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Spice Cake

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup butter, soft
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• Cream Cheese Frosting
• 1 8-oz package cream cheese
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 2-3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. A tender, refined cake with bright spice notes, topped with rich cream cheese frosting. Perfect for the holiday season and a bit dressier than you might expect.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Cream butter in a mixing bowl; add brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat until light and fluffy. Scrape bowl often. Add sifted dry ingredients, alternating with buttermilk, mixing just until smooth. Pour batter into two greased and floured 8-inch round layer cake pans. . Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on rack for 5 minutes, turn out of pans onto racks to cool completely.
3. Blend together cream cheese and butter, adding vanilla while incorporating. Begin adding powdered sugar in manageable portions, the cheese butter mixture will absorb a surprising amount of sugar smoothly and quickly. Frost the cake generously.