Easy Buttermilk Spice Cake
Anyone can make this super simple two-layer buttermilk spice cake! Or, you can make it even simpler by converting to a 9x13 inch cake! It requires ingredients that you probably already have on hand plus, it's the absolute perfect little cozy fall treat! There's a little apple sauce, tangy buttermilk, and cream cheese frosting for the perfect combination of flavors. One of my favorite sweet treats to make in the fall!
Ingredients
For the Buttermilk Spice Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup unsalted butter (melted)
- ½ cup buttermilk (room temperature)
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce (room temperature)
For the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 - 8 oz. block of cream cheese (room temperature)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tbsp buttermilk
Instructions
For the Buttermilk Spice Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Or, spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk in the melted butter.
- Next, beat in the buttermilk and eggs using a handheld mixer. Beat until just combined. Beat in the applesauce and pour evenly into your prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool in the pans on a wire rack, then remove from pans to cool on wire rack completely before frosting.
For the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, maple syrup and buttermilk until smooth. Add more powdered sugar or buttermilk as needed. This frosting is a bit runny and quite sticky.
- Frost between the layers of your two round cakes, or frost the top of your 9x13 inch cake. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- To bake in a 9x13 inch pan, increase baking time from 20 minutes to 28-30 minutes
- This cake is dense and has a crunchy exterior.
- This frosting recipe makes enough to frost a 9x13 inch cake or in between the layers of two 9-inch round cakes.
- Reduce sugar by at least 2 tbsp (I would do more if you live above 6,000 feet in elevation)
- Increase flour by 2 tbsp (more if you live above 6,000 feet in elevation)
- Decrease baking soda by 1/2 tsp
- Use 3 eggs instead of 2
- Increase oven temperature to 365°F
- Decrease baking time by 5 minutes
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