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Home » Blog » Recipes

Easy Cream Cheese Spice Cake

Updated: Oct 3, 2024 · Published: Oct 3, 2024 by Kara · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads

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This moist cream cheese spice cake is a delicious bundt cake with a cream cheese glaze and is an easy fall dessert recipe made using a box cake mix.

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Large slice of spice cake with glaze on a white plate with a fork.

Hey there! Before you scroll, there’s lot’s of important stuff in the post!…including the FAQ section, which may answer any questions you might have about this recipe. Enjoy!

Jump to:
  • What’s special about this cake?
  • How to make this cake:
  • Recipe
  • FAQs:
  • Supplies used:
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Spice bundt cakes are the perfect cake to bake for fall get-togethers. They’re easy to mix up and I personally love that they don’t have to be decorated and that makes things so much easier, especially around the holidays.

This recipe makes a simple spice cake mix into something really special and delicious.

A slice of moist, spiced bundt cake with creamy white frosting sits on a white plate with a fork, showcasing its soft texture and inviting flavor.
The image shows a slice of a bundt cake with a soft, moist texture, topped with a generous layer of creamy white frosting. The cake has a light brown color, indicating it may contain spices. The background features the rest of the bundt cake with the frosting elegantly dripping down the sides. The slice is placed on a white plate, and a fork rests beside it, ready for serving. The cake has a classic homemade appearance, evoking a comforting, autumnal feel.

What’s special about this cake?

  • Super moist
  • Insanely easy, yet impressive
  • Warm fall spices
  • Perfect for holiday get-togethers
  • No decorating needed

How to make this cake:

(The full printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)

Step 1:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-10 inch bundt pan very well.

Greased and floured bunt pan.

Step 2:

Add the butter, cream cheese and extract to a medium sized bowl and mix with an electric mixer on medium to medium-high speed until completely smooth.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix on medium to medium-high speed until well incorporated. The batter will be thick.

Step 3:

Add the batter to the prepared pan and smooth it evenly.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 50-55 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the cake will come out clean or with a few moist crumbs on it but no raw batter.

Spice cake batter in a bundt pan.

Step 4:

Cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes.

Baked cream cheese spice cake in a bundt pan on a cooling rack.

Step 5:

Turn out of the pan onto the wire rack and cool completely before adding a glaze or powdered sugar.

Top view of spice bundt cake without glaze on a white platter.

Step 6:

In a mixing bowl, mix the butter and cream cheese well with an electric mixer on medium to medium-high speed until smooth.

Add the confectioner’s sugar, vanilla and three tablespoons of milk. Mix well.

Spoon on the glaze, or use a piping bag or squeeze bottle to drizzle it onto the cooled cake.

Spice cake with glaze that is cut and on a white platter.
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Note About Recipe Measurements: I write recipes using volume (cups) measurements because here in the U.S., this is what people are more familiar with and I don’t want anyone to feel intimidated when baking. For metric/weight measurements, click the ‘metric’ button under the ingredients in the recipe card below. The weights are converted by a program, not me, and it’s just a best guess. I can’t guarantee that weighing the ingredients will produce the exact same results, since I test recipes using volume measurements.

Recipe

Large slice of spice cake with glaze on a white plate with a fork.

Easy Cream Cheese Spice Cake (with a cake mix)

This moist cream cheese spice cake is a delicious bundt cake with a cream cheese glaze and is an easy fall dessert recipe made using a box cake mix.
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Easy Cream Cheese Spice Cake
Difficulty Level: Beginner
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
Servings: 14 slices
Calories: 323kcal
Author: Kara @I Scream for Buttercream

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (2 sticks)
  • 1 8 (ounce package) cream cheese, room temperature (1 block)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 (13.25 or 15.25) ounce box spice cake mix, dry – see notes
  • 1 (3.4 ounce) box cheesecake pudding mix, dry (you could also use butterscotch or vanilla)
  • ¼-1/2 cup all-purpose flour – see notes
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • ⅓ cup milk
  • ¼ cup water

For the glaze:

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (1 stick)
  • 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
  • 3 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • 3 tablespoons milk or cream (can use up to 4 tablespoons)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
US Customary – Metric
Have questions?Check out the Tips & FAQ section or the video in the post!
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Instructions

For the cake:

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-10 inch bundt pan very well.
  • Add the butter, cream cheese and extract to a medium sized bowl and mix with an electric mixer on medium to medium-high speed until completely smooth.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and mix on medium to medium-high speed until well incorporated. The batter will be thick.
  • Add the batter to the prepared pan and smooth it evenly.
  • Bake at 325 degrees F for 50-55 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the cake will come out clean or with a few moist crumbs on it but no raw batter.
  • Cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes, then turn out of the pan onto the wire rack and cool completely before adding a glaze or powdered sugar.

For the glaze:

  • In a mixing bowl, mix the butter and cream cheese well with an electric mixer on medium to medium-high speed until smooth.
  • Add the confectioner's sugar, vanilla and three tablespoons of milk. Mix well.
  • If the glaze is too thick, add milk by the teaspoonful, mixing after each addition and checking the consistency. Add only a small amount at a time. If it's too thin, it will run off the cake and pool around the bottom.
  • Once the desired consistency is reached and the cake is cooled, spoon on the glaze, or use a piping bag or squeeze bottle to drizzle it onto the cake.

Notes

IMPORTANT: Some newer cake mixes are only 13.25 ounces, and some are still 15.25 ounces.
If your cake mix is 13.25 ounces, use ½ cup of all-purpose flour.
If your cake mix is 15.25 ounces, use ¼ cup all-purpose flour instead.
How to Store: This cake should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and can last up to 5 days.
How to serve: Most cakes are best served close to room temperature as the texture is softer. If the cake is cold, set it out to come closer to room temperature for about 20-30 minutes before serving. You can also pop a slice in the microwave to warm up a bit.
For other questions: Make sure to check out the TIPS & FAQs section in this post, which should answer other questions you may have about ingredients, substitutions, other pan sizes, etc.
Nutritional values are an estimate.
*This recipe card may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition

Calories: 323kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 27mg | Potassium: 41mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 692IU | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Some recipes have difficulty levels.Check out what they mean here: Difficulty Levels Explained
Baking at higher elevation?Adjustments will need to be made for that. This website does not specialize in higher elevation baking. Please take time to do your research on what adjustments should be made.
DisclaimersTo see food safety, allergy & nutrition disclaimers, go here: Disclaimers

How to Share

I’d love for you to share this recipe link or tag it, but please do not share screenshots or copy/paste the recipe to social media as the content and photographs are copyright protected and we (bloggers) work really hard on our content. Sharing the link, tagging us on socials and pinning it is super appreciated though!

FAQs:

I can’t find cream cheese pudding mix. Can I use something else?

yes, you can use vanilla flavored pudding mix or even butterscotch pudding mix.

Should I prepare the pudding mix according to the directions on the box?

No, do not prepare the pudding. Add it dry to the cake batter.

Do I have to add the glaze?

No. This cake is still good without the glaze, but it does add a nice touch. If you do prefer it without a glaze, you could leave it plain or add a sprinkling of confectioner’s sugar on top.

How can I tell when this cake is done baking?

This cake is fully baked when a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with either a few moist crumbs on it or clean.

Can this cake be frozen?

Yes, cool the baked cake, then wrap in plastic wrap very well and place in the freezer up to two months.

To thaw, let the cake set out, still in its wrappings, at room temperature, for several hours. Once thawed, remove the wrappings and add the glaze.

How do I store this cake and how long does it last?

This cake should be stored in an airtight container or covered well in the refrigerator and can last up to five days.

Can I use this recipe to make a layer cake?

I have not tried this recipe using layer cake pans. It may work however I cannot be 100% sure as I haven’t tried it. If you do try it, use two, 8-inch round cake pans and start checking for doneness at around 35-40 minutes although it may take a bit longer. Please note that this cake recipe was written to be more of a pound cake texture, so that may, or may not, translate to cake layers.

Can this cake be made into cupcakes?

I have not tried this recipe as cupcakes. It might work just fine, however they would be more of a pound cake texture, than a fluffy cupcake since this cake has more of a pound cake texture.

Can I bake this cake in a loaf pan?

I have not tried this cake recipe baked in a loaf pan, but I think it would work, however you would need to use two, 8-inch loaf pans and the baking time would likely be a bit shorter, so start checking at about 30 minutes although it may take a bit longer.

Can I bake this cake in a 13×9 inch pan?

I think there would be too much batter for a 13×9 inch pan, so that probably would not work.

What else can be added to this cake?

Feel free to add chocolate chips or white chocolate chips to the batter.

What’s the best way to serve/eat this cake?

This cake is best eaten either at room temperature or warm. If you add the cream cheese glaze, it will need to be refrigerated. So, if the cake is cold when you’re ready to eat or service it, just set it out about 20 minutes to allow it to come closer to room temperature. Alternatively, you can cut slices and microwave them for a short amount of time to warm them up.

Spice bundt cake with glaze on a white platter.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Supplies used:

  • Mixing bowls
  • Bundt Pan
  • Silicone spatula
  • Hand mixer or Stand mixer
  • Cooling rack

Other posts you might like:

  • Brown Sugar Spice Cake
  • Sweet Potato Cake
  • Easy Caramel Cake
  • Vanilla Wafer Cake
  • Old Fashioned Fresh Apple Cake
  • Butterscotch Cake with Frosting
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    Hey there, I’m Kara!

    Hi, I'm so glad you're here! Cake shows up at our most important and happiest moments in life, like birthdays, weddings, baby showers and holidays. It's also for those everyday moments...it makes them even better. Put simply, cake just makes us happy! I love trying out new cake flavor combinations and decorating ideas. Have a look around and I bet you can find a cake recipe or tutorial for any of life's big moments and those everyday moments too. Click here if you want to learn more about me!

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