This Holiday Spice Cake Recipe is made with three layers of moist, dense spiced cake and cinnamon cream cheese frosting. It is the perfect layered holiday cake to serve to a crowd.
Cake is my jam. Put me in the kitchen and I can bake cakes all day.
Over the years, I’ve learned how to perfect my cakes so they turn out moist, dense and delicious. So, I am super excited for you to try this holiday spice cake recipe.
Now, before you make this cake, I have a secret to share with you…
In order to get your cakes perfectly removed from the pan, all you need is some Crisco and flour.
Take a paper towel or use your hands to rub some Crisco on the inside of your cake pans. Dust some flour into the pan and coat the Crisco entirely. Tap out the excess flour into the sink or garbage can. You then pour your cake mix into the pan and bake as usual. This will give you a clean removal of your cakes once baked.
My aunt taught me this trick years ago and it has completely changed the way my cakes turn out.
Okay, now onto baking the best holiday cake you’ll ever make!
What You Need to Make Holiday Spice Cake:
For The Spiced Cake:
- 2 Boxes of Spice Cake Mix
- Eggs
- Canola Oil
- Water
- 3 9-inch Round Cake Pans
- 1 10-inch Round Cake Board
For The Cinnamon Frosting:
- Unsalted Sweet Cream Butter, softened
- Powdered Sugar
- Ground Cinnamon
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Piping bag with Star Tip
- Caramel syrup
- Sugared Cranberries (Made with Sugar, Water and Fresh Cranberries)
How to Make Holiday Spice Cake:
Check out the video below to see how we made the Holiday Spice Cake. Enjoy!
Holiday Spice Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For The Spiced Cake
- 2 Boxes of Spice Cake Mix
- 6 Large Eggs
- 1 Cup Canola Oil
- 2 Cups Water
- 3 9- inch Round Cake Pans
- 1 10- inch Round Cake Board
For The Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 3 Cups Unsalted Sweet Cream Butter softened
- 6 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
- 2 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 3-6 Tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream
- Piping bag with Star Tip
- Caramel Syrup
- Sugared Cranberries Made with Sugar, Water and Fresh Cranberries
For The Sugared Cranberries
- 2 Cups Sugar divided
- ½ Cup Water
- 1 – 12 oz Bag of Fresh Cranberries
Instructions
Holiday Spiced Cake Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare 3 9-inch baking pans with the anti-stick method I mentioned above (Crisco and Flour)
- Using a standing mixer, beat together the cake ingredients until combined. You want the mixture to be slightly lumpy.
- Divide the batter between the 3 cake pans.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to cool completely before frosting or it will melt.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting Directions:
- Using a standing mixer, beat together all ingredients.
- Beat frosting ingredients until smooth and fluffy and set aside.
Sugared Cranberries Directions:
- Sugared Cranberries
- Using a medium sauce pan, combine 1/2 C sugar and 1/2 C of water over medium to high heat. Stir until sugar dissolves.
- Stir in the cranberries and coat.
- Use a slotted spoon and move the cranberries onto a wire rack.
- Allow the excess sugar to drop off.
- Place remaining sugar in a ziplock bag and add the cranberries.
- Shake until fully coated in sugar.
- Set aside.
Building the Cake Directions:
- Remove cakes from cake pans and cake off the domes from the cakes to make an even round cake layer. You can use a cake slicer or sharp knife to do this.
- Place one cake layer onto the cake board.
- Scoop 1 Cup of frosting into the piping bag.
- Scoop 1 Cup of the frosting onto the top of the cake layer and spread evenly.
- Place a second layer of cake on top of the first layer of frosting.
- Spread evenly another Cup of frosting.
- Place the last cake layer on top.
- Frost entire cake with remaining icing. You want to leave it looking like you didn’t completely cover the cake in frosting. I like the rustic, holiday look it gives.
- Next, place a sugared cranberry around the bottom edge of the cake and pipe dollops of frosting around the top of the cake.
- Place a cranberry into the top of the dollop and on the side.
- Cut into slices and enjoy!
Notes
NUTRITION
Nutrition information is a rough estimate only; actual values will vary based on the exact ingredients used and amount of recipe prepared.