Spice Cake with Eggnog Buttercream
Spice Cake with Eggnog Buttercream Frosting is a tasty dessert featuring warm spices such as ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 688kcal
Ingredients
Spice Cake
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon cardamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 4 eggs
- ¼ cup molasses unsulphered
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
Eggnog Frosting
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup eggnog
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Frosted Cranberries
- 1 cup cranberries rinsed
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup granulated sugar + more for dusting
Optional garnishes
- Rosemary sprigs
- Whole anise
- Cinnamon Sticks
Instructions
Spice Cake Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Prep 3 - 9” cake pans with cooking spray containing flour or line with parchment paper. Set them aside.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients: beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add in the eggs, one at a time, and beat until incorporated.
- Add in the molasses and vanilla.
- Begin and end with flour while alternating the flour mixture and the buttermilk.
- Pour batter equally between all three prepared pans.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cake rest in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting and releasing them.
- Allow the cakes to cool completely on a wire rack.
How to Make Eggnog Buttercream Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat the room temperature butter for 1-2 minutes until it becomes light in color.
- Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Next, incorporate the eggnog, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon, ensuring the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Sugared Cranberries
- Combine ½ cup of water in a large skillet with ½ cup of white sugar.
- Dissolve the sugar over medium-low heat, add the cranberries, and toss them with the sugar mixture.
- Remove the cranberries from the saucepan using a slotted spoon and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Place the 1 cup of granulated sugar in a large bowl and add the cranberries a bit at a time.
- Toss in the granulated sugar and allow the cranberries to dry completely before adding them to the top of the cake.
Assemble the Layer Cake
- Place the bottom layer on a cake stand with the flat side facing up to assemble the cake.
- Scoop about ½ cup to ¾ cup of frosting and spread it evenly over the cake.
- Repeat the same thing with the second layer. For the last layer, place it with the top side facing up.
- Spread a thin layer of frosting on top and around the edges of the cake using an offset spatula.
- Scrape the majority of the frosting off to create a barely frosted cake. Smooth the top layer.
- Decorate the top as desired with sugared cranberries, rosemary, anise, and cinnamon sticks.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Remove the cake about 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
FROSTING TIPS: Frosting tips used are #336 and 1M to create swirls and stars.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 688kcal | Carbohydrates: 94g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 510mg | Potassium: 226mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 72g | Vitamin A: 1075IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 2mg
