Can a dessert be a comfort food? If so, Spice Cake is one of my favorite comfort foods.
I found a Spice Cake recipe in a hundred-year-old cookbook, and just had to give it a try. It was perfect, and brought back memories of luscious Spice Cakes at long-forgotten family reunions and church pot lucks.
This easy-to-make cake has a perfect spicy blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Brown sugar is the only sugar used in this recipe, which gives this cake a lovely caramel note.
If I had one complaint about this recipe, it’s that it did not make quite enough batter to use my “go-to” 9-inch X 13-inch oblong cake pan. Instead I used a 9-inch square pan, and that worked well. Hmm. . . now that I think about it, perhaps the smaller cake is an advantage rather than a negative. It was just the right size for my husband and me.
Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:
Old-Fashioned Spice Cake
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup raisin or chopped dates (optional)
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a 9-inch square baking pan. Combine all ingredients (except for the raisins or dates) into a large mixing bowl. Blend until well blended. If desired, stir in the raisins or dates. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Frost if desired. Good with a maple-flavored frosting.
And, here’s the original hundred-year-old recipe:
A Hundred Years Ago 
I love spice cake!
So do I. 🙂
I made this cake tonight and I am so happy to tell you, it turned out perfect! – I love spice cake as well and to find one to make from scratch is the best. ❤ Thanks so much for sharing this recipe, it really is delicious.~ Happy Cooking!
It’s nice to hear that you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for taking a moment to send a note.
Looks yummy!
It’s delicious.
I can’t wait to try this! I love spice cake. I am really enjoying your blog posts! I’m so happy I found this site!
It’s wonderful to hear that you enjoy this blog. I have a lot of fun doing it.
I love Spice cake! It was my grandfather’s favorite cake too! Thank you for sharing your recipe! Brings back fond memories! Hugz Lisa and Bear
It’s nice to hear that this post brought back some good food memories.
That makes a very special comfort food!
Spice cake is a wonderful old-time dessert. 🙂
Thank you. This is more my speed. I have been practicing making pies. This last one was a disaster. I forgot to put sugar in the fruit and it baked lovely but tasted bad.
Oh dear- it’s no fun to put all the effort into making something, and then realize too late that there’s a missing ingredient. In my opinion cakes – or at least spice cakes- are definitely easier to make than pies. 🙂
Bob loves spice cake. Might have to give this one a try.
I think that he’d like this cake. 🙂
Definitely my kind of comfort food! I’m sure the spices filled the kitchen with wonderful aroma. 🙂
They did- The enticing smell of cinnamon and the other spices in the baking cake created had a lovely ambiance. 🙂
I don’t think I’ve ever had spice cake. It looks delicious.
I think that you’d like it. This cake has a delightful blend of cinnamon and other spices.
I love cinnamon and clove! I’ve saved the recipe to try later. I’m not the best baker, but I’m trying!
This is an easy-to-make cake, so would be perfect if you are still perfecting your baking skills. 🙂
Spice cake is one of my daughter’s favorite cakes to make! Thanks for a modern version. 🙂
Your daughter has good taste. Spice cakes are wonderful. 🙂
Oh, this evoked nice memories for me too. It’s been ages since I had Spice Cake. My grandmother used to make.
It’s wonderful to hear that this post brought back some good food memories.
Very nice.
Thank you! I think that you’d like this cake. 🙂
I think so too. Thanks.
Spice cake was a staple of my childhood, too, and it’s been years since I’ve had a good one. This recipe looks just right: on the list it goes! (And of course I’ll add the raisins.)
Raisins would be wonderful in this cake, and would definitely add to its “comfort food” aura. 🙂 I was also intrigued by the suggestion in the old recipe to add chopped dates. I may have to try that sometime.
😋.. Spice cakes are wonderful,even when they are baking, the spicy smell lifts the spirit! My family loves a cream cheese frosting .
mmm. . . cream cheese frosting would be delicious on this cake.
I love that it made you think of family reunions and church potlucks. 🙂
I’m glad you liked it. 🙂
My grandmother made the BEST spice cake! I’m going to have to try this recipe and see if it is as good. Thanks for sharing it!
If you make it, you’ll have to let me know what you think. I’m always interested in other people’s experiences and opinions when they try a recipe from this blog.
My Mom still makes a version of Spice cake we all love and grew up on. She loves to add chopped walnuts in hers. Fun recipe Sheryl!
Chopped walnuts would be a lovely addition to this recipe.
Honestly, it really is delicious Sheryl!
Just my cup of tea! or should that be cup of cake. On my list it goes. 🙂
Spice cake is perfect with tea . . . or coffee. 🙂
Delicious and like the fact it makes enough for two to avoid days of snacking😉
There are advantages to smaller cakes. 🙂
I definitely think dessert can be comfort food! I don’t have strong memories of spice cake, although I like it very much, but apple pie, cake (not yeast) doughnuts, and German Chocolate cake all mean a lot to me!
mmm. . . they all sound like comfort foods to me. You’ve now made me curious about cake vs. yeast doughnuts – and I’m going to have to start digging through my cookbooks. My mother never made doughtnuts, but I used to absolutely love the sugared doughnuts that women’s church groups in Pennsylvania sold on Fastnacht Day.
I will have to try it for our next church dinner – just doubling the recipe should put it nicely in a larger pan 0r I will just make two smaller ones. Either way it will work!
It should work to double it. You might possibly have a little extra batter–but you could always make an extra tiny cake for you. 🙂
😉 yummm….I never thought about cutting the recipe in half….will try it out this weekend finally only one thing to do and the rest of the weekend I will be home… woo hoo!!
This one is definitely a “keeper.” 🙂
I’m glad you like this post. It is a good cake.
Now *this* is what I’m talking about- I do indeed think that certain desserts are comfort food and spice cake is definitely one of those!
It’s good to know that you also think that Spice Cake is a comfort food. 🙂
I love spice cake and even use a spice cake as a basis for carrot cake. I like adding raisins, they seem to go so well with the spices.
Carrot cake sounds yummy – and raisins would be a nice addition. Apple Sauce Cake is another cake that is similar to Spice Cake.
I love spice cake! This looks so pretty 🙂
Thanks! It’s nice to hear that you like the photo. I’m working on my picture-taking skills. 🙂
It’s fun, isn’t it? 😊
My grandmother made spice cake. I haven’t had it so long — I’m going to try this recipe!
I think that you’d like it.
Yum! I love spice cake.
Spice Cake is good. 🙂
Delicious! It actually looks like a recipe I’d find in my grandmother’s recipe box! 🙂
I have a lot of fun trying some of the old-recipes that I find. It’s nice to hear that this one brings back memories of the types of foods your grandmother made.
Yeah…I miss her cooking! 🙂 Thanks Sheryl
As soon as I lose 20 lbs, I am going to try this recipe. 9X9 is perfect and I love spice cake.
Sounds like a plan. 🙂
Thank you for the recipe, Sheryl. Spice cake is one of my favorites, and it was my mom’s too, so it makes me think of her.
I’m glad this recipe brought back some good memories.
I see you’ve posted another delicious recipe. Oh my my my I can almost taste the spices now. I love comfort foods like this. Recipes are timeless. I may have to give this recipe a try too. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Some foods like spice cake definitely stand the test of time. Let me know if you give it a try. You are so good at testing recipes and tweaking them to make them even better. 🙂
I just made the cake & it is now in the oven! I can’t wait to eat a slice! Yumm! A grand tasty recipe too!
I hope that you enjoy it. I love how my kitchen smells when I make spice cake.
It is just a stunning lovely spice cake. I will make it again & again, sweet friend.
Yum! definitely trying this one for my husband – I am sure he will love it 🙂
I think that he’ll like it. If you make it, let me know what he thinks. I always find it really helpful to get the opinions of others about these old recipes.
I adore spice cake! What recipe did you use for the maple frosting?
I am so happy I found your blog. I came across it while researching height difference crossing eras, then comparing it to the european height trajectory lol. You wrote it in 2012 – so grateful. Thank you.
I have a lot of fun doing this blog, and it’s wonderful to hear that you like it. I just made a basic buttercream frosting, but substituted maple extract for the vanilla. Here’s a recipe for buttercream frosting:
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/vanilla-buttercream-frosting/39107a19-be94-4571-9031-f1fc5bd1d606
I made the spice cake. The flavour is exceptionally delicious but in my concern not to undercook I actually overcooked the cake, and it’s a little dry. No worries though…..I cut slices and buttered them. Tonight I am making the Scotch onion and potato dish. It’s a favourite. I have some leftover salmon which I will add for a little variety.
Thanks for letting me know that you made it and how it turned out. I love how you took a slight “lemon” and made lemonade. I tend to use icing to resolve any issues related to cakes–but I really like how you instead used butter and ate it more as a bread.
And, it’s wonderful to hear that you like the Scotch Potatoes. They are a nice dish–and sound lovely with the salmon.
I did think about toasting the buttered cake in a pan; may do so yet. (Borrowing from the trend of banana bread toast!)
One other thing I like about the Scotch Potatoes; the recipe keeps my husband and I happy for two meals. So, yay, no cooking tonight! Oh, I may make a disorganized salad to go with the potatoes. 😀
I love then fact you are reviving these century old recipes 🙂
It’s wonderful to hear that you enjoy this blog. I have a lot of fun finding and making hundred-year-old recipes.
I really do! It was refreshing to see in the feed. I treasure an heirloom family cookbook handed down to me through the generations that I use all the time. The recipes are truly timeless.
Ooo looks delicious. I can’t wait to try. Sounds like it would be perfect with coffee or tea. Thanks for sharing!
It would be lovely with coffee or tea.
I loved the recipe & the photo too & that is why, i made it yesterday! Love the flavour! xxx
It’s wonderful to hear that you liked it.
I was looking for a Germans Spice cake my mom use to buy at a bakery in the 50’s and 60’s. I remember it looked gray in color with black bits pieces of something.
Hmm. . . this cake is tan or brownish is color. The cake your mother bought probably contained raisins, or maybe dried currants if the the pieces were small.
I loved this cake. However, I followed the original recipe by separately mixing the dry ingredients and wet ingredients (using melted butter) and then combining the two. That’s how I’ve always made this kind of cake. I also modified the spices slightly: 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 1/4 tsp of ground cloves. I served it with a maple whipped cream, which went perfectly with the cake (1 cup whipping cream, 2 tbsp good quality maple syrup, 1/2 tsp vanilla).
mmm. . . Your version of the cake sounds wonderful. Thank you for taking a few moments to describe how you adapted the recipe. I know that blog readers find it really useful to read about the experiences of others who have tried a recipe.
I made the cake today. I creamed the butter and sugar, then added eggs then the combined dry ingredients, alternating with the milk to which I added 1/4 tsp vanilla extract. This method seemed to be the traditional way of making a cake but my baked cake sunk in the center. Cake has a nice flavor. I topped it with ermine frosting which went well with the spice flavoring of the cake.
Made this today; I thought the batter was a little stiff and the cake was a little dense. Is it supposed to be like that? How can it be made lighter?
hmm. . . This cake by nature may be somewhat denser than some other spice cake recipes.