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Thanksgiving Cake

Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 9 servings
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 23/4 cups (345g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ginger, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon cloves, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
  • 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 11/2 cups (300g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • ⅔ cup (160ml) neutral oil
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 11/4 cups (300ml) buttermilk
  • Be generous with the spice. It should smell strongly of spice raw. It mellows in the bake.
  • Brown the frosting butter and chill it back to soft before beating, not warm, not fridge-hard.
  • Cream cheese in at the end, briefly. Overbeaten cream cheese frosting slumps off the cake.
  • Fully cold cake only. Any warmth and the frosting slides.

Equipment

  • 9x13 baking pan or two 9-inch rounds
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Hand mixer or stand mixer
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Rubber spatula
  • Wire cooling rack

Method
 

Step 1
  1. Prep. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 9-inch round pans or a 9x13 pan.
Step 2
  1. Dry. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and all the spices.
Step 3
  1. Cream. Beat the butter with both sugars until light, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs two at a time, then the oil and vanilla.
Step 4
  1. Alternate. Add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, mixing just until each disappears. Do not overbeat once the flour is in.
Step 5
  1. Bake. Layers 30 to 35 minutes; 9x13 sheet 40 to 45 minutes. Done when the center springs back and a skewer comes out with a crumb or two.
Step 6
  1. Cool completely. Layers 15 minutes in the pan then out onto a rack; sheet cake in the pan. Frost only when fully cold.
Step 7
  1. Frost. Beat the softened browned butter with the powdered sugar until smooth, then beat in the cream cheese, vanilla and salt just until combined, 30 seconds, no more.