I made two spice cakes last week for Andrew’s mom’s birthday. Spice cake is a favorite of hers’ and I found two different recipes. Since Andrew and I enjoy a good taste-test, he encouraged me to make both.

Well. I gladly accepted and used this as a perfect opportunity to purchase the spiral bundt pan I’ve been eyeing for like a year. (BTW it’s AMAZING.)

I made King Arthur Flour’s brown sugar spice cake in my old pan (the nondescript one without ridges) and Joy the Baker’s Araby Spice Cake in the nifty new swirl one.

The

The verdict: ???

Honestly, neither was what I expected. Both were more dense (I suppose I should have expected that) and neither were terribly flavorful. KAF’s featured nuts and ginger, while Joy’s secret ingredient was cocoa powder. Joy’s glaze was better. Overall, I think everyone preferred KAF’s version.

Bottom line: still looking for a winner!