Christmas Spice Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting and Salted Caramel.
This Christmas Spice Cake is full of flavor on the inside and topped with decadent cream cheese frosting and salted caramel sauce.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2¼ cups 315g plain flour, or gluten-free all-purpose flour blend with xanthan gum (see notes below)
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom optional but adds lovely warmth
- 1 cup 200g brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup 100g caster sugar
- 115 g unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil canola or grapeseed
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup 240ml buttermilk (or 1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice, rested 5 minutes)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Salted Caramel
- 1 cup 200g caster sugar
- 60 g unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup 120ml thickened cream (or heavy cream)
- ½ –1 teaspoon sea salt to taste
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 125 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 250 g full-fat cream cheese room temperature
- 2½ cups 300g icing sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 –3 tablespoons salted caramel from above, cooled
Instructions
Step 1: The Salted Caramel
- I usually start with the salted caramel because it needs to cool before using. It’s surprisingly easy and adds so much character.
- Heat the sugar gently in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it melts and turns a rich amber.
- Whisk in the butter carefully (it will bubble up).
- Remove from heat and slowly add the cream, whisking constantly until smooth.
- Stir in the sea salt, then transfer to a jar to cool completely.
- This caramel keeps well in the fridge for up to 10 days. I warm it gently before using if it’s too thick.
Step 2: Baking the Christmas Spice Cake
- Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and line a 23cm (9-inch) round or square cake tin.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all the spices.
- In another bowl, whisk the sugars, melted butter, oil, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla until smooth.
- Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry, mixing just until combined. Overmixing can make the cake dense.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- If you want to make cupcakes, bake them for 18–20 minutes and check doneness with a skewer.
Step 3: Cream Cheese Frosting for the Christmas Spice Cake
- Beat the butter and cream cheese together until fluffy.
- Gradually add the icing sugar, beating until smooth.
- Add vanilla and 2–3 tablespoons of the cooled salted caramel and beat gently until combined.
- If the frosting feels too soft, refrigerate for 10 minutes before spreading.
Step 4: Assemble and Decorate Your Christmas Spice Cake
- Once the cake is completely cool, spread the frosting generously over the top. Drizzle extra salted caramel over the frosting and swirl it through with a knife for a festive look. I love finishing with a sprinkle of cinnamon or decorating with dried orange slices and sugared cranberries for that extra Christmas magic.
Notes
Gluten-Free Version of the Christmas Spice Cake
For the gluten-free option, I swap the plain flour for a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that contains xanthan gum. If your blend doesn’t have xanthan gum, add 1 teaspoon per 2¼ cups flour. The rest of the recipe stays the same. Gluten-free cakes tend to be a bit more delicate, so I always let mine cool completely before frosting and slicing to keep it intact. Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was in the comments below.