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Super Moist Spice Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

A close-up view of a thick slice of amazing spice cake layered with creamy frosting, sitting on a teal plate.
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Bake this homemade spice cake from scratch for a tender, moist texture packed with warm autumn spices. Top it with a rich brown butter cream cheese frosting for a perfect fall or holiday dessert.

Ingredients

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

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans or one 9×13 inch pan.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.
  3. Add the oil, applesauce, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Beat with a mixer on medium speed for two minutes.
  4. Carefully pour the boiling water 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, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  7. To make the frosting, brown the butter: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling occasionally, until the butter foams, then brown bits form at the bottom and it smells nutty. Immediately pour the browned butter into a heatproof bowl to stop cooking and let it cool slightly.
  8. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and cream cheese until smooth.
  9. Add the vanilla extract and salt. Beat again until combined.
  10. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until the frosting is smooth and creamy. Beat in the cooled brown butter until fully incorporated.
  11. Once the cakes are completely cool, frost and assemble the layers or frost the sheet cake.

Notes

  • For a Bundt cake, bake for 45 to 55 minutes.
  • You can substitute the brown butter frosting with a simple maple icing for a different flavor profile.
  • This recipe works well for meal planning because it freezes well before frosting.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://delicerecipe.com/moist-spice-cake-recipe-from-scratch/