This spice cake recipe makes a moist spice cake that’s topped with homemade cream cheese frosting. This easy recipe makes a great homemade alternative to using a box of spice cake mix.
Spice cake is the base for flavorful cakes like carrot cake, apple spice cake, and pumpkin spice cake. This cake gets its flavor from warm spices like ground cinnamon and ground ginger, and it’s topped with sweet and tangy creamy cheese frosting.
This easy recipe takes just a few minutes longer to make than using a box mix, but it’s so much better! It makes a perfect dessert for everything from Thanksgiving dinner to making a tasty birthday cake.
Ingredient notes
- Flour: To properly measure the flour, either weigh it or sift/stir it to break it up. Lightly spoon into a measuring cup and level.
- Spices: Feel free to adjust the combination and amount of spices according to your liking.
- Brown sugar: Light brown sugar or dark brown sugar will work well.
- Vegetable oil: Or a similar neutral oil like canola oil or olive oil.
- Applesauce: Plain, non-fat Greek yogurt also works well in place of the applesauce.
- Cream cheese: I recommend using full-fat cream cheese or reduced-fat cream cheese. I don’t recommend fat-free cream cheese.
- Butter: If using unsalted butter, add an extra pinch or two of salt.
- Vanilla extract: The vanilla gives the frosting a slight tint. If you’d like whiter frosting, you can use a clear vanilla.
How to make homemade spice cake
Here you’ll find step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease a 9×13 pan and/or line with parchment paper.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and all spices.
Step 3: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, both sugars, vegetable oil, applesauce and vanilla extract until smooth.
Step 4: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3-4 batches, stirring between each addition until batter is smooth.
Step 5: Pour the cake batter into prepared pan.
Step 6: Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Step 7: Cool completely in the pan before frosting.
Step 8: To make the frosting, add cream cheese and butter to a stand mixer and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. If using a hand electric mixer, add to a large bowl and beat as-directed.
Step 9: Add in powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt and continue mixing until smooth and well incorporated.
Step 10: Frost the cake once cooled.
Step 11: Enjoy!
Recipe Tips!
- Cream cheese frosting troubleshooting: If your frosting is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of cream at a time and beat until it reaches the desired consistency. If it’s too thin, add 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Cinnamon cream cheese frosting: To add a bit more spice flavor to the cake, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to the frosting along with the powdered sugar.
- Freezing the cake: The baked cake freezes well. Just make the cake as-directed and let it cool to room temperature in the pan. Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 1 month. When you’re ready to serve it, just let the cake thaw and then frost.
Storage
Store any leftover spice cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The cake will keep for up to 4 days when properly stored in the fridge.
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Spice Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 9×13 pan
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 cups all purpose flour see note below about properly measuring
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar tightly packed
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- ½ cup butter softened to room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease a 9×13 pan or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and all of the spices.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, both sugars, vegetable oil, applesauce, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add the flour mixture in 3-4 batches, stirring between each addition until batter is smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool completely in the pan before frosting.
- To make the frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese together using an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add in powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt and continue mixing until smooth and well incorporated.
- Frost the cake once cooled, then slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Flour: To properly measure the flour, either weigh it or sift/stir it to break it up. Lightly spoon into a measuring cup and level.
- Spices: Feel free to adjust the combination and amount of spices according to your liking.
- Brown sugar: Light brown sugar or dark brown sugar will work well.
- Vegetable oil: Or a similar neutral oil like canola oil or olive oil.
- Applesauce: Plain, non-fat Greek yogurt also works well in place of the applesauce.
- Cream cheese: I recommend using full-fat cream cheese or reduced-fat cream cheese. I don’t recommend fat-free cream cheese.
- Butter: If using unsalted butter, add an extra pinch or two of salt.
- Vanilla extract: The vanilla does add a tint to the frosting. If you’d like whiter frosting, you can use clear vanilla.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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