Cider Spice Cake
A delicious layered cake flavored with apple cider and warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice, finished with a creamy cider buttercream frosting. Perfect for fall celebrations.
Ingredients
- •1 stick unsalted butter
- •1½ cups all-purpose flour
- •2 teaspoons baking powder
- •¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- •½ teaspoon salt
- •¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- •¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- •¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- •⅔ cup apple cider
- •2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- •1 cup light brown sugar
- •3 large eggs
- •¾ cup sugar
- •3 tablespoons cornstarch
- •⅛ teaspoon salt
- •¾ cup apple cider
- •2½ sticks unsalted butter
- •softened
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 (8- by 2-inch) round cake pans and dust with flour, knocking out excess.
10 min
- 2.
Whisk together flour (1 1/2 cups), baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice in a medium bowl.
5 min
- 3.
Combine apple cider and lemon juice in a small measuring cup.
2 min
- 4.
Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, then add brown sugar and beat until combined. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition (mixture will look curdled).
10 min
- 5.
Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and cider mixture alternately in 3 batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until just combined.
5 min
- 6.
Divide batter between cake pans (batter will form a thin layer) and rap pans on work surface once to release any large air bubbles.
3 min
- 7.
Bake cake layers until they begin to pull away from sides of pans and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of each cake layer comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
30 min
- 8.
Cool cake layers in pans on racks 5 minutes, then run a thin knife around edge of each layer and invert layers onto racks. Cool completely, at least 1 hour.
65 min
- 9.
Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Whisk in cider, then bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking constantly, and boil, whisking constantly, 1 minute (mixture will be very thick). Transfer to a metal bowl and set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water, then stir occasionally until cool, about 30 minutes.
35 min
- 10.
Beat butter in a large bowl with cleaned beaters at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, then add one third of cider mixture and beat until incorporated. Add remaining cider mixture and continue beating until smooth.
10 min
- 11.
When cakes are cool, arrange 1 layer flat side up on a flat serving plate or cake stand and spread top with 3/4 cup buttercream. Top with remaining cake layer flat side up. Frost top and side of cake with remaining buttercream. Chill 2 hours before serving (to firm up buttercream).
120 min