All-purpose flour
2 1/3 c. cake flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs, separated, room temp.
1 c. buttermilk or plain yogurt

FROSTING:

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp.
4 oz. cream cheese, room temp.
1 c. sifted powdered sugar
1/2 c. pure maple syrup
3/4 c. chopped pecans

For cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 9 inch diameter tube pan. Dust with flour. Sift 2 1/3 cups cake flour and next 6 ingredients together. Cream butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Bat in yolks 1 at a time. Mix in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Beat whites in another bowl with clean dry beaters until stiff but not dry. Gently fold beaten whites into batter in 2 additions.

Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake until cake is spring to touch and tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Invert spice cake onto rack and cool completely.

For frosting: Cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and maple syrup and mix until smooth. Stir chopped pecans into frosting.

Spread frosting on cake. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Serve at room temperature. 10 servings