Buttermilk Spice Cake with Penuche Icing

Buttermilk Spice Cake with Penuche Icing

Cook's Notes: A moist cake filled with the perfect amount of all those delicious autumn spices. It uses brown sugar instead of white sugar which gives it a sweet caramel-y note and pairs so well with the spices.

I used a Penuche Icing but a cream cheese frosting works well with this cake too. 

Optional add ins include golden raisins and walnuts. 

The batter is enough for a layer cake using 2 cake pans or 1-9 x13 pan 

Recipe adapted from cookingclassy.com

Ingredients:

• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour (scoop and level to measure)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon or 1-1/2 teaspoons Saigon cinnamon 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1- 3/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
• 1 cup golden raisins (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9-inch round baking pans well with non-stick baking spray then lightly dust with flour and shake out excess or use a 9 x 13 pan following same directions. 
• In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and cloves for 20 seconds, set aside.
• Pour brown sugar into the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Break up brown sugar with fingertips until no clumps remain.
• Pour in vegetable oil and applesauce, blend until well combined (occasionally stop and scrape bowl throughout mixing process).
• Mix in eggs and vanilla.
• Add in 1/2 of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined, then blend in buttermilk, then add remaining 1/2 of the flour mixture and mix until well combined.
• Divide mixture evenly among prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 26 minutes for a 13 x 9 pan or 22 minutes for cake pans. 
• Allow to cool in cake pans about 5 minutes then run a knife around edges to ensure cake is loose and invert upside down onto a wire rack to cool. 
• If making a 13 9 pan leave cake inside dish. 
• Cool completely and frost.

Cooking Tips

• You can adjust the amount of spices used here to suit your taste. 
• If you don't have buttermilk you can make your own by mixing 1 tablespoon  lemon juice or white vinegar with enough milk to equal 1 cup. Whisk and let rest 5 minutes before using.
• Frost cake and sprinkle with crushed nuts. Store the cake in refrigerator in an airtight container. Let rest at room temperature before serving.

Penuche Icing (recipe below enough for a 9 x 9 cake double if frosting a 13 x 9 cake or a layer cake)
Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup milk (may need more)
• Dash salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2-1/2 cups powdered sugar 

Directions:

• In a saucepan melt butter on low heat, stir in brown sugar, milk, salt and vanilla.
• Use a whisk and stir on low heat until sugar dissolved and smooth about 2 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat and stir in powdered sugar.
• Use a hand mixer to beat frosting in the saucepan until smooth or whisk ingredients. You may need to add more milk for right consistency.

viewing these recent author events called Moving Words, a program of

It is made possible in part by the State of Minnesota through a grant to the Minnesota Department of Education. Additional support is provided by the Harlan Boss Foundation for the Arts, Hognander Family Foundation, and Education Minnesota.

The following is a link to the September 10, 2020 discussion featuring Minnesota Book Award-winning authors Karen Babine, Heid Erdrich, Peter Geye and Kao Kalia Yang. The program was made possible by the Friends of the St. Paul Public Library Each author read a short piece from their book followed by a a lively panel discussion. Park Rapids MN Area Library, part of Kitchigami Regional Library, co-hosted this virtual installment of the popular Minnesota Center for the Book program.

The youtube video of this virtual installment lasts about an hour and 15 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi7MBmCGKslVyUoFoMri02sEEPVDUuVeC

To see the whole series of Club Book author discussions, go here:

https://clubbook.org/authors/

Oh, and if you’re an F. Scott Fitzgerald fan, be sure to check out our Fitz Bits series here: https://thefriends.org/fitzgerald/