Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Preheat oven to 350° F and prepare two round cake pans by spraying with non-stick spray. Then line the bottoms with waxed paper rounds. Using a whisk, stir together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices; set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugars until creamed. Beat in eggs, and then add molasses. Add about a third of the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, then pour in a third of the buttermilk and continue mixing, alternating dry ingredients with the buttermilk until all combined.

2. Pour and spread equal amounts of batter into the prepared pans. Bake in a 350° F for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Move pans to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Run a plastic knife around the edge to help the cake release from the pan. Invert one layer onto a plate or cake stand. Remove the waxed paper liner. Remove the other cake layer to the wire rack and let cool completely.

3. For the frosting, mix together the cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Stir in the powdered sugar and combine thoroughly. Scoop about 3/4 cup of frosting onto the bottom layer and spread evenly. Place the top cake layer on top and brush away any loose crumbs from the cake plate before frosting the rest of the cake. Transfer the remaining frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and spread frosting over the top of the cake. Using an angled frosting spatula, smooth the frosting in a circular direction around the top, moving excess frosting to the edge and letting it flow down the sides. Smooth the frosting around the sides, while rotating the cake plate. If desired, add decorative frosting detail at the bottom of the cake.