Spice Cake With Brown Butter Frosting - soft and incredibly moist spiced cake wrapped in rich, nutty brown butter buttercream that tastes like fall decided to be in session.

I have made a lot of spice cake in my life. Regular cream cheese frosting, every time, no questions asked. It is a classic pairing for a reason. But somewhere along the way I started wondering what would happen if I swapped that plain cream cheese frosting for something with a little more personality, and browning the butter first felt like the obvious answer. One batch in and I was annoyed at myself for not doing it sooner. The nutty, almost caramelized flavor of the browned butter does something to the warm spices in this cake that regular cream cheese frosting just cannot compete with. This spice cake recipe is now the only way I make spice cake, and this brown butter cream cheese frosting is not going anywhere.

If you love this one, you will probably also love my Caramel Spice Cake, the original Spice Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting that started it all, and my Banana Caramel Cake With Brown Butter if you want to see brown butter show up in another unexpected place.

Why You'll Love Spice Cake With Brown Butter Frosting

This is the kind of moist spice cake that makes people ask what your secret is, and the secret is embarrassingly simple.

Incredibly moist crumb - a mix of oil and applesauce keeps the cake soft without relying on butter alone
Warm, balanced spice - cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves that taste cozy, not like a candle
A frosting with actual depth - browning the butter adds a nutty, caramelized flavor regular cream cheese frosting cannot touch
Low effort for the payoff - about ten extra minutes of hands off cooling time for a cake that tastes far more complicated than it is
Impressive without the stress - special enough for a celebration, simple enough that you do not need a culinary degree to pull it off

Ingredient Overview

Nothing wild here, just good ingredients working together correctly.

All-purpose flour - spooned and leveled, not scooped, unless you enjoy dense cake
Baking powder and baking soda - working together for lift
Warm spices - cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves
Vegetable oil and applesauce - the moisture duo doing most of the heavy lifting
Brown sugar - for depth, not just sweetness
Eggs and buttermilk - structure and tang
Unsalted butter - a full two cups, split between browning and adding back in fresh
Cream cheese - for stability and a little tang in the frosting
Powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla - rounding out the frosting
Vanilla extract - You can use paste or whatver you have on hand!

What Kind of Spice Should I Use?

Ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves are the backbone of this cake, and I would not swap any of them out. If you only have whole nutmeg, grate it fresh, it makes a noticeable difference. Pre-mixed pumpkin pie spice can work in a pinch, but the ratios are not built for this cake and you will lose some of the balance, so I would only reach for it if you are genuinely out of options.

How to Make Spice Cake With Brown Butter Frosting

Melt and brown 1½ cups of butter in a saucepan over medium heat until deep amber and fragrant, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Immediately stir in the remaining ½ cup of butter, letting the residual heat melt it in.
Let the browned butter cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
Meanwhile, whisk the dry ingredients together in one large bowl and the wet ingredients in another medium bowl.
Fold the dry into the wet just until no streaks remain.
Divide the cake batter between your three prepared pans and bake at 325°F for 30 to 33 minutes.
Cool the layers completely before frosting.
Beat the cooled brown butter with cream cheese in a stand mixer until fluffy, then mix in the powdered sugar, cream, vanilla, and salt.
Stack, frost, and chill briefly before the final coat.

Common Mistakes

Rushing the butter cooling time. Frosting warm browned butter is a fast track to a greasy, broken mess.
Overmixing the batter. Stop folding the moment the flour disappears.
Skipping the kitchen scale. Uneven layers make for a lopsided cake and an unnecessarily stressful stacking process.
Frosting warm cake. Even slightly warm layers will melt your frosting right off the sides.

How Do You Know if You Messed Up Brown Butter?

Burnt butter and browned butter live dangerously close together, so pay attention with your nose and your eyes. You are looking for a deep amber color and a nutty, toasty smell. If it turns dark brown, smells sharp or acrid, or you see black flecks instead of golden brown ones, it has gone too far and should be tossed. Swirling the pan instead of walking away is the easiest way to catch that moment before you lose the whole batch.

Tips and Tricks

Use room temperature eggs and buttermilk so your batter comes together smoothly without any cold spots
Beat the buttercream the full time listed with a hand or electric mixer to get that perfect consistency instead of stopping early.
Weigh your batter across the three pans for even baking and even layers
Let the cake layers cool completely, and I do mean completely, before you even think about frosting them
If your layers domed in the oven, a quick pass with a serrated knife once they are cool will make stacking this Spice Cake With Brown Butter Frosting a whole lot easier

Frequently Asked Questions

A few things people tend to ask me about this one.

Can I make the layers ahead of time? Yes, bake them a day or two in advance, wrap tightly, and store at room temperature until ready to frost.
Can I use salted butter for the brown butter? You can, just reduce or skip the added pinch of salt in the frosting to keep things balanced.
Why applesauce instead of just oil? It adds moisture without making the cake greasy, and keeps the crumb tender.
Can I make this into cupcakes? Yes, though bake time will need adjusting down significantly, closer to 18 to 20 minutes.

Storing and Freezing

Store the frosted cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Because the frosting contains cream cheese, refrigeration is non negotiable, but let slices sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving so the frosting softens and the texture is not dense from the fridge.

To freeze, you can freeze the layers unfrosted or the cake fully assembled. For unfrosted layers, wrap each cooled round tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months, thawing overnight in the fridge before frosting. For a fully frosted cake, freeze it uncovered for about an hour to firm up the frosting, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil for up to 2 months, thawing overnight in the refrigerator before bringing to room temperature to serve.

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Recipe

Spice Cake With Brown Butter Frosting

Molly Murphy

soft, incredibly moist spice cake wrapped in rich, nutty brown butter frosting that tastes like fall decided to become a cake.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings slices

Ingredients

For the Cake:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup vegetable oil
1 ¾ cups packed brown sugar
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
4 large eggs room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk room temperature

For the brown butter frosting:

2 cups unsalted butter - you'll brown 1 ½ cup 3 sticks then stir in ½ cup (1 stick) afterward
4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
6 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Step 1: Brown the Butter

In a medium saucepan, melt 1½ cups (3 sticks) of unsalted butter over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter foams and turns a deep amber color with a nutty aroma, about 5-7 minutes.
2 cups unsalted butter - you'll brown 1 ½ cup 3 sticks
Immediately transfer the browned butter to a large heatproof bowl and add the remaining ½ cup (1 stick) of butter right away - the residual heat will melt it as you stir. This step helps rehydrate the browned butter and improves the frosting's final consistency.
Let the butter cool to room temperature, about 2 hours, before using. While it cools, move on to the cake.

Make the Spice Cake

Preheat your oven to 325°F. Spray three 8-inch cake pans with nonstick spray, line with parchment paper, and spray again. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground cloves
In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, brown sugar, applesauce, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract until well combined.
1 cup vegetable oil, 1 ¾ cups packed brown sugar, 1 cup unsweetened applesauce, 4 large eggs room temperature, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, ½ cup buttermilk room temperature
Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a rubber spatula until no streaks of flour remain. Fold gently to avoid overmixing.
Divide the batter evenly between the three pans (use a kitchen scale for accuracy. About 18 ounces in each pan!) Smooth the tops with a small offset spatula.
Bake for 30-33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Let cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and let cool completely.
Pro tip: If the cakes domed while baking, level the tops with a serrated knife once completely cooled for easy stacking.

Finish the Brown Butter Frosting

When ready to frost, place the room temperature browned butter and ROOM TEMPERATURE cream cheese into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed for 2-4 minutes, until light and fluffy.
4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
Add the powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. Mix on low to combine, then beat on high for 2 more minutes.
6 cups powdered sugar, ¼ cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, Pinch of salt

Assembly

Place a small dollop of frosting in the center of a cake board to act as glue.
Level the cake layers if needed, so each surface is flat and smooth.
Add the first cake layer top-side up. Spread about 1 cup of frosting evenly over the top. Get eye-level with the cake to check that it's even.
Add the second cake layer top-side down and spread another 1 cup of frosting over the top. Flipping this layer gives you a flatter surface to stack against, since the pan-side of the cake is naturally flatter than the domed top-side.
Add the final cake layer top-side down as well, for the same reason. Apply a thin crumb coat of frosting and chill the cake for 15 minutes.
Frost the entire cake with the remaining brown butter frosting. This cake is best served at room temperature for the perfect texture and flavor. I highly recommend it.
Store the frosted cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Since the frosting contains cream cheese, refrigeration is a must, but let slices sit out at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes before serving so the frosting softens back up and the cake's texture isn't dense from the cold.
To freeze, you can freeze the cake either unfrosted or fully assembled. For unfrosted layers, wrap each cooled cake round tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before frosting. For a fully frosted cake, freeze it uncovered for about an hour to firm up the frosting, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before bringing to room temperature to serve.

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