Can you really go wrong with any Paula Deen recipe? Needing a cake recipe for a get together last Thursday night, I turned to Ms. Paula! She’s never let me down, and she pulled through for me here too. First things first, I used a bundt pan and it worked just perfectly. The cake rose beautifully. If you go this route, let it bake for about 50 minutes, checking occasionally of course. I also read reviews of bakers who baked it in a 13×9 pan for 42 minutes. You could also use this recipe for buttercream frosted spiced cupcakes!
This cake is perfectly suited for those cool autumn or winter days, and would be great to make for a holiday party. What I liked about its texture was that it wasn’t overly moist. Where many recipes I find for quick bread or cake now include a load of vegetable oil, the moisture in this cake comes from buttermilk…classic! Don’t let the word “spice” in the name turn you off; its not too overpowering. And for the frosting, oooh Lord this buttercream frosting is fantastic! It’s very sugary, but its a wonderful contrast to the flavor of the cake. Sugar and Spice and everything nice!
I adapted Paula’s recipe from FoodTV online.
INGREDIENTS FOR CAKE
- 3 cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
- Finely chopped nuts, for garnish
- Cocoa powder, for garnish
INGREDIENTS FOR QUICK BUTTERCREAM
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 1/4 cup shortening
- Pinch salt
- 6 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Directions for Cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour three (8-inch) round cake pans.
2. In a small mixing bowl whisk together dry ingredients: cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground cloves.
3. Cream the butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy with an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the dry ingredients and the buttermilk alternately, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
4. When the batter is well mixed and smooth, divide it among the three prepared cake pans and bake about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes come out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes then turn out to cool completely. If the cake layers have domed a little during the baking process, slice off the tops with a long, serrated knife so they are flat and even.
5. Place the first layer, cut side down, on a cake pedestal or serving plate. Spoon about 3/4 cup of buttercream onto the center of the cake. Spread it almost to the very edges with an offset spatula. Repeat with the remaining two layers. Garnish the top of the cake with finely chopped nuts and cocoa powder.
Directions for Quick Buttercream:
Beat the butter, shortening ,and salt together until creamy with an electric mixer. Add half the confectioners’ sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Then gradually beat in the remaining confectioners’ alternating with the vanilla and cream until it is all incorporated and the frosting is very light and fluffy.
