Print

Chai Cake Recipe

Chai Cake Recipe
Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.8 from 15 reviews

This Chai Cake recipe combines warm, aromatic spices like cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg into a moist, tender cake layered with a silky brown sugar cream cheese frosting. Perfect for fall or any cozy occasion, its complex chai flavors make it a standout spice cake with a lightly spiced, fluffy crumb and a creamy, rich frosting with a hint of vanilla bean.

Ingredients

Scale

Chai Cake

  • 180 g butter, room temperature
  • 150 g granulated sugar
  • 150 g dark brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 330 g all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon ground cardamom
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 240 g sour cream, room temperature
  • 60 g vegetable oil (e.g. canola oil)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 200 g butter, room temperature
  • 280 g powdered sugar
  • 30 g dark brown sugar
  • 115 g full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Instructions

  1. Prepare the oven and pans: Preheat the oven to 170ºC (340ºF) for a conventional oven. Line two 20 cm (8 inch) cake pans with parchment paper.
  2. Sift dry ingredients: In a bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, black pepper, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Cream butter and sugars: Using an electric mixer, beat the room temperature butter, granulated sugar, and dark brown sugar on medium-high speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
  4. Add eggs: Add the eggs one at a time to the creamed mixture, mixing well after each addition until fully incorporated.
  5. Add half the flour mixture: Scrape down the bowl sides and add half of the sifted flour mixture. Mix on low speed until just combined.
  6. Add wet ingredients: Add the sour cream, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract to the batter. Mix gently until just combined—do not overmix.
  7. Incorporate remaining dry ingredients: Add the remaining half of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Fold gently with a rubber spatula to ensure all ingredients are fully combined.
  8. Bake the cake layers: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 28-30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Note the layers will stay very light in color and won’t brown significantly.
  9. Cool the cakes: Let the cake layers cool in the pans on a rack for 5 minutes. Then gently remove them from the pans and allow them to cool completely on the wire rack.
  10. Prepare the cream cheese frosting: If using European cream cheese, place it between paper towels to drain excess moisture. Sift the powdered sugar. In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter, powdered sugar, and dark brown sugar on high speed for 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beat an additional minute.
  11. Add cream cheese and flavoring: Add the vanilla bean paste and cream cheese to the butter mixture. Beat on low speed for 1 minute until smooth and combined.
  12. Remove air bubbles: Remove the bowl from the mixer and beat the frosting by hand with a spatula or wooden spoon to remove any air bubbles, resulting in a smooth texture.
  13. Assemble the cake: Level the tops of the cake layers so they are flat. Place the first cake layer on your serving dish or cake board. Spread 3 large scoops of frosting evenly using an offset spatula. Place the second layer on top and apply a thin crumb coat of frosting over the entire cake for a naked cake look.
  14. Decorate and serve: Dust the cake with cinnamon and optionally garnish with star anise and cinnamon sticks for decoration. Store the cake in an airtight container in the fridge.
  15. Serving tip: Before serving, let the cake come to room temperature for the best texture and flavor. The cake can be stored refrigerated for 2-3 days.

Notes

  • For accurate results, weigh ingredients using a digital scale rather than volume measurements.
  • You can substitute sour cream with an equal amount of full-fat Greek yogurt if sour cream is unavailable.
  • The cake layers remain pale when baked, so rely on the cake tester rather than color to check doneness.
  • To remove excess moisture from European cream cheese, wrap it in paper towels before mixing to prevent runny frosting.
  • This recipe can be halved to make a single 20 cm (8 inch) cake or baked in a larger sheet pan for convenience.
  • Store leftover cake in an airtight container refrigerated and bring to room temperature before serving.
  • The spices provide a warm chai flavor balanced by the rich cream cheese frosting.

Nutrition

Keywords: chai, cream cheese frosting, spice cake, layered cake, autumn dessert, warm spices

Find it online: https://messykitchenmagic.com/chai-cake-recipe/