Moist Spiced Aromatic Cake (Printable)
Moist, aromatic cake infused with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves for warm flavor.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
06 - 1 teaspoon ground ginger
07 - ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
08 - ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
→ Wet Ingredients
09 - 1 cup granulated sugar
10 - ½ cup packed brown sugar
11 - ½ cup vegetable oil
12 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
13 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
14 - 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
→ Optional Add-Ins
15 - ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
16 - ½ cup raisins or dried cranberries
# How To Make:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or line with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves in a medium bowl. Set aside.
03 - Beat granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil in a large bowl until well combined.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in vanilla extract.
05 - Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the wet mixture, starting and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined without overmixing.
06 - Gently fold in nuts and dried fruit, if using.
07 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
08 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
09 - Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It's moist and forgiving, staying tender even if you bake it a few minutes longer than intended.
- The spice blend is warm without being overwhelming, making it feel special without fussy technique.
- One bowl of wet ingredients and one of dry means almost no cleanup, which matters more than recipes admit.
02 -
- Room temperature ingredients mix together smoothly and create a better texture—cold eggs and buttermilk fight the batter and leave lumps that no amount of beating fixes.
- Don't skip leveling the flour when you measure; overfilled cups are the number one reason cakes turn dense and dry.
- Resist the urge to check the cake more than once; opening the oven releases heat and can cause the center to sink.
03 -
- If your spices have been sitting in the cabinet for more than six months, replace them; stale spices taste more bitter than warm and are the fastest way to disappoint yourself.
- An oven thermometer prevents overbaking—ovens often run hotter than they claim, and even five extra minutes can dry out the center.