Cajun Clove Cake

This old-fashioned spice cake is perfect with a cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk. Good plain, but particularly delicious frosted with vanilla buttercream or cream cheese icing . The amount of spice may seem excessive, but don’t skimp—the cloves do something magical in this recipe.

 

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 2-1/4 cups sugar
• 5 eggs
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon ground cloves
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup  buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour a 10" tube pan.
Sift flour with the cloves, cinnamon and salt; set aside.

Cream butter with electric mixer, then gradually beat in sugar until mixture is light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs.  Beat in one third of the flour mixture, then stir in 1/2 cup of the buttermilk. Beat in another third of the flour mixture. Stir the baking soda into the remaining 1/2 cup of buttermilk and mix into batter along with remaining flour.  Pour batter into pan and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.

When cake has cooled, dust with powdered sugar or frost with vanilla buttercream.

Note: Recipe can be cut in half if you prefer a smaller cake.  Use two eggs plus one egg yolk and bake in a loaf pan or 8" tube pan.