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Overhead image of cake sliced into 6 slices.

Old Fashioned Spice Cake

This Old Fashioned Spice Cake recipe highlights all the best of fall flavors. It’s so tender and moist, made with buttermilk and plenty of warm autumn spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice making it a truly flavorful cake. It’s topped with a silky maple buttercream frosting for the perfect decadent bite. 
5 from 3 votes
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • ½ cup melted unsalted butter cooled to room temp (1 stick)
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the maple buttercream:

  • ½ cup unsalted butter room temp (1 stick)
  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350℉.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine the buttermilk, melted butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs. Whisk until smooth. 
  • Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice) to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Whisk until just combined.
  • Pour the cake batter into a prepared cake pan (8-inches either square or round) and smooth into a flat layer.
  • Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few crumbs. Remove it from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. 
  • While the cake cools, using an electric mixer (either stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer) cream the butter on medium speed for 2 minutes until it's whipped to be light and fluffy. Then on low speed add the powdered sugar and mix until well combined, another 1-2 minutes. Then finally whip in the maple, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. 
  • Scoop the frosting on top of the cooled cake, and spread evenly over top. 

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 746kcal | Carbohydrates: 104g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 148mg | Sodium: 648mg | Potassium: 177mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 70g | Vitamin A: 1103IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 2mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cake, Fall Baking
Author: Haley