A homemade spice cake with creamy caramel icing is light and flavorful. I'll tell you about the high-ratio baking method used to make an easy spice cake recipe, and what frosting goes with this old fashioned spice cake recipe.
The cake is perfectly balanced, and the cooked caramel frosting is smooth and delicious-like brown sugar fudge.
It's an easy spice cake recipe, so you don't have to use a spice cake mix to get that nostalgic, classic flavor.
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Easy Spice Cake Recipe
Take it from me, you won't want to miss this combination. Spice cake with caramel! It's one of the best things in life.
This two-layer, easy-to-make spice cake recipe from scratch has all the essential spices for perfection: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice. And the Creamy Caramel Icing recipe has the texture of melt-in-your-mouth caramel fudge.
This recipe is a vintage gem found by my friend Susan LaRosa, who writes the blog A Cake Bakes In Brooklyn.
She collects recipes she finds at flea markets and antique stores, then bakes them and lets us know the winners! Spoiler: this old-fashioned spice cake recipe is a winner!
Ingredients in Homemade Spice Cake
I don't use a spice cake mix. All the ingredients are found in the pantry and spice cupboard!
The spice balance in this cake is really perfect. I find most spice cakes have too much nutmeg, or often taste like gingerbread instead of spice cake.
This recipe doesn't even have ginger in it, so the spice mixture stays away from a holiday taste. Cinnamon is the main flavor and the ground cloves, nutmeg, and allspice balance it out.
A touch of molasses helps deepen the flavor. I like to use simple unsulphured molasses instead of blackstrap. Blackstrap molasses is darker in flavor and a bit too strong for this delicate spice cake.
This old-fashioned spice cake recipe requires a few more special ingredients. Namely, cake flour, and shortening.
Cake flour has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour, which results in a lighter, fluffier cake.
Shortening gives the cake a fine crumb, and soft texture.
How to Make Spice Cake using the High-Ratio Method
This homemade spice cake has a fine, delicate crumb because of the high-ratio method used when making it.
Baking experts will explain that the high-ratio method means the fat, or butter (and in this case shortening) is mixed with the dry ingredients before the liquid ingredients are added. This simply yields a different, fine texture (plus it's super easy).
The wet ingredients are then whisked into the dry mixture.
Science alert! This method coats the flour molecules with fat before the liquid is added so there is less absorption into the flour–preventing too much gluten from forming, and thus creating a very tender crumb.
Bake the spice cake layers until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
The cake is baked in two 9-inch pans and layered with that perfect frosting for spice cake.
- Line greased cake pans with parchment.
- Mix together the dry ingredients and blend in the shortening. This is the first step of the high-ratio method.
3. Combine the eggs, molasses, and milk.
4. Whisk the liquid ingredients together.
5. Combine the liquid ingredients and the dry ingredient mixtures.
6. Blend until a smooth batter forms.
7. Divide batter between the two prepared pans.
8. Bake just until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Then let the cakes cool completely
Frosting for Spice Cake
A classic flavor combination is spice cake and a cooked caramel icing for the frosting. You can also use a cream cheese frosting.
If you use the caramel icing for the spice cake, it needs to be used immediately or it will solidify. Let the cakes cool completely before making the icing.
Then quickly spread the spice cake icing on the cake layers and let it set.
The caramel icing for spice cake is made with brown sugar so it has a lovely rich flavor. You can use it in a more liquid form and drizzle it over the cake, or whip it an extra minute so it is the consistency of soft fudge.
FAQs for Spice Cake
I've had a few queries about this cake and whether it could be made into cupcakes. I haven't experimented with it. I'm sure it would be lovely but you'll have to bake one or two off to see how full to fill the cupcake cups.
I wouldn't want you to fill them all and have tiny cupcakes or an overflowing mess. They will also be very delicate cupcakes because of the high-ratio cake texture. That's not a bad thing, just something to be aware of!
Yes, both the caramel cake frosting and the cake itself can be frozen for up to three months. Freeze in separate containers or freeze once assembled. The icing will get a crisp crust if frozen on the cake. When ready, you can gently heat the frosting, beat it, and immediately use it.
I use a classic recipe for caramel icing. It's a cooked frosting that has the texture of brown sugar fudge.
You can also use Cream Cheese Frosting for spice cake frosting. That is a nostalgic combination and goes well with this old fashioned spice cake recipe.
I love to use warming spices for spice cake like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and allspice. Feel free to add more or less of each spice depending on your flavor preference. The warm spices go perfectly with the brown sugar caramel frosting.
Tips For The Best Spice Cake Recipe
- Do NOT use blackstrap molasses to make this recipe. It's much too bitter. Opt for a mild unsulphered molasses instead.
- If you don't serve it to the neighborhood, the extras are even tastier the next day!
- If you feel trendy, you can sprinkle the top with just a touch of flaked sea salt for a salted caramel treat.
More homemade cake recipes you'll love:
- Rhubarb Upside Down Cake
- Lemon Layer Cake
- Ginger Coconut Carrot Cake
- Almond Flower Cake
- Ginger Pineapple Snack Cake
For more baking deliciousness try one of Susan's classic recipes, Pecan Crispies. They are buttery, crunchy, and nutty. I guess just what you'd expect from the name! Perfect with a cup of hot tea.
📖 Recipe
Spice Cake With Creamy Caramel Icing
Ingredients
- 2 cups cake flour (sifted)
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup shortening
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup unsulphured molasses
- 2 large eggs
- Creamy Caramel Icing
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment; set aside.
- In a mixing bowl blend together the flour, sugar, shortening, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, baking soda, and baking powder.
- In a separate bowl whisk together milk, molasses, and eggs. Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until a smooth batter forms, about 2 min. Scrape down sides and bottom of the bowl halfway through mixing.
- Divide batter between prepared pans, and bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 27 to 30 min. Let cool.
- Make Creamy Caramel Icing once cake is cooled, as you will need to use it immediately. Spread ¼ cup icing on one cake, then top with second layer. Frost entire cake.
Video
Notes
- If you feel trendy, you can sprinkle the top with just a touch of flaked sea salt for a salted caramel treat.
- This old-fashioned recipe has a lovely light texture, which is due to a mixing technique called the "high-ratio method." You combine the shortening with all of the dry ingredients - not just the sugar - to create a finer crumb.
- The Nutrition Facts are calculated for just the cake. See the Frosting recipe for the additional facts.
Nutrition
Delicious Cake Recipes
Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!
Recipe contributed by Susan LaRosa from acakebakesinbrooklyn.com Some photos: Seth Smoot Originally published LHJ 03/12. Updated 2/23.
Mary Bench says
This icing takes me back to my mother's kitchen!
Madeline says
This is definitely one of the best cakes I've ever made! So light and delicious. I used a bit of dark cocoa powder in place of a bit of the flour to make it a chocolate spice cake. We only had dark brown sugar, but that worked just great. I am so making this again.
Julie Fleischhacker says
Hi Madeline, thank you for the lovely comment and great additions with the dark brown sugar and cocoa powder! I'll be trying that myself. Tara
Ellie O says
Would you mind sharing approximately how much "dark cocoa powder " you substituted for flour? A few tablespoons? A 1/4 cup? etc. Thanks.
Tara says
Hi Ellie, You commented on the Spice Cake Recipe so I'm not sure what dark cocoa reference you are talking about. Let me know! [email protected]
Ellie O says
The number of servings is listed as "8". That appears to be an error. A 2-layer 9" cake should serve at least 12 and up to 14 or 16!
Tara says
Hi Ellie, The recipe is a vintage recipe and I stayed true to the details, which say the cake serves 8. As you can see from the picture, I show a big slice. However, you're right! A double layer 9-inch cake can serve many more people if the slices are small! Totally up to you!
Lydia says
I made these as cupcakes for my boyfriend’s birthday. In my oven on convection bake, 17 minutes was perfect. I filled the cups 2/3 of the way and they raised perfectly to the top!
I also wanted to say this recipe is very versatile. I added 1/2 cup of applesauce in place of one egg (eggs and I don’t get along) and also added 1/8 tsp of cardamom and 1/8 tsp of ginger (because I love those flavors). The cupcakes came out amazing! I used a salted caramel cream cheese frosting (because I wasn’t confident about trying the included frosting recipe) but I am definitely going to try that frosting recipe in the future when I am not serving it to other people. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Tina Ligouri says
The difference between unsulphured molasses and blackstrap molasses?
Tara T. says
Great question Tina. Unsulfured molasses is made from the first or second boiling of sugarcane, and it has a sweeter and milder flavor. I like it best for baking. Blackstrap molasses comes from the third boiling, so it's thicker, less sweet, and has a strong, almost bitter taste. Some people think Blackstrap is healthy because of its high mineral composition. I actually never buy blackstrap because unsulfured molasses is what I test and make my recipe with, and it tastes better!
Diane says
Can you use almond or oat milk instead of cows milk?
Tara T. says
Hi Diane. I haven’t tried it myself. It should be ok. The texture of the final cake may be slightly different but probably negligible.
Happy baking!
T a r a