Mulling-Spice Cake With Cream-Cheese Frosting Recipe (2024)

I’m allergic to apple cider vinegar. Would using ordinary white vinegar harm this recipe?

Curious about the 6 cups of confectioners' sugar for the frosting. Dorie's recipe for cream cheese frosting for her carrot cake calls for about half this. Could this be an error?

The recipe calls for apple cider, not apple cider vinegar. If you need a substitute maybe try a different type of juice.

My husband also really dislikes cream cheese frosting (they said for better or worse...sigh), but asks for a spice cake every year for his birthday. I use a basic buttercream (old Joy of Cooking recipe), but add a bit less sugar to taste. A citrus buttercream could also be good.

The best cream cheese frosting I've ever had is the one from Martha Stewart.1 cup unsalted butter (two sticks) softened8 oz package cream cheese, softened1 teaspoon vanilla1 (Yes, only 1) cup of confectioner's sugarBeat together well and use as directed. Delicious, creamy, spreads well, stays creamy for days when in the refrigerator. I make a banana cake in a 9 x 13 pan, cool and store it in the pan spread with this frosting. Cover with foil. Eat it all week for dessert and it's great!

This is pretty much the recipe my grandmother copied off the Brer Rabbit molasses bottle during the Depression. I've been making it since the early 70s.

The molasses and cider flavors in this cake were wonderful, but the texture was unfortunately dense. The sponge was neither over- nor under-cooked, and I followed the instructions without change or substitution. Also, the batter was not particularly runny, as the recipe indicated, but a typical cake batter consistency.I make cakes often, usually with good results. This one was just stodgy. I might try it again and add some baking powder to get a better rise.

I'm glad I read all the notes before I baked! What great advice! I got a lovely spice cake that rose. Based on everyone's notes I used 3/4 cup apple cider hot but not boiling to a half cup of molasses, adding the cider in slowly & mixing so less froth and no burnt molasses. I also added 2 tsp of baking powder to the flour & spices. For the frosting I used 8 oz cream cheese, 1 stick of butter and 3 cups confectioners sugar, with the same amount of salt and vanilla indicated in the recipe.

Incredibly luxurious. I reduced a cup of cider down to half cup of concentrate, and added some to the icing as well. I also doubled the baking soda, and got a lovely light crumb. Still not very cidery, ultimately, but I think I will try again with a more concentrated cider syrup.Icing was wickedly sweet and in future I think I'll look for an ermine or maybe a French buttercream.

One question.Is the apple cider alcoholic? This matters as my wife shouldn't have plain apple juice.I could possibly let some alcoholic cider go flat for use.

The recipe says apple cider, not apple cider vinegar

Hi Kathy - pretty sure it's apple cider & not apple cider vinegar! :-)

I have no apple cider now so I'm subbing in fresh orange juice and just for fun adding chopped pecans and bits of crystallized ginger

The recipe calls for apple cider. Not apple cider vinegar.

Made this with fresh squeezed orange juice and it was terrific!

Excellent recipe. I used freshly brewed apple cider, increased the cider to 3/4 cup, decreased the molasses to 1/2 cup and warmed up the cider before adding it to the molasses, as another reviewer suggested. I replaced the two eggs with 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar and 2 teaspoons baking soda (which leavens cake). I increased the salt to one teaspoon. I used one cup vegetable oil instead of butter. Dark, moist, flavorful gingerbread. You could also sub one half of the oil with apple sauce. A

The batter was not runny. The cake did not rise. What’s wrong with this recipe?

This was like a carrot cake without the carrots. The flavor is delicious. I followed the suggestions of others to add 2 teaspoons to the flour mixture, and it rose a little more, but overall, it was a dense cake. My recollection of a spice cake is one that is like a sponge cake with spices. I made the cream cheese frosting and used it as the middle layer. I made an American buttercream with the spice mixture for the outside frosting.

Yes, the cake was pretty dense, but I don't think it took anything away from the cake. It was also a bit dry considering I took it out early, however the frosting did make up for it. We all loved the flavor and the orange zest definitely helps. Also, I cut the sugar in the frosting by a lot! I used 1 cup of sugar and it was still sweet.

3/4 cup apple cider 0.5 cup molassesAdd and mix slowly2 tsp baking powder to flour and spices

I added 1/4 c more cider cold right at the end. And I forgot to add the last 1/3 of flour mix so I did that 2 min after the cakes were in the oven… when the batter had smoothed and become more runny.

After reading notes, I made with a lot of adjustments:Used Chai Spice Blend, doubled baking soda, subbed orange juice for apple cider, subbed brown sugar and orange juice for molasses. Frosting16 ounces cream cheese, 2 sticks of butter and 2 teaspoons vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Decorated with ginger snaps. Cake turned out amazingly light and frosting was perfect texture. Could have used less powdered sugar but consistency might have changed. Had extra frosting.

2x baking soda, sub orange juice for apple cider 1/2 cup brown sugar for molasses

Double baking soda1 1/2 c confectioners sugar in frosting

I cooked the cake according to the recipe; it’s delicious, moist, but a dense cake, which is fine. The frosting is great; I used 5-cups of sugar. Very nice for the holiday season.

followed recipe but my frosting has turned out a bit wet & runny. transported straight to the fridge too see if that brings any joy. confident it will taste ok tho but might not look as fetching as your image.

Has anyone made this recipe as cupcakes?

This is my son's favorite cake so I've made it several times!! I'm curious, though, why the author says it's a thin batter - it has never been thin for me. We also add a full tablespoon of orange peel - love that orange flavor! And we sprinkle the top with granules of ginger-honey drink (the kind you can buy in asian markets).

Did not like this cake, too dense, no rise, flavor overpowering. Followed directions to the letter I believe. Disappointed as it took time to make.

I'm glad I read all the notes before I baked! What great advice! I got a lovely spice cake that rose. Based on everyone's notes I used 3/4 cup apple cider hot but not boiling to a half cup of molasses, adding the cider in slowly & mixing so less froth and no burnt molasses. I also added 2 tsp of baking powder to the flour & spices. For the frosting I used 8 oz cream cheese, 1 stick of butter and 3 cups confectioners sugar, with the same amount of salt and vanilla indicated in the recipe.