With fall just around the corner, I don’t know about you, but we like to get our BAKE on! There is something about the crisp air that makes us want to stock up on supplies, hunker down in the kitchen and bake. I say “we” because I now have a baking partner in crime, Baker Boy. We are a bit challenged though, in our small galley kitchen, but we make due.
We “make due” to keep the oven warm and the pans filled. It would be a shame for them to be empty, right?
We “make due” so ingredients get used and don’t go bad. That would be a shame, wouldn’t it?
We “make due” to let the smells permeate through the house…I mean, what’s fall without the smell of Spice Cake hitting you and inviting you in, the moment you step through our front door? Seriously, what kind of hosts would we be?
Hopefully good ones.
This recipe was borrowed from the files of Epicurious.
- Spice Cake With Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting
- From
- Epicurious
- Cake
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1¼ cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup apple butter
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons unsulfured (light) molasses
- 1 cup golden raisins
- Frosting
- 1½ pounds cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsulfured (light) molasses
- ¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Caramel
- ¼ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon whipping cream
- 1½ cups chopped toasted walnuts
- For Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Combine first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Whisk apple butter, buttermilk, oil, eggs, molasses and raisins in medium bowl to blend. Stir apple butter mixture into dry ingredients. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer cakes to racks and cool 20 minutes. Run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes onto parchment-lined racks and cool completely.
- For Frosting: Beat cream cheese and sugar in medium bowl until smooth. Add molasses, butter and vanilla and beat just until smooth. Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread 1½ cups frosting over. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining frosting decoratively over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate while preparing caramel.
- For Caramel: Stir sugar and cream in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Boil and stir 1 minute. Let stand until very thick but still pourable, about 5 minutes. Drizzle caramel over cake. Press nuts onto sides of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
