Last week I made a cake for my friend Courtney’s Mom. Grammy’s favorite cake is Spice Cake with Chocolate Frosting and so we decided to surprise her with one. I must say that at first it sounded like an interesting combination of flavors, but they came together beautifully. It might just be one of my favorites now too. I made a Buttermilk Spice Cake with my favorite Chocolate Buttercream frosting.
You have no idea the urges that I had to dive right into this cake and devour the entire thing, but it wasn’t my birthday, so selflessly…I resisted. Aren’t you just dying to slice into this cake? Me too…sorry maybe next time. The Buttermilk Cake which I’ve made many times in the past is so deliciously moist and flavorful on its own, but it was even more amazing with the added flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. As far as the frosting goes, I could simply eat the chocolate buttercream frosting with a spoon right out of the bowl…it’s the best chocolate frosting EVER! I’ve even converted non-chocolate lovers with this frosting…so decadent.
Enjoy!
Buttermilk Spice Cake
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour (plus 1 Tbsp at high altitude)
1 Tbsp baking powder (2 tsp at high altitude)
½ tsp salt (3/4 tsp at high altitude)
2 sticks butter
2 cups granulated sugar (minus 1 Tbsp at high altitude)
4 eggs (5 eggs at high altitude)
1 tsp vanilla extract (2 tsp at high altitude)
1 cup milk (1 cup plus 2 Tbsp buttermilk at high altitude)
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg (3/4 tsp at high altitude)
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cloves
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and position rack in center of oven. Butter and flour (2) 9” pans and use parchment paper, if desired.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted flour, baking powder, salt and spices.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until well blended. Scrape down the bowl and beater. Beat in the eggs 2 or 3 at a time, along with the vanilla, beating well to blend. Then scrape down the bowl and beater again. Don’t worry if the batter looks curdled, the flour will bring it together.
With the mixer on the lowest speed, slowly add the dry ingredients, alternating with the milk or buttermilk. Once the batter is blended together, increase the speed and beat for about a minute, until smooth and creamy.
Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the top.
Bake for 22-28 minutes (rotating after 20 minutes) or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out dry. Cool pans on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, run a knife between the cake layers and pan sides to release the cakes and let the cakes cool completely. Fill and frost as desired.
Recipe from Pie in the Sky, by Susan Purdy
Chocolate Buttercream
6 oz good semisweet chocolate
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups sifted confectioner’s sugar
1 Tbsp instant espresso powder (optional, but enhances chocolate flavor)
Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside (off pan) until cooled to room temperature.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioner’s sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the espresso powder (if using) in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Spread immediately on the cooled cake. Try not to eat all of the frosting before it makes it onto the cake.
Recipe adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home, by Ina Garten
Audrey looked at your ding dongs to die for and yelled, “I’m dieing cause I want to eat it!” As for me, just looking at it is killing my diet. I do believe cooking AND food photography is your true calling. I can almost taste the picture… almost.