Moist Holiday Spice Cake

Delight your taste buds this season with our moist holiday spice cake—a festive showstopper brimming with warm, aromatic spices and topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting. This easy-to-make dessert combines pantry staples like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves with the natural sweetness of unsweetened applesauce and rich buttermilk for an impeccably soft, flavorful bite. Perfect for gatherings, each slice is crowned with velvety cream cheese frosting, and a dusting of chopped pecans adds a festive crunch. Ready in under an hour, this holiday favorite is sure to be the centerpiece of your dessert table. Perfect for holiday baking, spice cake lovers, and cream cheese frosting enthusiasts alike!

Nutriscore Rating: 39/100

Prep Time:25 mins

Cook Time:40 mins

Total Time:65 mins

Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 0.5 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 0.5 teaspoons ground ginger
• 0.25 teaspoons ground cloves
• 0.5 teaspoons salt
• 0.75 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cups granulated sugar
• 0.5 cups brown sugar, packed
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 0.75 cups unsweetened applesauce
• 0.5 cups buttermilk
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2.5 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 0.5 cups pecans, chopped (optional for garnish)

Directions

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan, or line it with parchment paper.

Step 2

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt. Set aside.

Step 3

In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

Step 4

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Step 5

Reduce mixer speed to low. Alternately add the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the wet ingredients in three additions, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.

Step 6

Fold in the applesauce gently using a spatula, ensuring the batter is fully incorporated but not overmixed.

Step 7

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Smooth the top with a spatula.

Step 8

Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Step 9

Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Step 10

To make the cream cheese frosting, beat the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar together in a large bowl until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.

Step 11

Add heavy cream and beat for another 1-2 minutes, until the frosting reaches a spreadable consistency.

Step 12

Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the cooled cake. Optionally, sprinkle chopped pecans on top for garnish.

Step 13

Slice, serve, and enjoy your Moist Holiday Spice Cake!

Nutrition Facts

Serving size	1815.9 grams (1815.9g)

Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	6181

Total Fat 295.30g	379%
Saturated Fat 156.00g	780%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.30g
Cholesterol 1240mg	413%
Sodium 3642mg	158%
Total Carbohydrate 840.00g	305%
Dietary Fiber 18.10g	65%
Total Sugars 625.20g
Protein 70.40g	141%

Vitamin D 186IU	932%
Calcium 715mg	55%
Iron 18mg	101%
Potassium 1443mg	31%

*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Source of Calories

Fat: 42.2%

Protein: 4.5%

Carbs: 53.3%