This Chai Cake is a special treat for chai tea lovers. Packed with fragrant spices and paired with a simple cream cheese frosting.
Any chai tea lovers out there?? I’m actually not one of them (gasp!), but I do love a good spice cake, and that’s exactly what this is. But before we get into the details all of the deliciousness that is this Chai Cake, let me tell you about the adventure I had trying to decide how to decorate it. Ugh.
I was kind of at a loss for ideas. I was very uninspired, so I started looking at Fall food decorating ideas on Pinterest. Somewhere along the way, in the masses of pumpkins, and pears, and pecans, I stumbled across gooseberries. Now, there are no gooseberries IN the actual cake. They are purely decoration, and I think they do a pretty good job of that. But my quest to find them was not so easy.
I also decided that I wanted some white currants to go with the gooseberries on top of the cake. I had seen some at my local farmers market a few weeks ago, and crossed my fingers they were still there. They were not. Nor were the gooseberries. It wasn’t until my 5th stop (!!) that I actually found gooseberries. And it was in a store I never go into and hadn’t planned on going to, but there they were. Success! Partial, anyhow.
It was around store #7 that I gave up on finding the white currants. My backup plan, which I didn’t have until I gave up on the currants, was to pair the gooseberries with whole spices. None of which I had at home, of course. I hit up store #8 for the whole cardamom pods (since I knew they had them — I should have bought them the week before when I got the ground cardamom there) and loose leaf chai tea. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any other whole spices, so I had to go back to stores #2 and #5 to get them, UGH.
THREE hours later, I was finally home. I didn’t get everything I wanted, but it was good enough. I was most happy with finding whole star anise. It’s not actually in the cake either (lol), but it’s so pretty!! Omg is it aromatic though. Not a pleasant smell unless you like liquorice (which I don’t).
For those of you who are unfamiliar with chai tea, it’s a very aromatic and spicy tea originating from India. The ingredients vary slightly depending on where you get it (or how you make it), but it typically consists of a black tea with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, black pepper, and the key ingredient, cardamom.
It’s cardamom that gives chai tea its unique flavor, and I think it’s a love/hate thing, like cilantro. It’s very strong, so you want to be careful not to use too much of it.
Since this is a spice cake, I chose to pair it with a cream cheese frosting, but you could use a vanilla frosting if you prefer. The flavor of this cake is delicious, and the texture is perfect. But if you don’t like chai, you probably won’t like the flavor of this cake, though I’m not a chai lover, and it still tastes delicious to me. You can always adjust the amount of cardamom in it too, or just leave it out altogether for a regular spice cake.
Tips for this Chai Cake:
- Apr 14, 2022 – Cream Cheese Frosting recipe revised to make a more stable frosting.
- You can use regular milk if you’d prefer not to make the chai milk.
- Whole spices shown as garnish in the photos are star anise, cloves, allspice, and cardamom.
- If you don’t like chai, you can leave out the cardamom for a plain spice cake.
- If you like this chai cake, be sure to check out my Earl Grey Cake, Spice Cake, and Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake.
- To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, see my Flat Top Cakes post.
Chai Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Chai Tea Milk:
- 1 1/2 cup milk
- 1 Tbsp Chai tea leaves 2 tea bags
Chai Cake:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsps baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cups light brown sugar packed
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup Chai tea milk
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup cream cheese 8oz, full fat, chilled, cubed
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- cornstarch or meringue powder optional
Assembly (optional):
- cape gooseberries
- whole allspice
- whole star anise
- whole cloves
- whole green cardamom pods
Instructions
Chai Tea Milk:
- Bring milk and tea to a boil in a small pot over med-high heat. Turn heat off and steep for 10mins. Strain and measure out 1 cup. Top up with milk if needed.
Chai Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 6″ cake rounds and line with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, spices, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars on med-high until pale and fluffy (approx 3mins).
- Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and Chai milk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition.
- Bake for 35-40mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack. Allow to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer beat butter until pale and creamy.
- Reduce speed to low. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and mix on low until well blended. Increase speed to medium and beat for 3 minutes. Add vanilla and continue to beat on medium for 1 minute.
- Slowly add chilled cream cheese one cube at a time (about 1 tablespoon at a time). Beat well until blended and ensure no lumps of cream cheese remain.
- If needed, add cornstarch or meringue powder 1 tablespoon at a time to stiffen the frosting (I didn't but this is an option).
- Run mixer on low for a couple of minutes to remove any air bubbles.
Assembly:
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with 2/3 cup of frosting and spread evenly. Repeat with remaining layers and apply a thin coat of frosting all over the cake. Chill for 20mins.
- Use the remaining frosting to frost the cake and do a rustic swirl on the sides and top with a large offset spatula if desired.
- Decorate top with whole spices and gooseberries if desired.
Arre says
Hey, Olivia! I would love to make this cake but have no access to cake flour. Is it possible to use just lain flour instead?
Olivia says
Hi Arre! I used all-purpose flour for the recipe, but either works!
Lauren says
I made this cake for an office birthday party. It was a huge hit! There’s not really a simple way to explain its flavor because it’s so beautifully complex. The spices are nicely layered and in perfect amounts. I can’t wait to make it again! Thank you, Liv!
Olivia says
Hi Lauren! So happy to hear it was a hit!! Glad you liked it 🙂
Randa says
Hi , this looks and sounds amazing 😉.. my question is we are gluten free and what flour would you recommend as a substitute for regular flour.
Olivia says
Hi Randa! Any all-purpose gluten free flour blend should work!
Amanda says
I made a tester cake of this today because I plan on making it for an anniversary party this weekend. The flavors are very good but I found the cake to be a tad dry. What can I do different to help this? Thanks a bunch.
Olivia says
Hi Amanda! Is it possible it was overbaked a bit? You can always brush a simple syrup over the baked layers to add a bit more moisture if you like.
Doreen says
That was going to be my question, as usually in my opinion, Cakes with butter tend to be a bit dryer than a cake with oil or buttermilk in my opinion. I have been asked to make this for a friend’s Christmas and there is nothing worse than dry cake. I will try a test run with and without simple syrup.
Lin says
I made this for mother’s day and the taste was great but it didn’t rise very much. I think the biggest culprit is that my baking powder was probably old but I’m wondering if this is meant to have a dense structure?
Olivia says
Hi Lin! It should not be too dense, no. The baking powder could be a culprit. Also make sure to not overmix the cake batter!
Megan Talbott says
I would like to make these into cupcakes for 60 or so. I see from other comments that you suggest baking them at the same temperature and checking after 15 minutes. Do you have any tips about doubling or tripling the recipe? Do you think it would just be proportional or would there be other adjustments? Thanks for your ideas. This will be for my husband’s 50th birthday party and he just loves chai and also spice cake, so I’m hoping it works out well.
Olivia says
Hi Megan! The recipe as is should make about 24 cupcakes (ish), so you would probably want to make 3 batches. Although, maybe start with just doubling it and see how many cupcakes you get? Depending in the size, it might make enough 🙂 I’ve never 3x a recipe before (my mixer couldn’t handle it!) and I know there could be issues when scaling up so much so it might be safer to double and start there.
Olivia says
Err no, bad math on my part. 2.5x the recipe not 3x unless you want a crazy amt of leftovers 🙂 You can use the slider in the Servings in the recipe to adjust for size.
Ferjana says
This cake was delicious! The perfect amount of spices and chai flavor. I made half the recipe and it made 12 decent sized cupcakes. I didn’t make the frosting but I am sure it’s good 🙂
Olivia says
Hi Ferjana! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
Arlie says
I made this into cupcakes, and they were amazing! Thank you so much for this recipe 🙂
Olivia says
So glad you liked it Arlie!
Gigi says
Delicious! Made this last night and it could not have come out better. Yum.
Olivia says
Hi Gigi! So happy to hear that you liked it! 😀
Ella says
This is delicious! I have made it twice and it has turned out perfectly each time.
Olivia says
Hi Ella! I’m so happy to hear this! Thanks for the feedback 🙂
bridget says
Love it! so original and pretty decoration.
But the gooseberries are actually Peruvian ground cherries or in Spanish “ahuaymanto”.
Olivia says
Thanks so much Bridget! It’s the same thing, they are called Cape Gooseberries here.
Amy says
Would this work for cupcakes?
Olivia says
Hi Amy! Yes, but you’d have to adjust the baking time to 15-20mins or so.
Lauren says
How many cupcakes do you think this would make? I’m trying to figure out if I should double the recipe or not for 24 cupcakes…
Olivia says
Hi Lauren! I’ve never made this into cupcakes, so I’m not 100% sure on the yield, but I would imagine about 20 or so, give or take? Bake at the same temperature, but check them after 15mins or so as they may be done by then.
Cindy Rodriguez says
Such a gorgeous cake! I love chai tea so am sure this will taste so delicious. I can’t believe how many stores you had to go to for the deco but it was so worth it. It’s perfect for fall!
Olivia says
Thanks Cindy! It was a trek but it was worth it 🙂
Valeriya says
OMG – your struggle of 8+ stores to make 1 cake is so familar. I live in Hong Kong and thought only we are doomed here. In a strange way nice to know other cities struggle in availability and consistency of availability of simple items. Beautiful cakes – will try making one for this weekend’s belated Canadian Thanksgiving Party :))
Olivia says
Hah! I am glad to know I’m not alone!! I feel like people that live in the US have easy access to SO much more than we have here. It can be frustrating. And thank you! Let me know which one you end up making and how you like it 🙂
Susan Sands says
This looks amazing!! I absolutely love Chai and would love to try this cake! I don’t have any 6″ cake pans at the moment..do you think this would work with 2-9″ pans instead?
Olivia says
Hi Susan! I think the cake layers will be too thin in 9″ pans. Maybe 1.5x the recipe if you’re trying that? Only fill the pans 2/3rds full and if you have extra batter you can always make cupcakes 🙂
Ruth-Ann says
How about 8″ pans? I’d love to try this recipe but only have 8″ and 9″ pans.
Olivia says
This recipe will work as is in two 8″ pans 🙂
Ruth-Ann says
Awesome!! On my list now… I just have to remember that my frosting won’t look even an 1/8th as nice as yours. 🙂
Olivia says
I bet it will look just fine and the important thing is how it tastes 🙂
Ruth-Ann says
Do you think it would work in the heritage or blossom pans? Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Ruth-Ann! Yes, I think it would work well with either of those, though it might not bake up to the top of the pans.
Sam Kwon says
If I want to do three layers with 9” pans, do you recommend doubling the recipe?
Olivia says
Hi Sam! Yes, I would double the recipe for three 9″ pans. The layers might be slightly thinner, so reduce baking time if needed.
Elaine Cobb says
This cake looks so yummy and beautiful. I love Chai tea. I must try it in this cake. Thank you.
I love your recipes!
Olivia says
Thanks so much Elaine! I hope you like it 🙂
Linda Szymoniak says
This sounds wonderful, although I’d have to omit the anise from the garnish. Can’t stand the stuff myself, although it is pretty.
Olivia says
Hi Linda! I can’t stand it either!! The smell is horrible, but it looked so pretty that I made do for the pics 🙂
Lovefoodies says
This looks so beautiful and the decorations are perfect! I’m a huge fan of mascarpone frosting as I like a less sweet cake (must be the British side of me!). I’m going to try this cake when I get my new kitchen finished. I can smell the lovely aromas now!
Olivia says
Thanks so much Mary! Cheese frostings are really delicious, and they contrast well with the sweetness of the cakes like you say. I hope you like it! 🙂
Sue says
I think that the fruit you used as a garnish is really ground cherries a relative of Chinese Lantern and tomatillos. The husk around the fruit is indicative. Gooseberries are naked on the bush fruits more like a current type fruit. Either way the result is beautiful.
Olivia says
Hi Sue! Thank you! I think they’re actually called Cape Gooseberries (http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-deal-19-34637) which are related to the tomatillas.
Hakima says
YAAAAAAAAASSS!
I LOVE Chai. My dad is from South Yemen, and they make a similar chai. For mine, I only add cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg.
Anyway, this looks amazing and I have all the ingredients, so soon, I shall be making this cake!
Olivia says
Yay!! I hope you like this one 😀 Let me know how it turns out!