Spice Bundt Cake

Fall is absolutely my favorite time of year. It’s clearly, obviously, indisputably the best season ever, and if you don’t agree with me, you’re wrong. I told you it was indisputable okay?

The only negative thing I could ever say about fall, if I had to come up with something, is that it doesn’t last nearly long enough.

Cooler weather means we can finally turn off the air conditioner and open up the windows. It means layered clothing, and finally giving up on the “beach body” I’m never going to have. It means beautiful brightly colored foliage, falling leaves, crisp fresh air, and spending as much time outdoors as possible before it’s too late.

It also means all of my favorite foods are back in season. Squash and pumpkins and root veggies and soups and stews and braises and apples and pears and fresh sweet cider and sugar-coated cider doughnuts and everything infused with warm homey baking spices.

Now, I’m well aware that Martha Stewart thinks pumpkin spice is for basic bitches only, but I also happen to know that she has a thing for a well baked spice cake. And hey, this is the basic bundt series after all, so why not embrace the basic and just go for it?

Basic or not, the classic combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, & clove will never go out of style. I mean, can you think of any better flavor to usher in the best season of the year? No. You can’t.

This cake is tender and moist with a soft delicate crumb, a refined subtle sweetness, and the perfect amount of spice. I tested this recipe half a dozen times to get it juuuust right, and I seriously couldn’t be happier with the results. My coworkers, for that matter, couldn’t have been happier that I baked so many cakes to get the recipe just right either. The poor dears.

My favorite thing about this recipe though, is just how versatile it is.

The whole idea behind the basic bundt series was to come up with simple and straightforward, but completely flawless, cake recipes that can either be baked and enjoyed as is, or gussied up and personalized with a few easy additions or substitutions.

When I did my recipe testing this time around, I didn’t just play with the spice levels to perfect them, I also experimented with different “liquid” ingredients to change the flavor profile. I started with and perfected a simple buttermilk-based spice cake, but then I tried swapping the buttermilk for other ingredients like unsweetened applesauce, grated fresh apples, and canned pumpkin puree.

Without changing a single other ingredient, swapping out the buttermilk for something else produces an entirely new and distinctly different cake! I promise that I’ve tried and tested all of these substitutions and they’re all equally delicious and perfectly spiced.
The pumpkin version was definitely a favorite with my (decidedly basic) coworkers.

The endless variations you can put on this recipe don’t have to stop with swapping out the buttermilk either. This cake is just screaming for a cup of toasted walnuts or pecans, or a bit of buttery streusel. Even changing the glaze could make a difference in the flavor profile. I decided that a tangy cream cheese glaze would pair perfectly with any one of the buttermilk, apple, or pumpkin versions of the cake; but I think that a thick caramel glaze would be heavenly too. You could also do a bourbon glaze, or maybe even just sprinkle the cake with cinnamon and granulated sugar.

Spice Bundt Cake

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.8 from 6 reviews

• Author: Tux Loerzel
• Yield: 12–14 slices 1x

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Description

Celebrate fall and winter with this warm-tasting spice bundt cake doused in a stunning cream cheese glaze.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup neutral oil (peanut, vegetable, or canola)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk (see note for substitutions)

Cream Cheese Bundt Glaze:

• 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 3-4 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 10-to-12-cup bundt pan (or spray with a baking spray that includes flour), then refrigerate while preparing the batter.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg in a bowl. Set aside.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs one at a time, scraping between additions.
4. In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the oil, vanilla, and buttermilk. With the mixer on low, alternate additions of the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the butter and sugar, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix just until combined — do not overwork. Scrape down the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth the top. Firmly tap the pan against the countertop several times to knock out air bubbles. Bake in the center of the oven for 50–55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
6. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 20–30 minutes before turning the cake out onto the rack. Cool completely.

Cream Cheese Bundt Glaze:

1. Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons of milk. Beat until pourable and smooth. Add the remaining tablespoon of milk if needed to reach a drizzleable consistency.
2. Drizzle generously over the cooled cake. The cake keeps in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–4 days.

Notes

No buttermilk? Use the same amount of unsweetened applesauce, grated fresh apple, or canned pumpkin puree — each produces a subtly different but equally delicious cake. A caramel glaze or simple cinnamon-sugar dusting are great alternatives to the cream cheese glaze.

• Category: Baking, Cake

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