Julie Clark
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This easy spice cake with cinnamon spiced whipped frosting is delicious. Buttermilk and brown sugar keep the crumb tender. Make in 9×13 pan or round pans.
Easy Spice Cake Recipe
Cakes are often the easiest way to satisfy a sweet tooth. Yes, cake mixes are easy, but from scratch cakes can be almost as quick to whip up and they taste amazing too! This easy spice cake recipe bakes in a 9×13 pan and has a simple frosting. No fuss…great for picnics and family gatherings. Serve it for a birthday, too!
What is spice cake?
Spice cake is a traditional cake that is flavored with more intensely flavored spices than many cakes that are flavored with just vanilla or almond. What spices are in spice cake? You’ll find many variations, but most often they include allspice, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg…or any combination of those. This spice cake focuses on allspice and nutmeg in the cake itself, and then brings in cinnamon in the whipped frosting.
How to Make Spice Cake
Here are some hints for making this homemade spice cake:
- We used shortening because that tends to give the cake a fluffier crumb. Can you substitute butter for the shortening? Yes. And it will taste delicious, but it will change the texture slightly.
- Mix together all of the wet ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. No need for cake flour in this spice cake recipe. All-purpose flour works just fine.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients alternately with the buttermilk. Mix until combined, then fold in the walnuts.
- Pour the batter in the prepared pan and it is ready to bake!
How do you know when a cake is done?
There are two ways to test when a cake is done. You can do the toothpick test, where you stick a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick is clean when you pull it out, the cake is done. My favorite way to test a cake is to touch the center of the cake with my finger. If it springs back when you touch it, the cake should be done.
Don’t open the oven door until you think the cake is done or the cake may fall.
What icing is best for spice cake?
Although cream cheese frosting is often paired with spice cake, we like to use a simple whipped frosting made with whipping cream, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. It’s an easy, light frosting that isn’t too sweet.
How to Store Spice Cake
Because this cake has a milk-based frosting, you’ll want to cover it and store it in the refrigerator. If you choose a buttercream frosting, you can leave it at room temperature.
Other From Scratch Cakes
- Easy Banana Cake
- Easy Carrot Cake
- Easy Strawberry Buttercream
- Cherry Snack Cake
- Gingerbread Snack Cake
Easy Spice Cake
4.34 from 6 votes
This easy spice cake with cinnamon spiced whipped frosting is delicious. Buttermilk and brown sugar keep the crumb tender. Make in 9x13 pan or round pans.
Servings 15
Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes minutes
Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
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Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 cup shortening
- 1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
For the frosting:
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
For the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grease a 9x13 baking pan.
In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugars.
Add the vanilla and eggs. Mix well.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, soda and spices.
Add the dry ingredients to the cake alternately with the buttermilk, mixing between each addition.
Fold in the walnuts.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top springs back when you touch it.
Allow the cake to cool completely.
For the frosting:
Beat the cold cream until slightly thickened. Add in the sugar, vanilla and spices. Continue to beat until thickened.
Spread the whipped topping on the cooled cake.
Store in the refrigerator until serving.
Video
Notes
The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 15 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**
Nutrition
Calories: 460kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 276mg | Potassium: 140mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 320IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 1.6mg
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Calories 460
Keyword 9x13 cake, buttermilk spice cake, easy cake recipe, from scratch cake, sheet cake
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