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Super Moist Homemade Spice Cake with Silky Cream Cheese Frosting

A close-up slice of incredibly moist spice cake with thick cream cheese frosting layers.
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Bake the best spice cake from scratch. This recipe delivers an unbelievably moist and tender crumb packed with warm cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, perfect for autumn or holiday gatherings. It pairs with a silky, tangy cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup hot water or hot brewed coffee
  • For the Frosting: 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream (if needed)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans or one 9×13 inch pan.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
  3. Add the vegetable oil, applesauce, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Beat with a hand mixer on medium speed for two minutes until well combined.
  4. Carefully pour the hot water or coffee into the batter and mix on low speed until just combined. The batter will be thin.
  5. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
  6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes for layer cakes, or 35 to 40 minutes for a sheet cake, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  7. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  8. To make the cream cheese frosting, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together in a large bowl until smooth and creamy.
  9. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract.
  10. If the frosting is too thick, add milk or cream one teaspoon at a time until you reach a silky, spreadable consistency.
  11. Once the cakes are completely cool, frost and stack the layers, or frost the sheet cake.

Notes

  • Using hot coffee instead of hot water deepens the spice flavor without making the cake taste like coffee.
  • For an old-fashioned spice cake texture, you can mix the batter by hand, avoiding overmixing the flour.
  • If you prefer a maple icing, substitute the cream cheese and butter with 1/2 cup softened butter and 3 cups powdered sugar, using 1/4 cup pure maple syrup and a splash of milk for liquid.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://gourmetgaze.com/super-moist-homemade-spice-cake-with-frosting/