Buttermilk Spice Cake

If pumpkin spice had a grandmother, she’d bake this cake.

Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves warm every crumb, while buttermilk and brown sugar keep the layers moist and give them a deep, molasses-tinged sweetness.

The best part? It’s a dump-and-mix recipe. Everything goes into one bowl, gets blended on low for 30 seconds, and pours into two layer pans.

Frost with cream cheese frosting for a knockout autumn dessert, or go old-school with a brown butter icing.

Variations

• Caramel spice cake: Top with a salted caramel drizzle instead of frosting.
• Apple spice cake: Fold in one cup of finely diced apples before baking.
• Sheet cake: Pour into a 9×13 pan and bake for about 35 minutes instead.

Kitchen Tips

• Don’t overmix. Thirty seconds on low is all you need. The buttermilk and baking soda do the leavening work.
• Let the layers cool 10 minutes in the pans before turning out. Too soon and they’ll crack; too long and they’ll steam and get soggy.