This spice cake is the ultimate treat! Imagine a moist cake bursting with warm fall spices, oozing with salted caramel, and topped with decadent cream cheese frosting with a caramel drip.
Why This Recipe Rocks:
- It’s packed with those cozy fall flavors. We’re talking cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice, all mingling together to make your taste buds dance.
- And let’s not forget how soft and moist it is. Thanks to the buttermilk and sour cream, every bite is like a hug for your taste buds.
- The cream cheese frosting takes it to the next level, making each mouthful an explosion of creamy goodness.
- Plus, it’s all homemade! No shortcuts here – just pure, homemade deliciousness from start to finish.
Salted Caramel Spice Cake
Ingredients
For the Salted Caramel Sauce:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Spice Cake:
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk at room temperature
- ⅓ cup sour cream at room temperature
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese cold
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
For the Salted Caramel Sauce:
- Heat sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until melted, stirring occasionally.
- Add butter, stirring until incorporated.
- Stir in cream, vanilla, and salt until combined.
- Simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened, then let cool completely.
For the Spice Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 2 8-inch round cake pans.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a bowl.
- Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, then mix in buttermilk and sour cream.
- Gradually add dry ingredients, mixing until smooth. Divide batter between pans and bake for 23-26 minutes.
- Let cakes cool completely on wire racks.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Beat butter until fluffy, then mix in cold cream cheese until smooth.
- Gradually add powdered sugar until creamy and fluffy.
Assembling & Decorating the Cake:
- Spread frosting between cake layers, adding caramel sauce on top.
- Apply a thin crumb coat of frosting to the cake, then chill for 20 minutes.
- Frost cake with remaining frosting and chill for another 20 minutes.
- Pipe caramel drip around the edges of the cake, then decorate with frosting swirls, cinnamon sticks, and star anise.
- Now, serve up a slice of this heavenly spice cake and enjoy the taste of fall!