Serves6
- Active time:20 min
- Start to finish:3 1/2 hr (includes cooling)
September 2009
This is the cake you want on a cool Sunday evening in October, after you’ve just finished eating your first beef stew of the season. It’s full of the flavors everyone craves once the mercury dips below 50 degrees—brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. The swath of spiced cream cheese frosting is as easy to make as it is delicious.
For cake
-
2
cups
all-purpose flour
-
2
teaspoons
baking powder
-
1/2
teaspoon
baking soda
-
1/2
teaspoon
salt
-
3/4
teaspoon
cinnamon
-
1/2
teaspoon
ground ginger
-
1/8
teaspoon
ground cloves
-
1
stick unsalted butter, softened
-
1
cup
packed light brown sugar
-
1
teaspoon
pure vanilla extract
-
2
large eggs
-
1 1/2
cups
unsweetened applesauce
-
1/2
cup
walnuts (optional), toasted (see Tips), cooled, and chopped
For frosting
-
5
oz
cream cheese, softened
-
3
tablespoons
unsalted butter, softened
-
1/4
teaspoon
pure vanilla extract
-
1
cup
confectioners sugar
-
1/2
teaspoon
cinnamon
Make cake:
-
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
-
Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in applesauce. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined, then stir in walnuts (if using).
-
Spread batter evenly in pan and bake until golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake to loosen, then invert onto a plate. Reinvert cake onto a rack to cool completely.
Make frosting:
-
Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy. Sift confectioners sugar and cinnamon over cream cheese mixture, then beat at medium speed until incorporated.
-
Spread frosting over top of cooled cake.
