prefer to bake quarter sheet truffles in a glass 9×13-inch pan or this steel pan that comes with a lid.
- Can I exchange or scale back the oil? Vegetable oil is a good choice for this cake. You may exchange with a neutral-flavored oil akin to avocado oil or canola oil. Be happy to make use of melted refined coconut oil (refined doesn’t have a lot of a coconut taste) and ensure each different ingredient within the cake batter is room temperature, so the oil doesn’t solidify. Don’t exchange with melted butter as a result of the cake will style dry. You may exchange a small quantity of the oil with applesauce if wanted, however remember the fact that the cake will start to style dry/rubbery the extra oil you exchange.
- Applesauce: It’s greatest to make use of unsweetened applesauce on this recipe—you want a moist ingredient that gained’t overpower the opposite flavors within the cake. Be happy to make use of mashed banana, pumpkin puree, or canned crushed pineapple as a substitute, however remember the fact that the flavour of the cake will change.
- Shredded Apple: You may skip the shredded apple (or carrot/zucchini) if wanted. The cake is lots moist with out it. Or be happy to interchange with chopped apple.
- Brown Butter in Frosting: For extra info and troubleshooting, see this publish on easy methods to brown butter.
- Layer Cake: Grease three 8-inch or two 9-inch spherical cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the truffles seamlessly launch from the pans. Divide batter evenly between the ready pans. Bake for about 25–26 minutes. The truffles are carried out when a toothpick inserted within the middle comes out clear. The frosting recipe above is sufficient for a skinny layer on a 2-layer cake, however shouldn’t be sufficient for a 3 layer cake. As a substitute, use the brown butter cream cheese frosting recipe/ratios from this banana layer cake so you will have sufficient. Earlier than utilizing, refrigerate the ready frosting for at the very least half-hour so it’s sturdier and might maintain up the layers. Right here’s easy methods to assemble a layer cake.
- Bundt Cake: This cake batter will match right into a greased 10-cup or bigger Bundt pan. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 55–65 minutes. The baking time varies relying in your oven; maintain your eye on the cake after 50 minutes. Be happy to cowl the cake loosely with aluminum foil about midway by way of to forestall heavy browning on prime. Permit the cake to chill within the pan set on a cooling rack for 1 hour, then invert onto a serving plate.
- Cupcakes: Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 19–21 minutes. Yields about 2 dozen. This frosting recipe right here shouldn’t be sufficient for two dozen cupcakes. As a substitute, use the brown butter cream cheese frosting recipe/ratios from this banana layer cake.
