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Home » Recipes » Layer Cakes

Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Published: Sep 19, 2023 by Marye

Moist and delicious! Homemade spice cake with a rich cream cheese frosting is full of cozy fall flavor! Two layers of goodness make this everyone's favorite recipe. Smoky-salty pecan topping is completely optional but adds a nice contrast to the sweet richness of the cake.
Total time for the recipe to be finished.Total Time 40 minutes minutes
Jump to Recipe
A slice of homemade cake on a plate.
Overhead view of cake with a slice removed. Text overlay for Pinterest.
Alternate image for Pinterest.

This vintage recipe is moist, fluffy, and packed with warm fall spices!

Slice of cake with white frosting and a title text overlay.
Table of Contents
  • 🗝️ Key takeaways
  • 🧾 Ingredients
  • 📖 Variations
  • 🔪 Instructions
  • How to convert baking pan sizes
  • 🥫 Storage
  • 💭 Things to know
  • 🥣 How to make a homemade spice cake mix
  • 👩‍🍳 FAQs
  • 📚 Related recipes
  • 🍽️ Serve with...
  • 🫶 Restless Chipotle recommends
  • 📞 The last word
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

🗝️ Key takeaways

  • Let's be real, boxed cakes are great but homemade is so much better.
  • Serve this for fall birthdays, special occasions, or just because it's delicious.
  • Use the pan conversion chart below to make cupcakes, loaf cake, or 13x 9-inch cake with this recipe.

Old-fashioned spice cake has a decadent cream cheese frosting that is full of warm fall flavors like cinnamon and cloves. If this doesn't make you feel warm and cozy I don't know what will.

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🧾 Ingredients

Labeled ingredients for homemade spice cake.

📖 Variations

  • Double up on the spices for more flavor.
  • Mix the chopped pecans into the batter rather than using them to garnish the cake.
  • Stir in a cup of grated zucchini, apple, or carrots.
  • Try it with the lemon frosting found here.

Next time try this easy 3 ingredient pumpkin spice cake!

🔪 Instructions

Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.

Spice Cake

Steps 1 through 4 for making spice cake.
  1. Mix your dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
  2. Cream the butter and sugars then at the eggs and vanilla extract.
  3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients alternately with the buttermilk.
  4. Pour batter in 2 pans and bake as directed in the recipe card below.

Best cream cheese frosting

What's the best frosting for spice cake? Tangy cream cheese frosting of course!!!

Steps for making the cream cheese frosting.
  1. Cream the room-temperature butter and sugar together.
  2. Add the vanilla extract and whip until fluffy.
  3. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time.
  4. Use to fill and frost the cooled cake.

Smoked pecans (optional)

How to make salty, smoked pecans, step by step.
  1. Heat the bacon grease and sesame oil in a heavy skillet until very hot.
  2. Add the chopped pecans and saute for a minute or two, watching carefully. Keep them moving around with your spatula!
  3. Add the salt and toast for another minute stirring constantly.
  4. Remove from pan. Drain on paper towels and cool completely before adding to cake.

How to convert baking pan sizes

IMPORTANT: Always test for doneness about 5 minutes before the recipe time. Allow extra time in case it takes a bit longer. Lots of factors can determine baking time.

Pan size/YieldOven tempOven time
(2) 8-inch rounds350F30-35 minutes
(2) 9-inch rounds350 F30-35 minutes
(2) 8 -inch squares350F30-35 minutes
(1) 9-inch square350F30-40 minutes
13x9-inch pan350F20-25 minutes
(24) Cupcakes375F15-20 minutes
(1) 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf325F40 - 50 minutes

🥫 Storage

Store unfrosted cake layers wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature for a day or two - or freeze for up to three months.

Once frosted you can store the cake in a cake dome or in an airtight container for up to three days at room temperature.

You can also freeze the finished cake in an airtight container for up to three months. I like to slice it and put parchment paper between slices so I can easily remove exactly what I need.

I don't recommend refrigerating the cake - it tends to dry it out.

Putting frosting on the cake with a rubber spatula.

💭 Things to know

Expert Tip: Spice cakes tend to be better on the second day. Standing overnight gives the spices a chance to really come to life and blend so if you can make this cake a day ahead of time please do!

  • Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature
  • This cake will likely have a rounded top - especially if you don't use the cake strips. Just carefully slice off the top to make it even.
  • Don't over mix or the cake will be tough.
  • This cake freezes well frosted or unfrosted.
  • I baked these in 8-inch cake pans with 3-inch sides. You may need to use 9-inch cake pans if you have shorter sides.

🥣 How to make a homemade spice cake mix

Here's another thing.

You DO know that you can create your own cake mixes right?

I mean if you need that time-saving factor (raises hand...) you can mix the dry ingredients for this cake and keep them in a tightly covered mason jar in your pantry for a couple of months.

Be sure to use cake flour and not all-purpose flour.

Some rainy weekend afternoon just call the kids in and make a bunch of cake mixes!

You can use dry milk if you like to make it where you only need to add water but I prefer just to leave the dry milk out and use real milk.

When you are ready to bake just cream the butter and eggs, add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk and vanilla (or other flavoring) and ...Voila!

👩‍🍳 FAQs

What is spice cake made of?

Spice cakes are usually flavored some combination of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger. Sometimes cardamom is added as well.

What can I substitute for the buttermilk in this cake recipe?

For each cup of buttermilk called for in the recipe, you can use 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice plus enough whole milk to equal one cup. Stir gently and let stand for 5 minutes.
You can also substitute plain yogurt or sour cream in an equal amount.

How can I make brown sugar if I don't have any?

You actually can make your own brown sugar if you're out. Just add 3 tablespoons of unsulfured molasses to a cup of sugar and stir well. Let it sit for 5 minutes or so and stir again before using.

What is allspice?

Allspice is made from dried berries of a particular plant. The flavor is similar to a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and black pepper all mixed up. You can add a bit more cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg to a recipe to make up for the allspice if you don't have it.

A cake with a slice removed to show the layers.

📚 Related recipes

Apparently, my relatives liked cake because, besides Grandma's spice cake recipe, I have more than enough others to make a different cake every day of the year for a very long time.

  • Banana Cake with Gooey Walnut Filling is pure comfort food, straight from grandma’s kitchen — that is if you had a grandma that baked. Tender layers of banana cake are filled with a walnut filling (similar to pecan pie), and frosting with a tangy-sweet whipped cream cheese frosting that’s so light it’s like biting into a cloud.
  • Classic Yellow Layer Cake is moist and buttery with a thick bittersweet chocolate frosting – just like that droolworthy layer cake you remember. I’ve included tips and tricks to make sure that your homemade cake comes out perfectly every single time. 
  • Try this Chocolate Spice Cake for a delicious combination of my two favorite kinds of cake!
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See more Layer Cakes Recipes →

🍽️ Serve with...

  • Cinnamon gelato
  • Salted caramel latte

Cozy sweaters and Hallmark movies!

🫶 Restless Chipotle recommends

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You'll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.

  • electric mixer with a paddle attachment
  • heavy skillet
  • 8-inch round cake pans with high sides (3-inch)
  • cake strips will help keep your cakes from doming up in the middle.
  • wire rack
Overhead view of a table with a spice cake on it.

📞 The last word

Spice cake with cream cheese frosting.

Each bite melts in your mouth - it's so moist and delicious that no one can resist it!

This is one of my favorite cakes to pop into the oven when those first cool fall breezes hit - it's the perfect cake to welcome fall.

Of course in Texas THAT can be sometime in November so I have to fudge a little and use the cool breezes flowing from the air conditioning system for inspiration.

This old-fashioned spice cake recipe is a sweet, tender cake packed with warm fall flavors like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves then swathed in a whip of homemade cream cheese frosting that's tangy, rich, and sensuously creamy.

Sumptuous, smoky pecans add a salty contrast and crunch.

One bite and you'll know why this classic spice cake recipe is a favorite - it's simply the best.

You might also like this creamy pumpkin cheesecake with a gingersnap crust or old fashioned gingerbread.

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

A slice of homemade cake on a plate.

Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

4.72 from 7 votes
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Moist and delicious! Homemade spice cake with a rich cream cheese frosting is full of cozy fall flavor! Two layers of goodness make this everyone's favorite recipe. Smoky-salty pecan topping is completely optional but adds a nice contrast to the sweet richness of the cake.
Course Dessert - Cake
Cuisine American - Southern
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Servings:12 servings
Calories:503
Author:Marye Audet-White

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups sifted cake flour
  • 11/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper, or cayenne (optional)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • ½ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ¼ cups buttermilk

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups confectioners' sugar, you may need up to 4
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Smoked Pecans

  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 tablespoon smoked sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon bacon fat
  • Coarse Sea salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350F.
  • In a large bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and chipotle or cayenne.
  • With the mixer on high and fitted with the whip attachment cream butter.
  • Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and whip until light and creamy.
  • Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
  • Beat in the vanilla.
  • Whip on high speed until light and fluffy, 3 minutes or so.
  • Scrape sides with the rubber spatula a few times during beating.
  • While mixing on lowest speed, add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternately with the buttermilk mixture.
  • Pour batter evenly into two greased and floured 8-inch cake pans.
  • Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick comes out clean.
  • Let cool in pans for 10 minutes.
  • Turn out on wire racks to finish cooling.

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Beat the cream cheese and butter together.
  • Add the vanilla extract.
  • Whip until light and fluffy.
  • Add the confectioners' (powdered sugar) sugar slowly until you reach the consistency that you like.
  • Whip until very fluffy.
  • Add cream as needed for consistency.

Smoked Pecans

  • Saute the pecans over medium high heat in the combined oil and fat until toasted but not scorched. Keep them moving with your spatula. This will take just a couple of minutes.
  • Sprinkle with about ½ to 1 teaspoon of sea salt.
  • Saute another minute or so to bind the salt to the pecans
  • Let cool before sprinkling on the cake.

Assembly

  • Place one cooled cake layer on the cake plate.
  • Cover with a thick layer of frosting.
  • Top with the second layer and cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting.
  • Sprinkle the pecans on top if desired.

Notes

Storage:
Store unfrosted cake layers wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature for a day or two - or freeze for up to three months.
Once frosted you can store the cake in a cake dome or in an airtight container for up to three days at room temperature.
Tips
  • I baked these in 8-inch cake pans with 3 inch sides. If you have shorter sides, you may need to use 9-inch cake pans or a third 8-inch pan.
  • Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature
  • This cake will likely have a rounded top - especially if you don't use the cake strips. Just carefully slice off the top to make it even.
  • Don't over mix or the cake will be tough.
You'll find more helpful tips and variations in the body of the post.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 503kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 380mg | Potassium: 315mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 799IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 144mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.

First published December 21, 2010. Last updated September 19, 2023, to add the conversion table and editorial improvements.

spice cake layer cake

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About Marye

Meet Marye Audet, a wizard in the kitchen and a storyteller at heart. Marye is like your eccentric but fun aunt who knows all the secret recipes and isn't afraid to spill them.

Comments

    4.72 from 7 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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  1. Diana WRIGHT says

    September 04, 2023 at 1:12 pm

    if wanting to make cupcakes, how long to cook them and temp of oven to cook them please!!! This recipe looks absolutely devine!

    Reply
    • Marye says

      September 04, 2023 at 1:50 pm

      Hi Diana - 350 for about 20 -25 minutes. I'd start checking them a couple of minutes early. They'll register about 205F on an instant read thermometer when done. Just stick it into the center of the middle cupcake. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Christie says

    October 30, 2015 at 6:47 am

    I would love a slice of this cake. I especially love the smoked pecans.

    Reply
  3. Sabrina @ Dinner, then Dessert says

    October 30, 2015 at 1:47 am

    My mother-in-law loves spice cake! This would be perfect for her birthday!

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      October 30, 2015 at 11:52 am

      Absolutely!

      Reply
  4. Nutmeg Nanny says

    October 29, 2015 at 11:01 pm

    This recipe looks so lovely! Love the idea of smoked pecans...yum!

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      October 30, 2015 at 11:51 am

      Thank you!

      Reply
  5. Susan | LunaCafe says

    October 29, 2015 at 10:04 pm

    You're killin' me! I want a slice of this SO BADLY. 🙂

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      October 30, 2015 at 11:51 am

      🙂 Susan... it's so good.

      Reply
  6. Laura says

    October 29, 2015 at 7:06 pm

    I adore spice cake--and seem to have missed out on terrible cafeteria ones thank goodness! I am always torn between whipped cream and cream cheese frosting for the topping. This looks wonderful--I love the smoked and salted pecans on top!

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      October 29, 2015 at 9:36 pm

      Lucky you! I do like the smoky pecans with the sweet frosting.. so good!

      Reply
  7. Cynthia | What A Girl Eats says

    October 29, 2015 at 2:55 pm

    Cream cheese frosting is pretty much the best in the world, add spice cake and nuts, and that's my heaven!

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      October 29, 2015 at 9:35 pm

      I totally agree! I love cream cheese frosting.

      Reply
  8. Kacey @ The Cookie Writer says

    October 29, 2015 at 1:38 pm

    There is nothing about this cake I do not love! The addition of pecans is perfect and I know I would throw on extra 🙂

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      October 29, 2015 at 9:35 pm

      I'll let you in on a secret... I do, too!

      Reply
  9. Patricia @ Grab a Plate says

    October 29, 2015 at 12:17 pm

    This cake! Amazing! I love so many things about it: the cardamom & cayenne; the smoked pecans; the frosting... Oh, how I would enjoy two pieces right now! Love it!

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      October 29, 2015 at 9:35 pm

      It's one of my favorites. 🙂

      Reply
  10. Joana says

    April 07, 2013 at 6:45 am

    Holy moley! Your blog is absolutely amazing!! I love the recipes you have put together in here, and the pictures are mouthwatering! Thank you so much for sharing this with us!

    Reply
  11. Markie says

    December 23, 2010 at 6:40 pm

    I love spice cake, but haven't made one in years. After reading the recipe, I am sure it is delicious!

    Reply
Marye Audet-White, founder of Restless Chipotle Media

Hey Y'all, I'm Marye

Welcome to my kitchen! ☕

NY Times bestselling author. 10 cookbooks. Mom of 8 kids. Homeschooling mom for 22 years. Addicted to Hallmark Christmas Movies. Collector of old cookbooks.

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