Name: Gluten-Free Spice Cake (Dairy-Free)
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 ½ cups (300g) gluten-free flour blend *; 3 teaspoons baking powder; 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 2 teaspoons ground ginger; 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg; 1 ½ teaspoon fine sea salt; 1 teaspoon ground clove; 1 teaspoon allspice; ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum **; 1 ½ cups (288 g) golden/light brown sugar, firmly packed; 1 ¼ cup (300ml) dairy-free milk, room temperature; ¾ cup (177 ml) vegetable or canola oil; 4 large eggs, room temperature; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 1 cup (227g) dairy-free salted butter, cold; 1 cup (227g) dairy-free cream cheese, cold; 7 cups (840g) icing sugar; 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon fine sea salt; optional: snickerdoodle or gingersnap cookies for decor

Jump to Recipe

As soon as I start to notice the days getting a tad bit shorter and a tad bit cooler, my mind goes straight to spice. Spice cake to be exact. My grandmother could bake a spice cake like no one else. Full of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, and allspice, this gluten-free and dairy-free spice cake is a nod to all things autumn and my Grandma Anderson.

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Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Spice Cake

Tender moist layers of warm spice cake stacked high upon a blanket of delicious whipped cinnamon cream cheese buttercream frosting. The subtle and delectable tang contrasts gorgeously with the warm autumn spices found in each fluffy cake layer. Topped with fun snickerdoodle cookies and generous swirls of that delectable cream cheese frosting, this gluten-free spice cake is pure cozy fall comfort in every single bite.

What Makes Up A Spice Cake

With a warm comforting spice combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, and allspice this spice cake is made up of 2 different components:

Spice Cake Layers – super soft and moist oil-based spice cake layers made with all those cozy autumn spices.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting – tangy, fluffy, and so darn yummy. Whipped cinnamon cream cheese frosting is a crowd-pleaser and pairs beautifully with the spices.

Spice Cake Ingredients & Substitutions

As always this recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free. That said, I do test each recipe with “regular” ingredients and make notes of alternatives or swaps so that everyone can enjoy it.

Here are a few key ingredients for this cake but make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom recipe card for the complete ingredient list.

Gluten-Free Flour: Check to see if your blend contains xanthan gum. This can also be swapped for regular cake flour if you are not gluten-free. Note that gluten-free flour blends can vary in weight so I recommend measuring by the cup. I made this cake with XO Baking Co. all-purpose baking mix. If you are not gluten-free, swap the flour with regular cake flour and omit the xanthan gum.
Dairy-Free Butter: I enjoy baking with Becel plant-based bricks but any dairy-free butter substitute will work. You can also use regular butter if you are not dairy-free.
Dairy-Free Milk: I love to bake with unsweetened almond milk but this recipe will work with any type of dairy-free or dairy milk.
Oil: Use canola or vegetable oil for best results.
Spices: Fresh is best, that’s at least my motto when it comes to spices. Make sure to swap out your spices every 2 years. While they may not go rancid, they certainly will lose their potency over time. I prefer a spicey spice cake. If you enjoy a more subtle spice, I suggest halving each spice measurement.
Vanilla Extract: I will always encourage pure vanilla extract. It’s truly the best but with that said, artificial extract works as well in a pinch or on a budget.
Dairy-Free Cream Cheese: I use either President’s Choice plant-based cream cheese or Violife Foods vegan cream cheese. Both have the most similar taste and texture to real dairy cream cheese and add that tasty tang to the frosting. Use regular full-fat cream cheese bricks if you are not dairy-free.
Golden/Light Brown Sugar: I used golden sugar (you might refer to it as light brown sugar) in this recipe simply because that’s what I had in my pantry. Dark brown sugar would work equally as well.

The Easiest Oil-Based Spice Cake layers

These oil-based spice cake layers are as easy as they come. One bowl and a whisk are all you need to mix this batter up. And thanks to it being oil-based, they bake up so incredibly moist and flavorful.

Get started by mixing up the flour, baking powder, spices, xanthan gum and salt in a bowl to combine and set aside. Next up, combine the oil, sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and mix until smooth. Add in the dry ingredient mixture and combine. Don’t be alarmed when the batter is quite liquid, it’s supposed to be. Divide the batter evenly into three prepared 8-inch round cake pans and bake away.

Perfectly moist and perfectly delicious oil-based spice cake layers!

How To Make Dairy-Free Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream cheese frosting, while so darn tasty, is notorious for being quite soft. It’s a fine balance between making a tangy cream cheese frosting that has pipeable/stackable consistency but isn’t too sweet. Dairy-free cream cheese alternatives are even softer in nature. Here are a few tricks to ensure dairy-free cinnamon cream cheese frosting success:

Make sure the cream cheese and butter are cold – not room temperature.
Don’t add any additional liquid – that means we aren’t even adding vanilla extract.
Refrigerate before using – pop the whipped frosting into the fridge after you make it and let it chill until you are ready to use it. Give it a quick whip in the mixer and start to work.

These tips will help you create not just a delicious dairy-free cinnamon cream cheese frosting, but one that will stack and pipe gorgeously.

Spice Cake: Step By Step Instructions

Step 1: Mix the flour, spices, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum (if using) together and set aside.

Step 2: Mix together the oil, sugar, oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla until fully combined and smooth.

Step 3: Combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.

Step 4: Divide the cake batter into three 8-inch cake pans that have been prepared with baking spray and parchment paper and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes. Cool cakes on a cooling rack.

Step 5: Cream the butter and cream cheese in a mixer on high speed for 10 minutes until light and fluffy. Add in the icing sugar, cinnamon, and salt and mix until combined.

Cake Assembly Tips

Stacking a cake with a soft cream cheese frosting like this spice cake can feel daunting. But, as they say, slow and steady wins the race. Let’s set you up for cake success with a few tips and tricks.

Here are a few assembly tips:

Fully Cooled Cake Layers: even if a tiny bit warm, layers will slip when warm. Ensure that each cake layer is fully cooled if not even a bit chilled. I will even work with semi-frozen cake layers if I had to bake them a few days before stacking.
Leveled Cake Layers: flat and level cake layers will sit far easier than crooked ones. I use this super easy cake tool to ensure each cake layer is perfectly level.
Chilled Frosting: Cream cheese frosting is notoriously soft. I keep mine in the fridge until I’m ready to use it. Give it a quick beat in the stand mixer and use it while cold. If it starts to feel soft at any point, stop what you are doing and place the frosting and cake into the fridge to chill.
Keep the Cake Chilled: if at any point you begin to feel the cake slip or the frosting is too soft to work with, pop the cake and the frosting back into the fridge to chill. Remember, don’t rush it. Take your time.

How To Decorate A Spice Cake

“As you desire” is often how I refer to cake decoration. It’s not that I don’t want you to make the exact same cake as I did, it’s simply that I don’t want you to feel like you *have* to make the exact same cake. We all have an inner cake artist and I always want to encourage you to let it shine. That said, I break down this gluten-free and dairy-free spice cake decor for you real quick.

Step 1: Crumb coat the cake and allow it to chill for 20 minutes. See the above section for stacking tips and tricks.

Step 2: Put a final “beauty” coat of frosting on the cake and smooth the sides and top edge with a cake smoother.

Step 3: Place gluten-free snickerdoodle or gingersnap cookies around the top border approximately 1 inch apart from each other. Pipe a Wilton 1M swirl between each cookie. Place a few cookie crumbs around the inside edge of the cookies and frosting swirls.

Step 4: Chill the cake until ready to serve.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

This cake can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. It can also be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.

If you want to bake these layers a few days in advance, you most certainly can. I recommend allowing the cake layers to cool, wrap them in plastic wrap, and freeze until you a ready to stack and decorate the cake. Simply remove the layers from the freezer approximately 1 hour before to thaw slightly.

The Yummiest Gluten-Free Spice Cake

A piece of fall delciousness, this fantastic gluten-free and dairy-free spice cake is a delicious combo of spicy, tangy, and sweet in every single bite. Fluffy moist spice cake layers with smooth whipped cinnamon cream cheese frosting. This autumn spice cake is pure warm and cozy comfort in every scrumptious bite.

Make sure you tag me on social media @cakedbykatie and leave me a rating and review below if you make it. Can’t wait to see it!

Autumn Baking Ideas

Here are a few other warm and cozy fall recipes that I think you’ll love: