Autumn Spice Cake

Jud's favorite cake for his birthday has always been spice cake. I have tried many recipes and usually end up just using the box spice cake with cream cheese icing. This recipe came out in the San Antonio express news two days before his birthday so I decided to use it this year. I think we have a keeper.  This recipe was from Country Living Magazine via The Express News in San Antonio.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup shortening
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon unsweet cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Prehead oven to 350 degrees. Line three 8" cake pans with parchment paper and butter lightly.
Beat butter, shortening, and sugars together until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until smooth and light. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and spices together in a large bowl. Altenately stir the flour mixture and buttermilk, in thirds, into the beaten batter. Blend well with each addition. Pour batter into the pans and bake until center tests clean, about 30-35 min. Cook cakes in the pans on a rack for 30 min. unmold, and cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:
1 stick butter, softened
1 (8oz) block of cream cheese, softened.
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 box powdered sugar
Mix butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla and then powdered sugar a little at a time. Beat until smooth.  Ice cooled cakes between each layer and all over top and sides.