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.
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.