Spice Cream Cake

This wonderful recipe holds great memories for me. It comes from the 1959 Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook - the first cookbook I ever owned. Today, with more cookbooks and recipes than I can count, I always come back to this simple cake and the outstanding Easy Penuche Frosting featured below this post.

Spice Cream Cake:

2-¼ c. sifted all-purpose flour

3 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

3 tsp. cinnamon

1-½ tsp. cloves

1-½ tsp. allspice

3 large eggs

1-⅓ c. granulated sugar

1-⅓ c. whipping cream

1-½ tsp. vanilla

Grease and flour two 8- or 9-in. layer pans or a 13x9-in. pan. Sift together and set aside flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Beat eggs on high speed until thick, about 5 min. Add sugar gradually, reducing beater speed to medium. Stir in flour mixture alternately with whipping cream and vanilla, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Pour into prepared pans. Bake until cakes test done, 25-to-30 min. Cool in pans 15 min. before turning out onto cooling racks. I frosted the center of this two-layer cake with Buttercream Frosting (see blogged recipe May 4, 2012; omit the rum). I frosted the top and sides with Easy Penuche Frosting (recipe follows below this post).

Measure flour precisely: Level off measuring cup with knife

With the dry ingredients measured, break 3 eggs into bowl

Add some of spiced flour mixture to creamed eggs and sugar 

Add some of heavy cream, beating between alternated additions

A splash of vanilla ... you're done!

Distribute batter evenly among lightly greased pans

Test for doneness with a skewer or toothpick after baking

When these cakes were completely cool, I made an inward-sloping wall of chilled Buttercream Frosting around the edge of the center layer, chilled it about an hour, and then filled in the rest of the Buttercream that went between the layers. 

Once it's been chilled, this "dam" will keep the frosting
between the layers from oozing out the sides of the cake

Pat the chilled frosting dam slightly inward 

Frost middle layer within dam, chilling cake with each step

Place cooled top layer over iced bottom

You may need to wiggle cake into place until it sits evenly

I chilled the layered cake thoroughly before making the Easy Penuche Frosting that graced the top and sides.

I stored the leftover Buttercream in a sealed Ziploc bag,
rolling it flat, labeling it, and freezing it for future use.
Frozen Buttercream keeps well for months!

Buttercream rosettes contrast with Penuche Frosting

Rosettes hold birthday candles and provide a flavor burst

Every bite delicious: Our guests took home the leftovers