Super Moist Classic Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
This recipe delivers an incredibly moist spice cake, rich with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. It is simple to make from scratch and pairs perfectly with a tangy cream cheese frosting for a comforting autumn or holiday dessert.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Total Time: 55 min
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans or one 9×13 inch pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
- In a separate medium bowl, mix the vegetable oil, applesauce, sour cream, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between your prepared pans.
- Bake layer cakes for 30 to 35 minutes, or the 9×13 pan for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cakes cool, prepare the frosting: Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together in a large bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract and salt until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Once the cakes are completely cool, frost and stack the layers, or frost the sheet cake.
Notes
- For an extra cozy flavor, use dark brown sugar instead of granulated sugar in the cake batter.
- If you want a tender crumb, make sure your buttermilk and sour cream are at room temperature before mixing.
- You can top the finished cake with chopped pecans for added texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 45g
- Sodium: 250mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 58g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 55mg