Chocolate Spice Cake
Growing up, Sunday afternoons were sacred. Not for religious reasons — but because it was the only time my grandmother let the old oven roar to life just for “fun baking.” No birthdays, no holidays. Just the hum of her humming and the scent of warm spices curling out of the kitchen like a secret.
She used to make this Chocolate Spice Cake once a year, on a crisp day when the leaves started whispering that fall was near. It wasn’t flashy. No fancy frosting, no glittery toppings. But somehow, it stopped time. The smell — a hypnotic swirl of cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, and something I could never quite place — drifted into our bones and stuck there like honey.
“The best cake you’ll ever eat!”
-Anonymous
It wasn’t until years later, cleaning out her recipe box, that I found it. Handwritten. Faded. Titled only “Chocolate Spice (the good one).”
This cake is memory. It’s warmth. It’s old-school, homemade comfort with a twist. And now, it’s yours too.
Chocolate Spice Cake
Cuisine: Dessert, SweetsDifficulty: Easy10
servings30
minutes40
minutes350
kcalIngredients
1 cup sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
2 T baking powder
1/4 cup cocoa, sifted
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (175˚C). Spray an 8-inch (at least 2-inch high) round cake pan with baking spray, rub inside surface of pan with a paper towel to cover evenly with the spray. If your cake pan is lower than 2-inches, use a 9-inch round cake pan). Line bottom of pan with parchment paper and spray parchment paper lightly. Set aside.
- In a medium-large bowl, combine the yogurt, sugar, and eggs, and whisk together until well blended.
Add the flour, baking powder, salt and spices and mix until all flour is combined.
Add the oil and stir well. Don’t worry, at first it will seem to separate but keep stirring till smooth.
Pour the batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the cake feels springy to the touch and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake. - Cool cake on a wire rack for 10 minutes; then turn it out of the pan onto the rack.
Notes
- This recipe contains too much baking powder.
