Super Moist Spice Cake
This recipe for Super Moist Spice Cake creates a delightful fall dessert featuring a tender, flavorful cake infused with warm spices and topped with a rich, browned butter cream cheese frosting.
Servings: 12 slices
Equipment
- 9x13-inch pan
- Large bowl
- Medium bowl
- Whisk
- Cooling rack
- Light-colored skillet or saucepan
- Handheld or stand mixer
- Paddle attachment
- Toothpick
- Aluminum foil
Ingredients
Cake
- 2.5 cups all-purpose flour (313g) spooned & leveled
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 1.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 0.5 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup vegetable oil (240ml)
- 1.75 cup packed light or dark brown sugar (350g)
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce (240g)
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup shredded apple (150g) or shredded carrot/zucchini
- 1 Tablespoon unsulphured or dark molasses (21g) optional: not blackstrap; I prefer Grandmas brand
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- 0.25 cup unsalted butter (4 Tbsp; 56g) cut into 4 slices
- 8 ounces full-fat brick cream cheese (226g) softened to room temperature
- 2.5 cups confectioners sugar (300g)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- 1 sprinkle ground cinnamon or nutmeg optional, for garnish
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and thoroughly grease a 9x13-inch pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, then set this dry mixture aside.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, brown sugar, applesauce, eggs, vanilla extract, and optional molasses.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and whisk until just combined (some small lumps are acceptable), then fold in the shredded apple.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 38–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean; loosely cover with aluminum foil if the top browns too quickly.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- Place sliced butter in a light-colored skillet and melt over medium heat, stirring constantly until it foams, begins browning, and nutty-smelling lightly browned specks form at the bottom (about 5–7 minutes).
- Immediately pour the browned butter, including the solids, into a medium heatproof bowl; cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely and solidify.
- In a large bowl with a mixer, beat the solidified brown butter on high speed until creamy and smooth, then add the softened cream cheese and beat until smooth.
- Scrape down the bowl, then add confectioners sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt; beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high and beat for 2 minutes.
Assembly & Storage
- Spread the prepared frosting evenly over the cooled cake, optionally garnishing with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon or nutmeg.
- Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes before serving to help set the frosting and make slicing easier.
- Store any leftover cake tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
This recipe mentions a glass pan for baking, but other pan sizes can be used (refer to recipe notes for options). If the top of the cake starts browning too quickly during baking, loosely cover it with aluminum foil, typically around the 25-minute mark. Refrigerating the frosted cake for 30 minutes before serving helps the frosting set and makes slicing much easier. Leftover cake should be covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.