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Moist Homemade Spice Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Close-up of a moist slice of spice cake layered with cream cheese frosting.
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A rich, moist spice cake featuring warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, topped with a tangy brown butter cream cheese frosting. This recipe is ideal for autumn and holiday baking.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter for frosting
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, cream together the 1 cup of softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
  4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla extract.
  5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Fold in the applesauce. Do not overmix.
  6. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  7. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  8. To make the frosting, melt the 1/2 cup of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter foams and brown bits form at the bottom and it smells nutty (about 5-7 minutes). Pour the brown butter into a heatproof bowl and let it cool slightly.
  9. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in the cooled brown butter.
  10. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat until the frosting is smooth and creamy. Add more powdered sugar if you prefer a stiffer consistency.
  11. Once the cakes are completely cool, frost and stack the layers.

Notes

  • For an extra moist cake, you can substitute sour cream for the buttermilk.
  • If you do not have buttermilk, mix 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice and let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
  • This cake also bakes well as a 9×13 inch sheet cake; adjust baking time accordingly (usually 35-40 minutes).

Nutrition

Find it online: https://savoryskies.com/moist-spice-cake-recipe-from-scratch/