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–+ servings

Chocolate Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Karissa Parrish
This chocolate spice cake with cream cheese frosting is perfect for both fall and holiday celebrations! The cake is super moist, chocolatey, and filled with warm spices.
5 from 4 votes
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Decorating 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 slices

Equipment

  • Three 6-Inch Cake Pans
  • Mixing Bowls
  • Electric Stand Mixer

Ingredients:
 
 

Chocolate Spice Cake

  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • ¾ cup cocoa powder, sifted
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 cup Lifeway Kefir Plain Whole Milk
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil (or canola)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Spice Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 12 ounces block-style cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • fall leaf sprinkles (optional)

Instructions:
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper then nonstick spray. Set aside.

Chocolate Spice Cake

  • Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, salt, nutmeg, and cloves.
  • In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the warm water, Lifeway milk, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract until combined. Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry, whisking until a wet batter forms (do not overmix).
  • Divide the batter amongst the three prepared cake pans and bake for 23-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing and placing them on a wire rack to cool completely.

Spice Cream Cheese Frosting

  • In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on high speed until combined and creamy (2-3 minutes).
  • Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger and beat on low speed for about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for an additional 1-2 minutes until smooth and creamy.

Assemble

  • If needed, use a serrated knife to level off the tops of each cake layer to create a flat surface. Place one cake layer on a cake stand or plate and spread about ⅔ cup of frosting. Repeat with the second layer.
  • Top the cake with the last layer and spread on about ¼ cup of frosting. Frost and smooth the outside of the cake with a thin crumb coat. Place the entire cake in the refrigerator or freezer for 10 minutes to chill.
  • Remove the cake from the refrigerator and finish frosting with the remaining buttercream. Cover the sides and top of the cake again until frosted to your desire (use a cake scraper for a smooth finish).
  • I used a Wilton 1M piping tip to decorate the top of the cake, along with some fall leaf sprinkles.
  • Refrigerate the cake for at least 15 minutes before serving so it's easier to cut. Keep any leftover cake slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes:

Cake Pans: For this recipe, I used three 6-inch cake pans, but you could also use two 8-inch or two 9-inch cake pans (the baking time may be different). Prepare each cake pan by lining them with parchment paper and then non-stick spray.
Measuring Flour: To help ensure you don’t add extra flour, follow these three simple steps: 1) Fluff up the flour using a fork. 2) Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. 3) Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level out the flour.
Crumb Coat: This is where we add a thin layer of frosting on the cake in order to catch the crumbs and keeps them secure. You’ll want to chill the cake in the refrigerator or freezer for 10 minutes after the crumb coat has been put on before the final frosting layer.
Cake Decorating Tools: I like to use a turntable, cake scraper, and an icing spatula to help assist me when assembling a cake.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 547kcalCarbohydrates: 81gProtein: 8gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 439mgPotassium: 191mgFiber: 3gSugar: 62gVitamin A: 530IUVitamin C: 0.02mgCalcium: 164mgIron: 2mg
Keyword chocolate spice cake, cream cheese frosting, dark chocolate cake, spice cake
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