Description
This Best Spice Cake recipe features a rich, warmly spiced batter toasted in neutral oil to enhance the flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, cardamom, and allspice. The cake is moist and tender, balanced with molasses, buttermilk, and sour cream, and baked in three 9-inch pans to create a perfect layer cake. Frost with a luscious double batch of cream cheese frosting or try the light, airy whipped cream cheese frosting for a delightful finish perfect for celebrations or cozy gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Spiced Oil
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil or light flavored olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon cloves
- 3/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
Cake Batter
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
- 2 cups packed brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons Mexican vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1/2 cup full fat sour cream
- 3 cups + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
Frosting
- A double batch of cream cheese frosting (2 sticks butter, 2 packs cream cheese, 5-8 cups powdered sugar depending on desired thickness)
- Or the scaled-up version of whipped cream cheese frosting as noted
Instructions
- Toast the Spices. Heat a small pan over medium heat and add 1/2 cup neutral oil. Combine the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, cardamom, and allspice in a small bowl. When the oil is hot, add all the spices at once and toast for about 1 minute, watching to avoid burning. Once fragrant and bubbling slightly, remove from heat and let the spiced oil cool completely (placing in the freezer helps speed this up).
- Prepare Cake Pans. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Trace three 9-inch cake pans on parchment paper, cut out the circles, and place them inside each pan. Spray the pans thoroughly with nonstick spray, including the sides.
- Cream Butter. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat 1 cup softened butter until smooth. You can start with cold butter if using a stand mixer, just beat for a few minutes scraping sides until smooth.
- Add Sugars. Add 2 cups brown sugar and 1 cup granulated sugar to the butter. Beat together for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl once to incorporate evenly.
- Add Spiced Oil. Once the spiced oil has cooled, beat it into the butter and sugar mixture until fully combined.
- Mix Wet Ingredients. In a medium bowl or an 8-cup measuring cup, whisk together 5 eggs until smooth. Add 1 cup buttermilk, 2 teaspoons Mexican vanilla, 1 teaspoon almond extract, 2 tablespoons molasses, and 1/2 cup sour cream. Whisk until fully combined and smooth.
- Sift Dry Ingredients. Over a medium bowl, sift together 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon baking powder. Stir to ensure even distribution.
- Combine Batter. Alternate adding the egg mixture and flour mixture to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the wet ingredients. Mix gently between additions, combining just until incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure no pockets remain.
- Divide Batter. Evenly distribute the batter among the three prepared cake pans.
- Bake. Bake the cakes at 325°F for 27-30 minutes. If your oven is uneven, consider baking one cake at a time. Rotate pans 180 degrees or switch their places about two-thirds through baking (around 22 minutes), but only if the cakes’ tops are not liquidy to avoid deflating.
- Cool Cakes. Remove cakes from the oven and cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Loosen edges with a knife and invert cakes onto cooling racks to cool completely. You can put cakes in the freezer for 20 minutes to speed cooling and ease frosting.
- Frost. When cakes are cool or partially frozen, frost with a double batch of cream cheese frosting or the whipped cream cheese frosting scaled up as described. Frost to your desired thickness and assemble layers.
Notes
- Baking one cake at a time ensures even baking if your oven is not consistent.
- If baking two cakes at once, rotate positions halfway through baking to promote even heat exposure.
- Do not open the oven door except for rotating pans, especially in the first 20 minutes, to avoid collapsing the cakes.
- Cooling cakes in the freezer can speed up frosting prep and make application easier.
- The double batch of cream cheese frosting consists of 2 sticks butter, 2 packs cream cheese, and 5-8 cups powdered sugar; adjust sugar amount based on preferred frosting thickness.
- For a lighter alternative, try the scaled-up whipped cream cheese frosting for a fluffier texture.
