Spice Cake
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This Spice Cake has three moist layers of absolute perfection! This spice cake made from scratch is topped with a silky smooth cream cheese frosting so good you’ll lick your plate clean.
Spice cake has been one of my favorite cakes of all time. I’m a big lover of cloves, nutmeg, and CINNAMON!
Gimme all the cinnamon!
Good news folks, this spice cake recipe is PACKED with alllll the lovely spices your heart craves.
You can make this spice cake recipe into 3 layers or 2 layers. Personally, I love the look of a 3 layer cake so that’s what I did.
I used 3 6-inch cake rounds, but you can use 2 9-inch cake rounds if you’d like. The bake time will be a little different so keep an eye on the oven if you choose to go with a cake pan size larger than 6 inches.
Spice Cake Ingredients
The spices used in this spice cake recipe include:
- Cinnamon
- Allspice
- Ground cloves
- Ground nutmeg
Basically the best spices known to man.
This is an easy cake recipe and it tastes so good. I think it’s perfect for this time of year too. I love when the warm aroma of spices fills the kitchen❤️
How to make Spice Cake
This is an easy spice cake recipe, and to make it even easier, I used my stand mixer.
Add the shortening and sugars to the bowl of your stand mixer and mix until combined.
Add the eggs to the shortening and sugar mixture and mix again.
Combine all of the dry ingredients in a medium size bowl. This includes the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all of the spice cake spices. Whisk the ingredients so that everything is evenly incorporated.
Alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.
Mix until everything is combined.
Beat on medium-low speed for 30 seconds and then divide the batter evenly amongst the 3 cake pans. To make sure I had equal amounts of batter in each cake pan I used a kitchen scale.
Bake the cakes for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Remove the cake pans from the oven and let them cool IN the pan for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes, revert the cakes onto a wire rack to cool until just *slightly* warm.
I don’t let my cakes cool completely. I want them just *barely* warm. When they cool completely the cakes tend to dry out. Nobody wants a dry cake!
Cake cooling tips
Lightly spray a cooling rack with nonstick cooking spray prior to inverting your cake onto it. This prevents the cake from sticking to the wire rack. Genius, really.
Spice Cake Frosting
I wanted a to pair this spice cake with a light and fluffy cream cheese frosting. I don’t love cream cheese frostings, but this one is dang good!
Having 3 cake layers meant I needed a large amount of frosting to top the cakes with.
I used very generous amount of frosting between each cake layer and did a crumb coat around the cake.
You can add a thicker coating of frosting on the outside if you want. This is what I opted to do and it turned out perfectly, but having a thicker coating of frosting along the exterior would be beautiful as well.
More cake recipes you’ll love:
- Pumpkin Cake
- Angel Food Cake
- Funfetti Cake
- Gingerbread Bundt Cake
- Chocolate Cake
- German Chocolate Cake recipe
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Spice Cake
INGREDIENTS
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon all spice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 1 1/3 cup buttermilk
Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk *might need more
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 3-6 inch round cake pans. Set aside.
- In a medium size bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- Add the shortening and sugars to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for one minute. Add the eggs. Mix until combined, about 1-2 minutes.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.
- Once all of the dry ingredients have been added, mix on low speed until JUST combined!
- Divide the batter evenly amongst the 3 cake pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes. (Mine baked for 27 minutes).
- Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the pans for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool until a bit warmer than room temperature. *
- Frost the cake. Enjoy!
Frosting
- Add the cream cheese and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes or until smooth.
- Add the vanilla and powdered sugar. Mix until combined
- Add milk until you reach desired consistency.
RECIPE NOTES
Suggested Equipment
The flavor in this spice cake is amazing! It was so so good!!
Hi! My little girl and I are excited to make this for her grandma’s upcoming birthday. Wondering, what is the depth of the 6″ pans you used? Thanks in advance!
My 6 inch pans are 3 inches high. 🙂 But, this will probably work in 6″x2″ pans as well. Enjoy! And let me know how it turns out!
Hello.
Have you made this cake in a 13×9” pan?
Thanks!
Hi Mel! I haven’t. I’m sure you could, but I have no idea how long you’d need to bake it. If you make it, let me know how it goes. Thanks!
I made this in 3 8 in pans – it was thin but delicious. Think I’ll 1 1/2 times this recipe next time for 8 inch pans
Thanks Ginger! Glad you liked the spice cake.
You can definitely 1 1/2 the recipe and use 3 8 inch pans, OR you could make the recipe as written and bake in just 2 – 8 inch pans. You’ll only have 2 layers, but the layers will be much thicker.
Hey there, can you use butter instead of shortening?
I’m sure you can. I haven’t used butter in this recipe though so I can’t guarantee it will work. If you use butter, make sure you cream it with the sugars on medium speed for 2-3 minutes. And then continue with the recipe. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi, did you use the butter? I am waiting to make the cake also and use butter.
Thanks.
Hi Ashleigh! Butter will be just fine for this recipe. To use butter, mix with the sugar on medium speed for 2-3 minutes. This step is important because it brings air into the butter and will help the cake rise when baking. Let me know how it goes!
It says eggs in the instructions but not in the ingredient list…
3 eggs. Should be in the ingredient list. I just checked 🙂
Have you used this for cupcakes? I’m assuming the same process. Any idea how many it would make?
I haven’t made them into cupcakes. I image it will make at least 36? That’s just a guess!
Does this cake need to be refrigerated when assembled and frosted?
When storing long term, yes. The cream cheese in the frosting makes it so it needs refrigerating. However, it can sit out at room temp for a few hours if you plan on eating it relatively soon after assembling. Hope this helps!