This “Perfect” Cake Is on My Must-Bake List Every Fall

In the fall, spice cake always has a place on the menu. With its warm baking spices coupled with a tender crumb, it’s the perfect cake whether you need to make something for an autumn celebration or simply as a Tuesday afternoon snack.

In this recipe, softened butter is creamed with granulated sugar and brown sugar before adding eggs, vanilla extract, and Greek yogurt. The dry ingredients are whisked together, added to form the batter, and baked in a 9×13 pan, resulting in a dreamy spiced cake. Finished with a pillowy cream cheese frosting, this cake dishes up plenty of servings. As an added bonus, you can either choose to take the cooled cake out or frost the top straight in the pan for a no-fuss fall dessert.

Why You’ll Love It

• The spices lend flavor without being overpowering. The cake is spiced with ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger for balanced flavor.

• A plush and tender cake. A butter base, four large eggs, and Greek yogurt add plenty of moisture for an excellent crumb.

Key Ingredients in Spice Cake

• Sugar: A combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar contributes to the finished texture of the cake and adds a depth of flavor as well as a touch of sweetness.

• Dairy: Milk and Greek yogurt add moisture, delivering a tender cake.

• Spices: The spices are the star of the show here. A blend of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger flavors the cake.

• Cream cheese: Serves as the base of the fluffy frosting.

How to Make Spice Cake

1. Prep the pan. Use a 9×13-inch baking pan and cut parchment paper so it overhangs over the long sides of the pan, making it much easier to take the cake out after it has cooled.

2. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Combine all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves in a bowl.

3. Cream the butter and sugars. Beat a stick of butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar until fluffy. Follow with the eggs, Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, and kosher salt.

4. Finish the batter & bake the cake. Alternate adding the dry mixture to the butter mixture with milk in between. Bake and cool the cake.

5. Top with frosting. Beat cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract to make the cream cheese frosting. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and dig in.

Helpful Swaps

• Sour cream can be swapped for Greek yogurt.

• This spice cake pairs perfectly with cream cheese frosting, but you could also opt for a classic vanilla buttercream.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

The baked and cooled cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Let thaw at room temperature and top with the cream cheese frosting before serving.

Wrap any frosted leftovers in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to five days or freeze for up to two months.

More Fall Desserts

• Super-Soft Pumpkin Cookies

• Apple Fritter Cake

• Pumpkin Mousse

• Caramel Apple Delight

• Apple Cream Cheese Bars

Spice Cake Recipe

Bring fall flavor to your kitchen with this tender spiced cake that’s topped with the fluffiest cream cheese frosting.

Prep time 30 minutes

Cook time 30 minutes to 35 minutes

Makes 1 (9x13 inch) cake

Serves 16 to 20

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 4 large eggs, at room temperature

• 1/4 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, at room temperature

• Cooking spray

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 cup whole or 2% milk, divided

For the cream cheese frosting:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1 pound powdered sugar (about 4 cups), divided

• 1 tablespoon whole or 2% milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the cake:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan that’s at least 2 inches tall with parchment paper so the paper hangs over two long sides to form a sling. Coat the paper and pan with cooking spray.

2. Whisk 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves together in a medium bowl.

3. Beat 1 stick room temperature unsalted butter, 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, and 1/2 cup packed brown sugar with the paddle attachment in a stand mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in 4 room temperature large eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.

4. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Beat in 1/2 cup of the whole milk, followed by half of the remaining flour mixture. Beat in the remaining milk and flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Transfer to the pan and smooth out the top.

5. Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Grasping the excess parchment, lift the cake slab out of the pan and place on a wire rack. Let cool completely, about 1 hour.

Make the frosting:

1. Beat 8 ounces room temperature cream cheese and 1 stick unsalted butter with the paddle attachment in a stand mixer on medium speed until combined and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

2. Beat in half of the powdered sugar (about 2 cups) until combined. Beat in the remaining powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon whole milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract on high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Spread onto the spice cake.

Recipe Notes

Make ahead: The baked and cooled cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Let thaw at room temperature and top with the cream cheese frosting before serving.

Storage: The frosted cake can be wrapped with plastic wrap or placed in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature.

Further Reading

Why People Are Ditching Their Seltzer After a Disturbing Study

Tuscan Chicken Is the "Most Delicious" Dinner of All Time, Says Everyone Who's Tried It

Le Creuset Launched a Pan That’s Perfect for Everything from Stews to Stir-Fry — and It’s Already on Sale