Spice Cake With Cardamom-Coffee Icing

This Scandinavian spice cake is a great recipe to serve friends who come over for coffee. Adjust the icing to your liking... Recipe adapted from Savoring the Seasons of the Northern Heartland

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 12
• Yields: 1 cake

Ingredients

• Cake

• 2 1⁄4 cups unbleached flour
• 1  teaspoon baking powder
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1⁄2 cup butter
• 1⁄2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1  cup sugar
• 2  eggs
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1⁄4 cups buttermilk

• Cardamom-Coffee Icing

• 1⁄4 cup milk
• 1  tablespoon  espresso powder
• 1  teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1  cup butter
• 3⁄4 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. To make the cake:
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Sift dry ingredients.
4. In a large bowl, cream butter & sugars; add eggs one at a time; then vanilla, mixing until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
5. Beat in dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
6. Beat until just smooth, about a minute.
7. Pour into two 8-inch (or a 13x9) greased and floured pans. Bake for about 30-35 minutes for layers, 35-40 minutes for 13X9 cake, or until cake tester is removed clean.
8. Remove from oven and cool on racks about 10 minutes. Remove from pans and finish cooling on racks.
9. To make the icing:
10. Heat milk and dissolve espresso powder in it, then allow it to cool.
11. Beat together remaining ingredients, add coffee mixture and continue beating until fluffy.
12. Ice cake when cool.