Old-Fashioned Spice Cake with Brown Butter Frosting

Why you’ll love it

• Soft and moist thanks to buttermilk and brown sugar.
• Nutty brown butter frosting that tastes like toffee.
• One pan, no layers: easy to bake, frost and carry to a party.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the cake

• 2 1/2 cups (315 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp fine salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup (200 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature

For the brown butter frosting

• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 cups (300 g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 3–4 tbsp whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Step-by-step method

1. Brown the butter for the frosting. Melt the 1/2 cup butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Cook 5–7 minutes, swirling, until it foams and the milk solids turn deep golden brown and smell nutty. Pour into a bowl, scraping in the brown bits, and refrigerate about 45 minutes, until soft-set like room-temperature butter.

2. Prepare the pan and dry ingredients. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking pan and line the bottom with parchment. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and all the spices.

3. Cream the butter and sugars. In a large bowl, beat the softened 3/4 cup butter with the brown and granulated sugars on medium-high 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.

4. Make the batter. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk in two, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined.

5. Bake. Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Bake 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan on a rack, about 1 hour.

6. Make the frosting and frost. Beat the chilled brown butter 1 minute until creamy. Add the powdered sugar, 3 tbsp milk, vanilla and salt and beat 2–3 minutes until fluffy, adding more milk a teaspoon at a time if needed. Spread over the cooled cake and cut into 15 squares.

How to know it is done

The cake is done when the top springs back when lightly pressed, the edges are just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. A wet streak means it needs 3–5 more minutes.

Tips for the best result

• Bring the eggs and buttermilk to room temperature so the batter stays smooth and rises evenly.
• Use fresh spices; ground spices older than a year lose much of their aroma.
• Let the cake cool completely before frosting, or the brown butter frosting will melt.

Variations and substitutions

• Cream cheese frosting: beat 8 oz cream cheese with 1/2 cup butter, 3 cups powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla.
• Nutty: fold 1 cup chopped toasted pecans or walnuts into the batter.
• Apple spice: fold in 1 1/2 cups finely diced peeled apple.
• No buttermilk: stir 1 1/4 tbsp lemon juice into 1 1/4 cups milk and let it stand 5 minutes.
• Layer cake: bake in two greased 9-inch round pans 25–28 minutes and double the frosting.

Storage and reheating

Cover the frosted cake and keep it at room temperature up to 2 days, or refrigerate up to 5 days; let chilled pieces sit 20 minutes before serving. Freeze unfrosted cake, wrapped well, up to 3 months, or freeze frosted squares on a tray, then wrap individually. No reheating needed.