Pawpaw Spice Cake
It’s not a pawpaw party without a pawpaw cake! This spice cake is an original recipe featured in The Joy of Pawpaw Cookbook


PAWPAW SPICE CAKE
Pawpaws have their own unique flavor, but they’re a little bit mango, a little bit banana, and a little bit créme brulée! Pawaw’s tropical flavors make an ideal pairing for classic spice cakes. And speaking of spice – this recipe uses spicebush (Lindera benzoin) to achieve those wonderful warm flavors we love in the fall.
Want to know more about pawpaws? Explore below!
Order The Joy of Pawpaw Cookbook
Looking for a frosting for the cake? Check out the recipe for Pawpaw Cream Cheese Frosting!




Pawpaw Spice Cake
It's not a pawpaw party without a pawpaw cake! This spice cake is an original recipe featured in The Joy of Pawpaw Cookbook
Author: Nicole Crist
Materials
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground spicebush
- 3 cups pawpaw pulp
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup raisins
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
- 2. Grease on 13x9 inch pan or two 8-inch round cake pans.
- 3. In a large bowl, beat softened butter for 30 seconds with mixer.
- 4. Gradually add the sugars.
- 5. Mix for three minutes.
- 6. Add eggs and blend for a few more minutes until the mixture lightens in color.
- 7. In a second large bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and spices.
- 8. In a third bowl, stir together the pawpaw pulp, lemon juice, and vanilla.
- 9. Alternate mixing the dry and wet ingredients into the butter mixture. [start and end with the dry ingredients]
- 10. Stir in the nuts and raisins.
- 11. Spread evenly into pan(s)
- 12. Bake in round pans for 25 minutes, a rectangular pan for 40-45 minutes.
- 13. Frost with pawpaw cream cheese frosting
Notes
Recipe for Pawpaw Cream Cheese Frosting
This recipe is written as it appears in The Joy of Pawpaw Cookbook