Spice Cake

Yes, this is a recipe for your grandma’s spice cake and that’s a good thing because guess what? Grandma’s spice cake was awesome. There’s no reason to put a new spin on an old fashioned spice cake recipe when it has been perfection for generations now. (But hey, we’ve got some fun ideas for new twists anyway!)

This spice cake takes a fair amount of hands-on work and it calls for quite a few ingredients — many of which are spices, of course — but it’s so worth the time and effort. A perfect holiday treat or a great birthday cake, this spice cake recipe is one you’ll be glad to have and that you might just pass down.

Spice Cake Ingredients

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• Sugar: You’ll find some sugar in the cake and lots more in the frosting.
• Raisins: The better chopped the raisins the better they will incorporate into the cake.
• Water: Use precisely one cup of water.
• Butter: Cube the butter while it’s still cold.
• Ground cinnamon: The first of our spices.
• Ground allspice: No, allspice is not a blend of spices. It is its own unique and potent spice sourced from the Pimenta dioica evergreen tree.
• Ground cloves: Cloves are powerful so measure them with care.
• Ground nutmeg: Where you find cinnamon, you often find nutmeg, as well.
• Eggs: You need four large eggs with the yolks and whites separated and at room temperature.
• All-purpose flour: The flour brings it all together.
• Baking powder: And the baking powder helps the texture come out great.
• Salt: Salt coaxes maximum flavor out of the other ingredients.
• Baking soda: Just a bit of baking soda is all you need.
• Chopped pecans: Make sure these nuts are well chopped.
• Cream cheese: Use one package, or eight ounces, of softened cream cheese.
• Butter: Give the butter for the frosting time to soften.
• Vanilla extract: A little vanilla extract goes a long way.
• Salt: Just a pinch!
• Confectioners’ sugar: Far from a pinch, here you’ll use a lot of sugar.
• Optional toppings: Additional chopped pecans, cinnamon sticks, fresh bay leaves, fresh rosemary sprigs, and confectioners’ sugar are all optional but quite recommended.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the spice blend

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In a large sauce pan, combine the sugar, raisins, water, butter, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and nutmeg and cook, stirring, over medium-low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool.

Step 2: Prepare the batter

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In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks together and gradually stir in the spice mixture. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Gradually add these dry ingredients to the spice mixture, stirring until blended. Then, stir in the pecans. Next, beat the egg whites in a small bowl until soft peaks form and then fold the whites into the batter.

Step 3: Bake the batter in two pans

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Evenly pour the bake batter into two greased and floured 9-inch round baking pans. Bake the cake sections at 325°F until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, which will take 35 to 40 minutes. Cool the cake sections in the pans for 10 minutes before removing them from the pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Step 4: Prepare the frosting then decorate the cake

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In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until they are fluffy. Add the vanilla and salt, then gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar and mix until everything is smooth. To decorate the cake, spread the frosting between the layers and then stack the cake. Frost over the top and sides of cake, leaving the cake slightly exposed on the side. If desired, top the cake with pecans, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, rosemary sprigs and a dusting of confectioners’ sugar.

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Spice Cake Variations

• Skip the raisins: If there is one divisive ingredient in this recipe, it’s the raisins. If you’re not a fan there is no need to include them.
• Use store-bought frosting: In a pinch, a store-bought vanilla frosting will work just fine. The spices will still rule the day in terms of flavor.
• Skip the nuts: If anyone in your orbit has a nut allergy, then it’s OK to leave out the pecans; on the other hand, it’s also OK to use even more if you love nuts.

How to Store Spice Cake

You can store leftover spice cake slices in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 48 hours or in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Can you freeze spice cake?

Yes, you can freeze the spice cake for up to three months whether it’s frosted or unfrosted, whole or sliced. Wrap portions snugly in an airtight wrapping.

Spice Cake Tips

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What should I serve with spice cake?

Ice cream is always a great partner to this cake, with vanilla or coffee ice cream being great choices.

What can I add for unique flavor spins here?

Try swapping the vanilla extract for a rum extract to make a rich, complex flavor profile that goes well with the blend of spices.

Would this cake be good with pumpkin spice?

Absolutely! You could ditch all four spices used here for a pre-made pumpkin spice blend and make a delightful fall cake.