Buttermilk Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This cake is TO DIE FOR.  I want to swim in the batter and roll in the icing.  Really I do! Why I made this on a Thursday night is beyond me... I was reading my book during lunch at work and the main character had a piece of spice cake and my fingers darted to my keyboard to browse the internet world of spice cake... it was like I was entranced.  After 20 minutes of internal struggles on the way home in the car, and passing two supermarkets that had the only ingredients I needed (butter and cream cheese... and hence GUILT) I finally spun into a Stewarts at the last minute, doubtful they would have either, let alone both of these things.  That they did, was a sign.  Sigh.  So spice cake:

Ingredients:

Cake:

2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
2 T. ground ginger
3/4 tsp salt
8 T unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 lb cream cheese, at room temperature
12 T (1 1/2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 lb powdered sugar, sifted

Instructions:

1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Prepare a pan by spraying it well and lining the bottom with parchment.  You definitely don't want to skip this step!   (I used a 9 inch round, you could use an 8 inch square or whatever else you want, just adjust baking time)

3.  Sift together dry ingredients in mixing bowl of stand mixer.

4.  Beat in butter and buttermilk for a few minutes until fluffy and creamy.  (NOTE: you can make buttermilk by adding 1 T of lemon juice or vinegar to a cup of milk.  Here I used about 2/3 of a T for 3/4 cup milk).

5.  Add eggs and beat a couple more minutes until thick.

6.  Pour into prepared pan.

7.  Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes.

8.  Cool on cooking rack.

9.  Meanwhile, make icing by combining softened cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Add vanilla and beat until combined.

10.  Gradually beat in powdered sugar and mix until mixture holds soft peaks.

11.  When cake is cool, ice it with a spatula.

12.  Cut and serve.  (Icing will firm up on the fridge).

Enjoy!!