Sugar and Spice Cake with Mascarpone Frosting
, Updated Jan 18, 2021
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Sugar and spice and all things nice! Sugar and spice cake with mascarpone frosting and cinnamon caramel topped with mini doughnuts.
It was my husband’s birthday on Saturday. And I am terribly ashamed to say that… I forgot. The tiredness has just taken over my brain and for about an hour there I sat oblivious, while he got my coffee like he usually does and took care of the kids and dog.
When I finally remembered I felt pretty awful about it, let me tell you. For although birthdays are not the kind of big productions they used to be when we were younger – trips to Paris, endless thoughtful presents, meals out – I still like to make a fuss. Or, at the very least, make a cake!
My husband is not actually a huge cake or dessert fan however – which is why I constantly force him to try all the stuff I bake. But he did ask for some Timbits in a wave of nostalgia for his Canadian roots. If you don’t know what Timbits are, they are a mini doughnut sold at Tim Hortons in Canada. They are bite-sized, come in a variety of flavours and are incredibly addictive.
Sugar and spice cake with mascarpone frosting and cinnamon caramel
Ingredients
- <b>For the cake</b>
- 165 g | 5.8oz plain all purpose flour
- 165 g | 5.8oz caster sugar
- ½ tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 100 g | 3.5oz cold unsalted butter cubed
- 2 large eggs
- 100 ml | 3.5 fl oz low fat buttermilk
- ½ tbsp vanilla extract
- a little extra butter and flour for the cake tins
- <br>
- <b>Mascarpone frosting/filling</b>
- 400 g | 14oz mascarpone
- 200 g | 7oz icing sugar
- 100 g | 3.5oz double cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- <br>
- <b>Cinnamon caramel</b>
- 150 g | 5.3oz | 2/3 cup caster sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 100 ml | 3.5 fl oz double cream
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch coarse sea salt do not use table salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C | 350F. Grease 3x15cm (6in) cake tins with a little butter and line the bottoms with baking paper. Dust with flour and tap out any excess.
- Put the flour, sugar, spices, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix briefly on low speed, add the cubed butter and mix again until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix again, scraping the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula to make sure everything is well blended.
- Mix the vanilla and buttermilk and then gradually add to the batter, beating on medium speed until it is smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Divide the batter into the prepared tins and bake for 20-25 minutes. The cakes are ready when springy to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly and then gently turn the cakes out of the tins. Cool completely before filling.
- Make the caramel: put the sugar and water in a medium heavy-bottomed pan. Bring to the boil and cook, swirling the pan, until the caramel turns a deep gold. Remove the caramel from the heat and pour in the cream – be careful, this will cause the caramel to bubble and rise in the pan. Add the butter and cinnamon and salt and stir using a balloon whisk.
- Mix the mascarpone, icing sugar, spices and vanilla on low speed, gradually adding the cream. Increase the speed until you have firm peaks, scraping the down the bottom and sides of the bowl halfway through. Do not over beat as the frosting may curdle. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
- Pipe the frosting over the bottom cake layer and then drizzle with some caramel. Repeat until you have assembled the cake and then smooth the frosting over the entire cake.
- Carefully drizzle some caramel around the perimeter of the cake so that it drizzles down the sides. Top with sugar mini doughnuts or pipe any extra frosting on the cake and drizzle with more caramel.
Notes
Hi Lucy, I just wanted to say thank you for such a great cake recipe. I’ve made this cake twice now – once as a 6-inch 3 layer cake and another as an 8-inch 3 layer cake – without the mini donuts (I will one day!). Both times absolute fab! I used your cream cheese frosting recipe from your banana with caramel cake recipe because lots of people (me included) in my party just loove cream cheese frosting. Winner recipe. You’re a star. Thanks!
Oh I am so glad! Send me a photo on Instagram if you can 🙂
Lucy, that looks amazing! I love combinations of flavours here… your husband is very lucky man 🙂
Your husband is very lucky to have such a stunning cake made for him. It really looks amazing!