Description
This Chai Cake blends the warm, aromatic spices of chai tea with a moist, tender cake base, soaked with a sweet chai-infused mixture and topped with a rich cream cheese frosting. Perfect for chai lovers looking for a cozy dessert with deep flavors of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and cloves.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Chai Soak
- 2 chai tea bags
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, cold
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices including cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, and cloves until well combined.
- Cream butter and sugars: In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the softened unsalted butter with the granulated and brown sugars until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
- Combine wet and dry: Gradually mix in the buttermilk to the butter mixture. Then gently fold in the dry ingredients until just combined, being careful not to overmix the batter.
- Bake the cake: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Prepare chai soak: While the cake is baking, steep the chai tea bags in hot water for about 5 minutes. Remove the bags and stir in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
- Soak the cake: When the cake is done baking and still warm, poke holes all over the surface using a skewer or fork. Slowly pour the chai soak evenly over the cake to ensure maximum absorption. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.
- Make frosting: Beat together the cold cream cheese and softened butter until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract, beating until the frosting reaches a smooth, spreadable consistency.
- Frost the cake: Once the cake has cooled fully, generously frost the top with the cream cheese frosting. Slice and serve.
Notes
- Use cold cream cheese for a smoother frosting texture.
- Ensure the chai soak is cooled slightly before pouring over the cake to prevent it from becoming too soggy.
- Poking holes in the warm cake helps the chai soak penetrate deeply for moistness and extra chai flavor.
- Spice amounts can be adjusted to taste depending on how strong you want the chai flavor.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
