Cozy Spice Cake with Brown Butter (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Spice Cake
01 -
2 3/4 cups (350g) regular all-purpose flour
02 -
1 tsp of baking soda
03 -
1 1/2 tsp of baking powder
04 -
Just a 1/2 tsp of salt
05 -
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
06 -
1 tsp ground cardamom
07 -
1 tsp ground ginger spice
08 -
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
09 -
1/4 tsp ground cloves
10 -
2 cups (380g) tightly packed light brown sugar
11 -
1 cup (200ml) vegetable oil or canola oil
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1 cup (235g) unsweetened applesauce
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4 large eggs, best at room temp
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3 tsp of pure vanilla extract
15 -
3/4 cup (200g) sour cream, let it warm to room temperature
→ Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
16 -
1 cup (220g) butter, unsalted
17 -
16 oz of cream cheese, soft and at room temp
18 -
5 cups (600g) powdered sugar, thoroughly sifted
19 -
Just a hint of flavor with 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
→ Decorations
20 -
Candied nuts (use half a recipe)
21 -
A few cinnamon sticks for garnish
# Instructions:
01 -
Set your oven to 350F. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans and line the inside at the bottoms using parchment paper. If you've got them, wrap cake strips around the pans.
02 -
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, along with the spices like ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and cloves.
03 -
Stir together brown sugar, oil, and applesauce in a big mixing bowl until smooth. One at a time, add the eggs, and then mix in vanilla.
04 -
Slowly mix half the dry ingredients into the wet until smooth. Stir in sour cream, followed by the rest of the dry mix. The final batter will be thin.
05 -
Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Each should be filled about 2/3 full. Let them bake for 35–40 minutes, testing with a toothpick to make sure they’re done.
06 -
As the cakes cook, melt butter on medium heat in a small saucepan until it becomes a deep golden color. Let it chill until spreadable.
07 -
Blend the cooled brown butter with cream cheese until smooth. Gradually mix in the powdered sugar and vanilla to achieve the consistency you want.
08 -
Make sure the cakes are fully cool, then trim the tops and cut each into two thinner layers. Stack them up with frosting between each layer. Coat the whole cake lightly with frosting as a crumb coat. Let it chill for 20-30 minutes, then frost it fully and add any decorations.
# Notes:
01 -
If you prefer, you could bake this using three 6-inch pans or two 9-inch ones. Just adjust how long you bake it.
02 -
Don’t have cardamom? No problem—add 1/4 tsp extra cinnamon and 1/4 tsp ginger, or just go with pumpkin pie spice.