Description
This Chai Cake is a warmly spiced, moist layered cake infused with the rich flavors of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and other aromatic chai spices. Perfect for cozy afternoons or festive occasions, this cake combines a tender crumb with a smooth cream cheese frosting for a delightful dessert experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
- 1 tbsp + 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp cardamom
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp cloves
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed
- 1/2 cup neutral oil
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk, room temperature
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Frosting Ingredients
- 16 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 12 oz cream cheese, cold
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pans: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease two 9-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, dark brown sugar, baking powder, kosher salt, and all the spices—cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves—until thoroughly combined.
- Incorporate butter: Add the cubed unsalted butter to the dry mixture and mix it in until the texture resembles wet sand, indicating the butter is well distributed but not fully incorporated.
- Add wet ingredients: Stir in the neutral oil, whole milk, eggs, and vanilla extract into the mixture gently until the batter is just combined. Avoid over-mixing to keep the cake tender.
- Bake the cakes: Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 35–40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes: Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool completely in the pans on a wire rack before frosting.
- Prepare the frosting: Using a mixer, beat the unsalted butter and cold cream cheese together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar while beating until the frosting is fully combined and fluffy.
- Frost and decorate: Once the cakes are completely cooled, frost the top of one cake layer, place the second layer on top, and cover the entire cake with the cream cheese frosting. Decorate as desired and serve.
Notes
- Ensure all room temperature ingredients like butter, milk, and eggs are prepared in advance for better mixing.
- Do not over-mix the batter to keep the cake tender and moist.
- Use parchment paper for easy cake removal from pans.
- The cream cheese frosting can be adjusted in sweetness by adding more or less powdered sugar according to taste.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- For a more intense chai flavor, you can steep chai tea bags in warm milk before adding it to the batter.
