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Finnish Spice Cake (Maustekakku)

Carol Scheck's avatarCarol Scheck
Slight crust, tender crumb, amazing cinnamon spice flavor- you couldn't ask for a more versatile & delicious cake for any number of occasions. Plus, it's super easy to make!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Dessert, Finnish Food
Cuisine Finland
Servings 12 slices
Calories 276 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the cake:

  • 1 Tbsp soft butter for the pan
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour 250 g
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg optional
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt 210 g
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, melted 226 g/2 sticks
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup granulated sugar 200 g

For the optional cream cheese whipped cream frosting:

  • 8 oz full fat cream cheese 227 g, room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted 120 g
  • pinch sea salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cup heavy cream 360 g, very cold

Instructions
 

  • Grease your bundt pan well with about 1 Tablespoon of soft butter and set aside. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.
  • In a microwave safe small bowl, melt butter (if not done already) and set aside to cool slightly.
  • In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves & nutmeg if using. Set aside.
  • Add eggs and yogurt to a large bowl and whisk until mixed well. Add vanilla and melted butter to the egg mixture and mix well, then add sugar and whisk thoroughly again.
  • Gradually add the dry ingredients, whisking well. Your end result will be a thick batter.
  • Scoop the batter into your prepared pan. Gently smooth the top of the batter. 
  • Bake 50-55 minutes. The cake will have risen in the pan, be browned and look set.
  •  Let the cake cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, on a cooling rack or just on the stove, then place a large plate over the bundt pan and flip the cake onto the plate. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Dust the whole cake with a light layer of icing sugar prior to slicing. If you want, proceed with the frosting instructions below!
  • Make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese with a handheld electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
  • Add the powdered sugar (sifted always works best!) and continue to beat until all the sugar is incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl a couple of times with a spatula.  Add the sugar slowly & slow down the mixer speed to avoid powdered sugar explosions.
  • Add the pinch of salt and vanilla extract and beat well briefly until combined. ​
  • With the mixer running, slowly & steadily add in the heavy cream. Continue to beat as the cream incorporates until you have a light, fluffy frosting that forms stiff peaks
  • . You can frost the top of the entire cake once it's cooled if you wish or simply give guests the option of adding a dollop of frosting to their individual slice! 

Notes

-you can add ground cardamom, 1/2 tsp or 1 tsp, to the spice mixture for this cake if you want! oddly enough, I don't find that it adds much to this particular recipe, but you can absolutely add it.
-Some people like to add raisins to this cake- you can mix in one cup of raisins after the dry ingredients are fully incorporated.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice plain cakeCalories: 276kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 7gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5.6gFiber: 12gSugar: 10g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!