Auntie’s Old Fashioned Spice Cake

Gorgeously fragrant and richly flavoured with warming spices, this vintage recipe for my Auntie’s Spice Cake has been in my family for four generations.

Auntie Margaret’s Spice Cake – A Recipe with a History

My maternal Great Aunt, Margaret, whose spice cake recipe this is, was known simply as ‘Auntie’ by her two nieces and five great-nieces.

One of The Matriarchs of Our Family

Although Auntie never had any children of her own, she was very fond of her nieces and great-nieces and they loved her back. She figured hugely in my mother’s reminiscences about her childhood, and my five cousins often mention her fondly. Sadly she died before I was born so I never got to meet her.

Here’s a photograph from Auntie Margaret’s wedding, just so you can put a face to her name. Her husband Leslie is I believe on her left, and the bridesmaid on the right is my Grandmother Ruby. Her flower girls were my Aunt Patricia and my mother (on the right with Grandma Ruby’s hand on her shoulder). I don’t know who the best man on the right was.

I know Auntie only through the wonderful stories I have been told, and a few things left to me by my late Mom. The beautiful burgundy blown glass vase with she gave my mother for her 21st birthday is on display in my kitchen. I wear the ruby and diamond ring she left my mother, which I believe must have been her engagement ring, and think of her wearing it too. I feel a special connection with Auntie when I sit at her writing desk, which my mother passed on to me.

I wonder about the person who was remembered so very fondly by the women in my family, and I wish that I had had the chance to know her too.

One thing I do know about Auntie is that she was a very good cook. I have several of her handwritten recipes, and this Spice Cake is one of them.

A Real Old Fashioned Recipe

It means so much to me to have the recipe written in Auntie’s own handwriting. Knowing she wrote the recipe card out for my late mom just makes me feel so connected through the generations.

And if you love a good old-fashioned spice cake, you will love Auntie Margaret’s recipe. There are a few more steps involved than in making a modern cake, but if you follow the directions, it is still really straight forward.

A Slightly Different Mixing Method

The mixing method is one developed before the days of electric mixers, with the eggs whites whipped and then folded in at the end to help the cake rise. It sounds cumbersome, but actually it’s very easy, and it makes a spice cake that tastes better than any I have ever tasted. As I whip the egg whites in the electric mixer, I think of Auntie whisking them by hand in a kitchen back in the 1930’s and 40’s. She must have had very strong arms!

The world may have changed, but Auntie’s delicious recipe for spice cake has stayed the same. It has been a part of our family for four generations, and I hope it will remain that way for many generations to come.

Is There A Gluten Free Version of This Recipe?

Click here for my Gluten Free Old Fashioned Spice Cake, adapted from Auntie’s recipe.

Auntie Margaret’s Spice Cake – Printable Recipe

Created by: April J Harris

Auntie Margaret’s Spice Cake

Course Cake

Cuisine Canadian

Servings 6

Gorgeously fragrant and richly spiced, this vintage recipe for my Auntie's Spice Cake has been in my family for four generations.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk
• 2½ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 eggs, separated
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1 cup soft brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Grease and flour a deep 8 inch round pan or an 8 x 8 inch square pan. You can use a loose-bottomed pan if you prefer as it makes it easier to remove the cake after baking.
• Whisk the baking soda into the buttermilk or sour milk. Set aside.
• Sift the flour, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg into a mixing bowl. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Set aside.
• Put the butter and brown sugar in a mixing bowl and beat together thoroughly.
• Stir in the egg yolks until well blended.
• Stir the buttermilk and soda mixture, along with the vanilla, into the egg yolk mixture. Blend thoroughly.
• Stir the flour and spice mixture into this batter, beating thoroughly.
• Fold the egg whites gently but thoroughly into the batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, levelling the top a bit with a knife.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• If you plan to remove the cake from the baking pan, cool in the pan for ten minutes before turning out and cooling on a wire rack. Otherwise just allow the cake to cool in the pan.
• When completely cool you can frost with your favourite buttercream or spiced icing. Browned butter icing is also very nice with this cake.

Notes

Links to suggested equipment including those below are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Equipment

• 1 large mixing bowl
• 1 wooden spoon
• 1 set of cup measures OR
• 1 kitchen scale
• 1 set of measuring spoons
• 1 8 inch round loose-bottomed cake pan
• 1 balloon whisk AND
• 1 medium mixing bowl OR
• 1 electric stand mixer OR
• 1 hand-held electric mixer

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