This spice cake is incredibly moist and flavorful! The cake is light with a tender crumb and is topped with the most luscious cream cheese frosting. This simple recipe requires no mixer to make.
There are certain desserts I only eat in the fall and winter, and this incredible spice cake is one of them. In fact, this cake is one of my favorite Christmas dessert recipes. It’s those warm, autumn spice like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger that go perfectly with a hot cup of mulled apple cider. I love topping this cake with my favorite satiny-smooth cream cheese frosting and a dash of ground cinnamon.
Bake this simple yet delectable cake whenever you’ve got a craving for a perfect winter treat!
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Ingredients Used
As the name suggests, spice cake has a combination of spices that give this cake tons of flavor. Here are a few of the primary ingredients:
- Spices. I use a combination of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. If you don’t like nutmeg or cloves you can leave one of them out, but trust me, this mix of spices gives the most wonderful flavor.
- Sugar. This recipe calls for a combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar. I love the balance of flavors from both sugars together.
- Oil, applesauce, and buttermilk. They all make this spice cake extra moist so it stays tender for days. If you skip the applesauce, use buttermilk instead (total of 1 cup), but the applesauce makes a difference in this recipe so I highly recommend using it.
How to make spice cake
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
- Mix the eggs and sugars together. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until well combined for about a minute.
- Add the wet ingredients. Add oil to the egg and sugar mixture and whisk until combined. Then, add applesauce, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture and mix as little as possible, just until combined and smooth.
- Bake. Pour the batter into a prepared 8×8-inch pan and bake for 30-40 minutes at 350°F/180°C. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
Make the cream cheese frosting
The cream cheese frosting is optional, but holy cow, it tastes amazing – I highly recommend (and it’s easy to make)!
- In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a handheld mixer, beat cream cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add 1 cup powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt, and beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then on high speed for 1-2 minutes until smooth and fluffy. If you want a thicker frosting, add 1/2 cup more powdered sugar.
- Frost the cake when it’s cool.
That’s it!
Tips for making spice cake
-Don’t overmix the batter. Overmixing can make baked good tough and dense by developing excess gluten. To avoid this, just mix the ingredients until everything is incorporating. I also like to use a rubber spatula, which is more gentle on the cake batter.
-Wait for the cake to cool before frosting. If you frost the cake before it’s cool, the cream cheese icing will melt.
-Use full-fat cream cheese for the frosting. The fat helps stabilize the frosting and it makes it extra thick and creamy.
Does it freeze well?
Yes, but I do recommend making the cream cheese frosting fresh. To freeze the cake, double wrap it in plastic wrap. The cake will stay fresh for up to 2 months. To thaw, place in the fridge overnight or let it thaw on the counter.
More delicious snack cakes:
- Chocolate Nutella Cake: Decadent and rich, made with milk chocolate chunks and Nutella.
- My Favorite Carrot Cake: Not overly sweet carrot cake topped with fluffy cream cheese frosting.
- Maple Nut Cake: Topped with pecans and a drizzle of maple syrup.
- Plum Ginger Crumb Cake: Fresh plum and ginger cake topped with with crunchy coconut streusel.
- Peanut Butter Banana Bread: Made with cream peanut butter and yummy, ripe bananas.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I endorse products that I love and use daily.
This wonderful, delicious spice cake is made with warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg and topped with fluffy, satiny-smooth cream cheese frosting.
- 1 and 1/4 cups (170g) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) canola or another flavorless oil
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 oz. (115g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick/55g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups (175g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
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Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease an 8×8-inch pan.
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In a large bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
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In a medium bowl whisk eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until well combined for about a minute. Add oil and whisk until combined. Add applesauce, buttermilk, and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Pour the mixture into the flour mixture and mix as little as possible, just until combined and smooth.
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Pour the batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely.
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Make the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 1-2 minutes. Add 1 cup powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt, and beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then on high speed for 1-2 minutes until smooth and fluffy. If you want a thicker frosting, add 1/2 cup more powdered sugar. Frost cake with the frosting.
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Store cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Cake is best served at room temperature.
For a 9×13-inch cake, double the recipe (both cake and frosting) and bake for 45-50 minutes. The cake stays moist and flavorful for a few days, so you can make it 1-2 days ahead.
78 Comments
Kirsti
September 2, 2018 at 5:09 amYum! I love a good spice cake, and this cake looks perfect for the upcoming cooler months. Pinned! 🙂
Joanne Buscarini
September 2, 2018 at 2:50 pmCan this spice cake be frozen ? Thank you
Shiran
September 3, 2018 at 9:50 amYes, and if you leave out the frosting it can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Emily
August 28, 2019 at 2:15 pmI made this with mashed pumpkin instead of the applesauce and buttermilk and it was super perfect and moist, and I used 1/2 cup of cool whip instead of the butter in the frosting and it was heaven
Gabe
October 31, 2022 at 9:04 pmDo you remember how much pumpkin?
Ria
September 18, 2018 at 9:56 amWhat can i sub the applesauce for?
Shiran
September 20, 2018 at 6:30 amHi Ria, you can find this info in the above post.
Jean
July 26, 2019 at 11:00 pmCould I make this recipe into cup cakes? How long would baking time be?
Shiran
July 30, 2019 at 2:54 amYes you can, about 15-20 minutes.
Tiff
September 24, 2018 at 9:57 pmWould this recipe be enough to make a 3 layer cake? You mention it’s tender. Would it fall apart easily? Also, would the cooking time remain the same? Looking to make this for Christmas! Thank you!
Shiran
September 25, 2018 at 10:55 amYou’ll need to double the recipe for a 9-inch layer cake. It’s moist but it will be ok. The baking time will be different so keep an eye on it.
Maggie
October 12, 2018 at 11:00 amI just tried this recipe and the cake is bubbly and burnt on top but totally liquid all through the middle! Is there any chance there is supposed to be more than 1 1/4c flour? The batter seemed really thin but I figured it was meant to be that way – now I’m not so sure!
Shiran
October 14, 2018 at 8:08 amHi Maggie, this is the correct amount of flour and ingredients. If the top is browning too fast compared to the bottom, cover the pan loosely with aluminium foil for the rest of the baking time.
CJ
January 18, 2021 at 4:39 pmI made this in two 5×7 Pyrex pans to make a layer cake and with double the frosting. I’m not partial to ginger, so I replaced it with ¼ tsp of allspice. The cake came out moist and delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe!
sivan
December 12, 2018 at 2:29 pmhi Shiran!
I was wondering if it’s ok to split the batter into mini loafcake paper pans as long as i do not over fill so it can book?
each size is about 4x2x2
Thank you!
Shiran
December 15, 2018 at 5:55 amYes you can 🙂 Bake them until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Michelle
January 9, 2019 at 10:54 amThis cake was more than delicious! However, I did sub melted butter for the oil, and cut a bit of the salt (since it was salted butter). I used homemade applesauce and it was so good with the little chunks of apple throughout the cake.
Karen
February 26, 2019 at 10:16 pmJust made it, including the homemade apple sauce. Very yummy and moist! I used one 9in pan, baked at 350 for 20 minutes, lined with wax paper. No issues. Hardly any left. I will have to make this again. If I wanted to make a bundt cake, do I double the recipe? Do you have a glaze recipe to go with a bundt recipe? Thanks for sharing.
Shiran
March 5, 2019 at 4:05 amHi Karen! It might be too moist for bundt cake, I haven’t tried it so I don’t know. You can make a simple glaze by mixing powdered sugar with a bit of milk and vanilla extract.
Bethany
December 15, 2019 at 3:36 pmI just made it in a Bundt pan without doubling the recipe. It didn’t fill the pan to the top, but doubling might have been too full. Also, it cooked fine and held its shape coming out.
Leslie
November 5, 2021 at 3:25 amKaren as a rule of thumb a full size bundt pan will accept a 9×13 inch cake batter from scratch or box so hope that helps. I wouldn’t hesitate to double or in my case I rewrite recipes when I put them in my family recipe book such as this for a 9×13 inch pan so doubled and skip the original half or 8×8 inch size. I wuold think this moist cake would work great in a bundt pan. In cases where you want an even rise you may want to use a skirt or apron around the pans. You can purchase them or make them out of rolled wet newspaper. I myself usually skp that the more rustic and home made looking a cake the better. I’m no Martha though I love watching her and picking up lots of ideas. I understand that she’s the way she is due to being a caterer. I would never have the patience for that line of work. But love to gift my famous bundt pan rum cakes . As much as I love a good spice cake I can’t convince others they might love it better than the Rum cakes though. But isn’t a spice cake great to celebrate fall?
Jenna
April 28, 2019 at 9:04 pmI think your flour measurement is off somehow? 1 1/4 cups of flour would be closer to 10 oz, not 6.
Linda
May 31, 2019 at 8:06 pmI just made this cake. Have yet to taste it but looks awesome. Someone must have a weird oven because mine was cooked perfectly in 35.
JULIANNE
November 1, 2020 at 1:23 amOz by volume is not the same as oz by weight. I believe the 6 oz weight is correct for 1.25 cups volume
Yukti Arora
August 19, 2019 at 8:17 amNice cake recipe………….keep posting such mouth watering cakes.
Shivani
August 30, 2019 at 1:22 amWOW!! This cake looks amazing.. Can’t wait to try this.. Thank you so much for sharing such a mouth watering spice cake recipe with us.. Loved it!! Keep posting.
Sarah
November 2, 2019 at 7:22 pmHi! This looks delicious. I’m on the hunt for a homemade spice cake recipe to pair with penuche frosting (basically a brown sugar icing). Is this cake super sweet? The icing is extremely decadent so I need a spicy but not very sweet cake. This seems like it would fit the bill but wanted to check. Thank you!!
Shiran
November 11, 2019 at 5:16 amHi Sarah, I don’t think this cake is overly sweet at all, but it’s about personal taste 🙂 You can use a bit less sugar if you prefer.
Gabriella
November 13, 2019 at 10:36 amHello! I am excited to make this cake but wanted to make it as a double layer cake 6 inch cake. How do you recommend that I alter the recipe?
Tori
May 6, 2020 at 5:35 pmJust found this recipe after looking everywhere for a tasty spice cake and I’m in love! Made 12 little muffins instead of a giant cake and my family is loving them
Jeanine
May 12, 2020 at 8:07 pmThis was very easy, moist, and delicious. Thank you for sharing.
Chris
May 28, 2020 at 7:46 amI made this using 8 in square pan, baked for 30 minutes, and subbed 1 egg with mashed banana, also added chopped apple just because I wanted to use them up. Came out super moist and got a lot of compliments for that. I do wish the spice taste was a little stronger, but maybe my spices are losing flavor and need to use newer ones. Thanks for the recipe!
Shiran
June 3, 2020 at 6:40 amHi Chris. You can always use more of your favorite spices!
Peter Calvin
August 20, 2020 at 3:06 amHi Shiran, have to say i really love your work and all the recipe you share with us. This cake looks amazing and will definitely give it a try. Keep up the good work.
Shiran
August 20, 2020 at 5:23 amThank you so much, Peter 🙂
Becky Cuba
September 8, 2020 at 12:08 pmHas anyone tried subbing premixed apple pie spice for the spices? If so, how much?
diwali gifts
September 30, 2020 at 2:33 amWOW! A spice cake, never thought i would try something like this. But, you never know. Gonna try this right away.
diwali gifts
October 3, 2020 at 4:36 amWow! A spice cake, this is what i always wanted to make. Thanks to you for sharing.
Jodi Odland
November 5, 2020 at 6:08 pmLoved the texture and it was nice and moist. I frosted with Penuche frosting. Next time I plan on just using cinnamon and nutmeg for the spice
Jeanne
November 7, 2020 at 11:44 pmThe Spice cake is delicious! Thank you for the nice , easy recipe!
Jessi
December 15, 2020 at 2:32 amIt is a great recipe to make a birthday special cake. my bro’s birthday coming soon. thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
CJ
January 18, 2021 at 4:40 pmI made this in two 5×7 Pyrex pans to make a layer cake and with double the frosting. I’m not partial to ginger, so I replaced it with ¼ tsp of allspice. The cake came out moist and delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe!
CJ
January 18, 2021 at 4:41 pmEDIT: Accidentally added my review as a reply, so re-posting…
I made this in two 5×7 Pyrex pans to make a layer cake and with double the frosting. I’m not partial to ginger, so I replaced it with ¼ tsp of allspice. The cake came out moist and delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe!
valentines gifts
February 11, 2021 at 3:44 amPerfect cakes for Valentine day occasion. keep updating and thanks for share the recipes.
Jen
February 16, 2021 at 8:25 amI made this with a few changes, greek yohgurt instead of buttermilk, almond extract instead of vanilla and allspice instead of ground ginger and it was delicious. On a side note, I don’t understand why people give stars if they’ve never made something. A pet peeve of mine I guess because it creates false ratings and offers absolutely nothing.
Debra
March 19, 2021 at 12:27 pmI am allergic to apples, what other fruit can I use?
Kim
April 26, 2021 at 5:53 pmThanks!
I’m crazy about this cake, I made it 4 times in the last 3 months so it is about time I thank you for this recipe ❤️💚💛
Rakhi
July 7, 2021 at 2:42 amI am visiting the website for the first time. What I found most interesting is the name. Pretty Simple Sweet. Says everything you need to know. Will surely try out the recipes and keep posting as to how it went. Thanks.
Anita Rockwell
September 28, 2021 at 5:14 pmThis cake is amazing! I love it! Thank you for Shari g the recipe. It is the perfect size for a spice cake. I didn’t make the frosting because I am not a frosting fan, but if I do make it with frosting I’m definitely using your recipe! Again….wow!!
Sattur mittai kadai
July 22, 2021 at 1:24 amThank you for sharing the amazing article.it’s really good.
indian matka
September 20, 2021 at 2:10 pmWow! just love your ideas, I made one for my friend I hope he will like it.
TheFlowersPoint
September 21, 2021 at 1:40 amVery informative
AmbalaCakes
October 1, 2021 at 5:40 amVery informative
kurla day
October 13, 2021 at 2:32 pmI regularly visiting the listed content, which is very interesting going to the website everyday. Searching for new, interesting info here. Thanks for sharing the content.
Baishakhi Biswas
October 19, 2021 at 6:27 amCan’t get over this cake. Truly delicious, couldn’t share it with anyone :D. Made it three times in the last week. Best wishes to you Chef.
Lisa vannorman
October 22, 2021 at 12:04 amWhat can I use for frosting for spice cake since I have no cream cheese
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet.
October 24, 2021 at 2:05 amHi Lisa, cream cheese frosting is the ideal type of frosting with this cake. You could also make a glaze with powdered sugar and a bit of a water or milk and drizzle it over the cake. Just add a few teaspoons of liquid to a cup of powdered sugar and mix together with a whisk until it’s viscous:)
Art of India
October 25, 2021 at 9:04 amHey Shiran, this looks so good. I will try this for sure during the festive season this year. Thanks for sharing. Much love, keep growing! 🙂
Daniel
October 26, 2021 at 12:23 pmIs the setting for a fan assisted oven? 180 degrees.
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet.
October 30, 2021 at 7:07 amYes it is!:)
Satta Matka Trick
November 14, 2021 at 1:48 pmYour blog provided us with important information to work on. You have done a admirable job. Satta Weekly Jodi
Ann
November 25, 2021 at 7:36 pmI made this cake for my husband for Thanksgiving. It is delicious. After enjoying his first slice, he immediately went back to the kitchen for a 2nd slice. Happy Thanksgiving!
sattamataka143
December 8, 2021 at 1:53 pmthanks for sharing this information sir…m
Khajana Matka
January 31, 2022 at 2:10 amWhat can I use for frosting for spice cake since I have no cream cheese
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet.
January 31, 2022 at 3:25 amYou could try a basic glaze made with powdered sugar…Mix a bit of milk or water with 2 cups of sifted powdered sugar and pour over the cake for a light glaze 🙂
Deborah
March 31, 2022 at 7:19 pmThe texture of this snack cake is perfect. I didn’t even frost it! The slightly crisp edge and the bit of sticky sweet made it perfect with coffee. I’m going to up the spices next time and add some ground toasted walnuts. This is a keeper.
DecorGlance
August 26, 2022 at 3:43 amThanks for sharing this Beautiful recipe, I Definitely try them out If possible
Meg
November 14, 2022 at 12:53 amThis was perfect! I didn’t have buttermilk, so I just used plain whole milk. I’m also not a fan of cloves so I used allspice in its place. Even the dessert disliking sig. other couldn’t resist a little piece. It was fluffy and moist without being cloyingly sweet. Will make again with buttermilk next time!
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet.
November 14, 2022 at 2:30 amHi Meg, I’m so glad both you and your significant other enjoyed the recipe!
Exoticindiaart
January 6, 2023 at 11:55 pmThis was ideal! I didn’t have buttermilk, so I used normal whole milk instead. I’m also not a fan of cloves, so I substituted allspice. Even the dessert-hating sig. other couldn’t resist a bite. It was light and fluffy without being too sweet.
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet.
January 8, 2023 at 6:06 amThank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Emission Miracles
March 17, 2023 at 1:29 amThis idea was very beautiful .the cake was lokking delicious and sweet . the cake was looking pretty ,simple.
sunpreet singh
March 31, 2023 at 8:59 amvery good content. thanks
lila
June 8, 2023 at 5:48 amgreat
Blissmygift
August 12, 2023 at 6:44 amThanks for sharing world’s best cake recipe. I have made this and enjoyed a lot with my family.
Bhupendra Sharma
October 9, 2023 at 6:59 amThanks for sharing this delicious dish
Laura
November 26, 2023 at 8:32 amI made this cake last night. It tastes amazing! Thank you from Brazil!
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet.
November 28, 2023 at 12:04 pmThank you! Glad you enjoyed the cake!