Super Moist Spice Cake Recipe

Moist, dense, and rich homemade spice cake is topped with a generous layer of tangy cream cheese frosting. Filled with comforting fall spices, this cake is perfect for cool fall days.

Chocolate? Who needs it. Spice is easily one of the best cake flavors around. It’s dense, moist, and flavorful enough that frosting isn’t even a requirement. I can’t even believe I’m saying this but when done right, super moist spice cake doesn’t need a swipe of frosting on top.

But that’s not stopping us. Cream cheese frosting is always welcomed.

This spice cake is dense and rich. It has tight crumbs and a moist texture. More flavor in 1 bite than in an entire cupcake—we’re talking gingerbread-level flavor. It’s certainly one of my favorite fall cake recipes.

This Spice Cake Is:

• Dense like banana cake
• Cozy + comforting
• Perfectly spiced
• Soft + moist
• Easy to make
• Simple to transport—no layers!
• Topped with smooth + silky cream cheese frosting
• A great make ahead recipe (it’s even tastier on day 2)

Plus, you can see that I used this very batter as the starting point for my favorite apple cake. Such a great base recipe!

Spice Cake Ingredients

Spice cake requires very simple ingredients—nothing fancy, all items you likely have in your pantry already.

• Flour: All-purpose flour serves as the base. We use sturdy all-purpose flour instead of cake flour in this recipe because of the thick, wet batter.
• Baking Powder + Baking Soda: These ingredients help the cake rise.
• Salt + Vanilla Extract: Both add flavor. Try using homemade vanilla extract!
• Fall Spices + Molasses: For mega spice flavor we use lots of cozy spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. I like to add 1 Tablespoon of molasses, but that’s completely optional. I loved its extra robust flavor inside the cake, but I did test the cake without it. Still wonderful.
• Oil: Oil guarantees a moist crumb.
• Brown Sugar: We use only brown sugar in this spice cake recipe because you know that’s where the best flavor lies. I prefer dark brown sugar for even deeper spice flavor.
• Applesauce: Applesauce adds flavor and moisture.
• Eggs: Eggs provide structure and moisture.
• Apple: 1 cup of shredded apple adds so much flavor and moisture—it’s what makes this spice cake truly the best I’ve ever tasted. You can also use shredded zucchini or carrot too.

Overview: How to Make Spice Cake

This is a very simply cake to prepare—it actually reminds me of pumpkin cake in terms of preparation, ease, taste, and texture. You don’t even need your mixer!

Cream Cheese Frosting

No frosting necessary as this spice cake is delicious on its own. But we all know tangy cream cheese frosting is spice cake’s favorite friend so let’s whip up a batch of silky cream cheese frosting and pile it on!

Mix it up and try brown butter cream cheese frosting used on banana layer cake or cinnamon cream cheese frosting used on banana cupcakes. You could even use traditional vanilla buttercream, white chocolate buttercream frosting, or garnish each slice with whipped cream. All options are equally yum! 🙂

Other Size Cakes

This spice cake is incredibly versatile—one of the many things I love about it! There’s enough batter for a layer cake, Bundt cake, or cupcakes.

• Layer Cake: I’ve made this as a two layer cake before. Use 2 9-inch cake pans and bake the layers for 30-34 minutes or until the centers are cooked through.
• Bundt Cake: This batter fits wonderfully into a Bundt pan. I’m unsure of the exact bake time, so use a toothpick to test for doneness.
• Cupcakes: This recipe makes about 24 standard size cupcakes. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 18-21 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.