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This small spice cake is a moist, tender dessert made with a warm blend of spices. Baked from scratch, it’s perfectly portioned for one or two servings and makes a delicious fall dessert.
Featured Comment
“Absolutely wonderful. My husband loves spice cake. So I made it especially for him. He said “the best one you’ve every made” and I have made plenty in my 71 years…”
– Julie
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick & Easy: A simple made-from-scratch single serving spice cake you can pull together in under an hour.
- Moist & Tender: Soft crumb with a rich, buttery texture.
- Warm Fall Flavor: Cozy spice blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger & cloves gives it an autumn dessert feel.
- Perfect Portion: Designed for one or two servings – no waste, no leftovers.
- Delicious Toppings: Try a simple glaze or cream cheese frosting for a touch of bakery-style indulgence.
I make this mini spice cake whenever I want a simple dessert that feels warm and inviting. The blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves fills the kitchen with the most wonderful aroma, and the cake turns out tender, buttery, and perfectly spiced every time.
A light dusting of powdered sugar is all it needs, making it a small spice cake that feels special and satisfying in every bite.
Looking for more mini cake recipes? Try my mini red velvet cake, small hummingbird cake, or mini apple cake recipe. Each one is easy to bake, perfectly sized for one or two, and packed with delicious flavor.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this homemade spice cake recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Butter: Use salted butter, softened at room temperature. It adds richness and helps create a tender crumb.
- Brown Sugar: Only brown sugar is used. Light or dark both work well. If you’re out, try our small batch brown sugar substitute.
- Oil: Vegetable, canola, or avocado oil keeps the cake moist.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works best. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 substitute such as King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure For Measure Flour.
- Spices: Cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg bring classic warm spice cake flavor. These are the same spices used in our small gingerbread cake recipe.
- Milk: Keeps the batter smooth and moist. Use any type of cow’s milk or almond milk.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Variations
This small spice cake is wonderful on its own, but you can customize it in simple ways:
- Add Fruit: Fold in diced apples or pears for a moist spice cake with natural sweetness.
- Include Nuts: Mix in toasted walnuts or pecans for crunch and a rich, nutty flavor.
- Boost the Spices: Adjust the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, or cloves for a stronger spice flavor.
- Top with Glaze or Frosting: For a quick glaze, whisk 4 tablespoons of powdered sugar with 2 teaspoons milk until smooth, then drizzle over the cooled cake. Or, for a richer option, try the cream cheese frosting from our small batch pumpkin bars recipe.
How To Make A Mini Spice Cake
These photos and instructions help you visualize how to make a moist spice cake for one or two people. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly grease either a 4×6-inch dish (24 square inches), a 5×5-inch (25 square inches) or 6×6-inch dish with butter. Be aware that the 6×6 may bake a little faster.
- In a small bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until creamy.
- Add the egg, vanilla, and oil; beat until combined.
- In another small bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until just combined.
- Stir in the milk until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch spills.
- Bake 40–45 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Expert Tips
- Read the Recipe First: Review the full recipe, ingredient notes, and photos before starting so you know exactly what to expect.
- Soften the Butter: Leave butter out for about 30 minutes so it creams smoothly with the sugar.
- Measure Flour Correctly: Spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, then level it off. Avoid scooping directly from the container, which packs in too much.
Frequently Asked Questions
It has a rich, buttery texture with warm, aromatic flavors from the spices. The taste is sweet, comforting, and slightly earthy.
The right baking dish can make a difference in how your mini spice cake turns out. We suggest the following options, along with their respective baking times:
5×5-inch dish: 40-45 minutes
4×6-inch dish: 40-45 minutes
6-inch round dish: 40-45 minutes
6×6-inch dish: 33-37 minutes (this yields a faster-baking cake due to its larger base area)
Two 10-ounce ramekins: 35-40 minutes
Yes, you can double the ingredients and bake in a 6×8-inch dish.
Cover and store at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for the best flavor.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small spice cake recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this easy spice cake recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Mini Spice Cake
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
- 5-inch baking dish or a 4×6-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- ¼ cup salted butter -softened to room temperature, plus 1 tablespoon more for greasing pan.
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup milk
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350° F (177° C). Lightly grease a 5×5-inch baking dish with butter.
- In a small bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until creamy.
- Add the egg, oil, and vanilla; beat until combined.
- In another small bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until just combined.
- Stir in the milk until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch spills
- Bake 40–45 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake completely in the dish on a wire rack.
Notes
- Read the Recipe First: Review the full recipe, ingredient notes, and photos before starting so you know exactly what to expect.
- Soften the Butter: Leave butter out for about 30 minutes so it creams smoothly with the sugar.
- Measure Flour Correctly: Spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, then level it off. Avoid scooping directly from the container, which packs in too much.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Very good spice cake, with just the right amount of spicyness! I iced my cake with just a butter cream frosting. Yummy!!!
It sounds wonderful, Kathy. Thank you so much for your feedback.
Why is my cake forming a dome while baking?
Jan, the cake rises when baked, as all cakes do, and will form a dome that flattens after the cake has fully baked and has cooled.
If you substitute 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon for all the spices combined, you will have a TERRIFIC cinnamon cake.
Very tasty and moist. I also made a cinnamon glaze and pour on top whilst hot. Will be doubling and making this for Xmas! Thanks for sharing!
recipe for cinnamon glaze please??
Hi Teresa, I would use the cinnamon glaze recipe from our apple cinnamon scones for this spice cake – it’s heavenly! https://onedishkitchen.com/small-batch-apple-cinnamon-scones/
Very nice flavor, moistness, and size. I would prefer a bit fluffier and less sweet. mistress, again with 1/2 cup of dark brown sugar and double the baking powder.
Joanie would this batter, using GF flour, work for your Upside Down Banana Cake recipe? My family loves that cake 😊 and I’d like to share it with someone with gluten issues. Thanks! Frances
Hi Frances, I’ve only tested this recipe with King Arthur brand GF Measure For Measure Flour and it works beautifully. I have not tested the recipe with any other types of GF flour.
Delicious and the perfect amount for two.
Terrific recipe.
I followed ingredients and recipe but used a mini loaf pan and baked for 40 mins. Dimensions of loaf pan were 5.72in x 3.31in x 1.75in.
Turned out great, though I do think I needed to start checking the cake at 37-39 mins.
Do you pack the brown sugar?
Yes.