Buttermilk Spice Cake

-BROWN SUGAR ICING-
1 c Light brown sugar, firmly
-packed
1/3 c Heavy cream
2 tb Unsalted butter
1 pn Salt
1/2 ts Vanilla extract

-CREAM-CHEESE ICING-
8 oz Cream cheese (227 g), at
-room temperature
8 tb Lightly salted butter, at
-room temperature
1 1/2 ts Vanilla extract
4 c Sifted confectioners’ sugar
-(14 ounces; 400 g)

Jo-Ann, here is one for you from _Maida Heatter’s Book of Great Desserts_.
If it doesn’t work out I’ll dig around some more.

Adjust rack one-third up from the bottom of the oven. Preheat oven to 350
F. Butter a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan and dust it all lightly with fine, dry
bread crumbs.

Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set
aside. In large bowl of electric mixer cream the butter. Add the vanilla
and then, gradually, both sugars and beat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs
individually, scraping the bowl as necessary with a rubber spatula and
beating well after each. On lowest speed alternately add sifted dry
ingredients in three additions and buttermilk in two additions, scraping
the bowl with the spatula and beating only until smooth after each
addition. Remove from mixer and stir in lemon rind. Turn into pan and
spread top level. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until the top springs back when
lightly touched and cake begins to come away from sides of pan. Let cake
cool in the pan on a rack for about 15 minutes. Cut around sides to
release. Cover with a rack or a cookie sheet and invert. Remove pan. Cover
with a rack and invert again to finish cooling. When completely cool,
prepare the following:

Brown Sugar Icing: In a medium-size saucepan, over moderately low heat,
stir the sugar and cream to slowly dissolve the sugar, brushing down sides
of pan occasionally with a wet brush to remove any sugar granules. Stirring
constantly, slowly bring the syrup to a boil and let boil for exactly one
minute. Transfer to small bowl of electric mixer. Add butter and stir to
melt. Add salt and vanilla and beat until creamy and slightly thickened.
It will still be warm. Immediately pour over the cake, and, with a long,
narrow metal spatula, spread to cover.

Note: Do not freeze this cake after it has been iced – the icing will
become wet when thawed.

You can also use Cream-Cheese Icing on this cake. Here is one from _A
Piece of Cake_ by Susan Purdy.

Cream-Cheese Icing: In the workbowl of a food processor fitted with a metal
blade, or with an electric mixer or wooden spoon, blend the cream cheese
and butter together until very smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla.
Gradually add the sifted sugar, beating until smooth. The longer you beat,
the softer the frosting will become. When soft enough to be spread, frost
the cake. Refrigerate in hot weather.