Old-Fashioned Spice Cake with Raisins

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Cakes cupcakes Vanilla: Extract Easy

A moist old-fashioned spice cake scented with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger, with plump raisins throughout. It is baked in a single pan and finished with a simple cream cheese frosting. Makes 12 squares in about 1 hr 5 min.

Prep 25 min

Cook 40 min

Total 1 hr 5 min

Yield 12 squares

Ingredients

Adjust yield

squares

2 ⅓ cups (300 g)all-purpose flour
1 ¼ tsp (5 g)baking powder
½ tsp (3 g)baking soda
½ tsp (3 g)salt
2 ½ tsp (6 g)ground cinnamon
¾ tsp (2 g)ground nutmeg
1 ¼ tsp (3 g)ground ginger
½ tsp (1 g)ground cloves
¾ cup (170 g)unsalted butter, softened, for the cake
1 ¼ cups (250 g)light brown sugar
2 (100 g)eggs
2 tsp (10 ml)vanilla extract, for the cake
1 cup (240 ml)buttermilk
¾ cup (100 g)raisins
1 cup (225 g)cream cheese, softened
¼ cup (60 g)unsalted butter, softened, for the frosting
1 ⅔ cups (200 g)powdered sugar
1 tsp (5 ml)vanilla extract, for the frosting

Fresh ingredient guides

Baking tools for this recipe

Convert to grams Scale it Change the pan

Instructions

Heat the oven to 350 F (175 C). Grease and flour a 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) pan.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and all the spices.
Beat the butter and brown sugar 3 minutes until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk, mixing only until smooth.
Fold in the raisins and scrape into the pan.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the top springs back.
Cool completely. Beat the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth, then spread over the cake.

Tips

Spices lose strength fast; use ones opened within the year.
Plump the raisins in hot water for 10 minutes and pat dry for juicier fruit.
Bring the buttermilk and eggs to room temperature for an even crumb.
Good with hot tea or coffee.

Made this?

Log it to keep your bakes, ratings and notes together in My Kitchen.

Be the first to share one.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make old-fashioned spice cake with raisins?

Plan on 25 minutes of prep and 40 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes 12 squares.

How should I store old-fashioned spice cake with raisins?

Keep covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days (cream cheese frosting). Bring to room temperature before serving.

Can I make old-fashioned spice cake with raisins ahead?

It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This recipe uses 2 tsp vanilla extract, for the cake (10 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.

Serve it with hot tea or coffee.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 12 servings this recipe makes.

441 Calories / serving

14.0g Fat

73.9g Carbs

6.4g Protein

48.5g Sugar

Whole recipe (12 servings): ~5292 cal · 168g fat · 887g carbs · 77g protein · 582g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.