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a square of spice cake on a plate
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Classic Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This simple and classic Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is so flavourful and delicious! Made with all the best spices including cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves and nutmeg. So good.
Course Cake
Keyword cinnamon cream cheese frosting, cream cheese frosting, spice cake, spice cake recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 12 servings
Author Jo-Anna Rooney

Ingredients

Spice Cake Recipe:

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 1 8 oz package cream cheese (at room temperature)
  • 1/2 cup butter (at room temperature)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp heavy cream

Instructions

Spice Cake Recipe:

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Prepare a 9 x 13 baking pan by lightly greasing it with butter, or using an oil baking spray. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients and spices:
    2 cups all purpose flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/2 tsp allspice, 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • Using a stand mixer cream the butter and sugar together until smooth.
    1 cup butter, 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, to the butter mixture. Then mix in the vanilla.
    3 large eggs, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • Add half of the flour mixture and all of the buttermilk to the butter mixture. Mix gently. Then add the remaining flour mixture and mix gently until fully combined.
    1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan.
  • Bake for 40 - 45 minutes. The cake is done when the top feels/looks firm, and a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
  • Let the cake cool completely before frosting.

Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • Beat together the ingredients for the frosting until it's is nice and fluffy. Make sure to scrape the bowl often.
    1 8 oz package cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 2 tbsp heavy cream

Putting it all together:

  • Once the cake has cooled spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cake. Sometimes I like to add a light sprinkling of extra cinnamon to the top too.