This easy spice cake recipe is packed full cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and aniseed which give a wonderful, warm aroma and flavour. Serve this cake by itself or with an easy cream cheese frosting.
What is Spice Cake?
This cake is a flavourful and moist cake that contains a variety of mixed spices including cinnamon and ginger. It has similar flavour to chai (some people call it chai cake) or a next-level gingerbread cake.
Where is spice cake from?
A lot of different countries have their own version of spice cakes. They're often associated with medieval Europe, where cakes were made with imported spices from Asia. Spiced cakes became more popular in the United States during the colonial era, and are now more widespread. Betty Crocker Spice Cake Mix, anyone?
What is the best frosting for spice cake?
I have a soft spot for cream cheese frosting. It's rich and decadent, lasts well and balances out the spices in the cake mix. Other popular spice cake icing is:
- Vanilla buttercream
- Brown sugar frosting
- Caramel icing
Can I make spice cupcakes with this recipe?
Yes! Divide the mixture into cupcake tins (don't fill more than ⅔ full) and bake for 12-15 minutes at 160°C / 320°F (fan/convection) or 180°C / 355°F (standard) or until a skewer inserted into the centre of one of the spice cupcakes comes out clean.
How to Make Spice Cake Mix
It's very easy to make spice cake mix from scratch!
- Sift and whisk together the dry ingredients including flour, baking powder and spices.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients including honey, brown sugar, oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla.
- Combine the two mixtures, stir well, and bake until cooked! Top with cream cheese frosting if desired.
Ingredients in Spice Cake
The dry ingredients:
- Plain / all-purpose flour
- Baking powder: NOT baking soda. Make sure it is within date.
The spices! These give the cake a complex and addictive flavour that separates it from other cakes:
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Ground ginger
- Ground mixed spice OR pumpkin pie spice: you can find 'mixed spice' in Australia and the UK. A very similar spice blend is 'pumpkin pie spice' for Americans, Canadians and in other countries.
- Ground star anise OR aniseed: can omit or replace with an extra ½ teaspoon of mixed spice.
The wet ingredients:
- Honey: adds richness and warmth to the cake. Replace with light molasses or golden syrup in a pinch (the cake will be darker).
- Brown sugar: moist and flavourful! Can substitute with regular white sugar although your cake won't be as rich.
- Canola oil: or any other flavourless oil.
- Eggs
- Milk: or any dairy-free milk alternative.
- Vanilla: if you can, use real vanilla without alcohol.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I make spice cake with pumpkin?
I recommend you don't try and add pumpkin to this spice cake recipe, but instead use a dedicated pumpkin cake recipe with lots of spices in it, like this one from Averie Cooks.
Why is my cake tough or dry?
You may have overmixed the batter or overbaked the cake. Make sure to mix until just combined, and bake within the time required. Adjust your oven temperature if you know your oven runs hot or cold, or rotate the cake halfway through cooking if your oven has hot spots.
Can I make spice cake without eggs?
Yes, I recommend you substitute eggs with store-bought powdered egg replacer. Some reviewers have had success with applesauce as an egg replacement, but I haven't tried this yet. Let me know in the comments if you do!
Spice cake VS gingerbread VS carrot cake
These cakes all have different spices. Gingerbread cake mix is heavier on the gingerbread, whereas carrot cake has the addition of grated carrot and is usually generous with cinnamon. Spice cake is a balanced combination of spices for a more complex flavour. Try it for yourself and see the difference!
How to serve spice cake
If you don't want to serve the cake cool with cream cheese frosting, you can try:
- Serve the cake hot out of the oven with ice cream
- Serve the spice cake with caramel icing
- Serve with whipped cream
- Serve with stewed apple
Honey & Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
This easy and moist spice cake has just the right blend of spices and honey for a beautiful aroma and rich flavour. A cream cheese frosting is the perfect topping for this aromatic cake.
Ingredients
For the Spice Cake
- 2 cups plain flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice / pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon ground star anise / aniseed
- ¾ cup honey
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup canola oil
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
For the Cream Cheese Frosting (Optional)
- 60 g (2 oz / ¼ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 60 g (2 oz / ¼ cup) cream cheese, softened
- 1 ½ cups icing sugar / powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
For the Cinnamon Sugar
- 2 tablespoon white sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
For the Spice Cake
- Preheat the oven to 160°C / 320°F (fan/convection) or 180°C / 355°F (standard). Grease and line a 20 x 20 cm (8 x 8 inch) square cake pan with baking paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and spices. Whisk until well combined.
- In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together honey, brown sugar, oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla essence until well combined and the honey is well incorporated.
- Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Pour in wet ingredients. Stir together until just combined (a couple of lumps is fine).
- Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 45-55 minutes or until golden or a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting (Optional)
- In the bowl of an electric mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat together the butter and cream cheese on high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the sifted icing sugar, lemon juice and vanilla essence. Beat for another 3-4 minutes on high speed until fluffy, thick and pale. If your icing is too thick, add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
- Make the cinnamon sugar: in a small bowl, stir together the white sugar and cinnamon until well combined.
- Spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cooled cake. Sprinkle evenly with cinnamon sugar. The frosting will continue to firm up over the next couple of hours.
Notes
Storage
- You can keep the loaf un-refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- To freeze the un-frosted loaf, allow to cool completely then wrap tightly in clingwrap and then place in a zip-loc or freezer bag. Keep for up to 6 months frozen. To thaw, allow to defrost at room temperature for 6 hours or overnight.
Substitutions & Tips
- Baking powder: you can omit the baking powder and instead use 2 cups of self-raising flour. You can also replace the baking powder with 1 ½ teaspoon of baking soda.
- Oil: you can substitute canola oil for any type of vegetable oil. Note that if you're using a rich olive oil it may change the flavour of the cake.
- Spices: in a pinch, you can substitute any of the spices for the same amount of mixed spice / pumpkin pie spice. If necessary, you can substitute all of the spices in the cake for just 1 tablespoon of mixed spice. However, this cake really does taste best if you put in all the individual spices!
- Cream cheese frosting: you can use any store-bought frosting or your personal favourite frosting instead, if you like. This cake also tastes absolutely wonderful on its own.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1/12th of Cake with FrostingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 417Total Fat: 20.7gSaturated Fat: 4.6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1.4gCholesterol: 44.9mgSodium: 36.3mgCarbohydrates: 56.2gFiber: 0.9gSugar: 40.8gProtein: 3.7g
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