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The most delicious Chai Cake! It has delicious layers of moist chai cake sandwiched together with smooth brown sugar cream cheese frosting that will send you straight to dessert paradise. This cake is full of warm spices and feels like a warm hug.
This chai cake recipe is for any chai fans! It taste like a delicious chai latte. This cake has incredible soft and moist chai cake layers covered with a delicious brown sugar cream cheese frosting. This is the ultimate fall layer cake and this chai layer cake is bound to steal your heart and make you yearning for another slice.
For more layer cake recipes, try Nutella Cake, Chocolate Fudge Cake and Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.
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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Chai spice cake: This cake is full of delicious spice flavor. This cake blends 6 spices for the ultimate chai flavor.
- Brown sugar cream cheese frosting: This smooth frosting is super easy to make and perfectly complements the spice cake.
- Show stopper: This cake is simple decorated with whole spices, making it a showstopper of cake.
INGREDIENT NOTES
These are some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- All-purpose flour: Gives a light and airy cake. I prefer using all-purpose flour with a protein amount that is between 10-11%
- Cornstarch: Helps give a light and soft cake
- Sugars: The granulated sugar helps sweeten, as well as give moister to the cake.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Help leaven and rise the cake, so it has light and fluffy texture.
- Salt: Helps enhance the flavor of the chocolate cake.
- Egg: Take it out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking, so it comes to room temperature. (depending how warm your kitchen is).
- Oil: Use a flavor neutral oil, such as canola oil.
- Sour cream: Sour cream gives lots of moister to the cake, as well as helps give the cake a great structure.
- Butter: The butter is used in the buttercream and in the cake. Bring it out and let it come to room temperature.
- Chai spices: This homemade chai spice mix is a blend of 6 spices, ground cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, all spice, nutmeg and black pepper. They are added to the cake for the perfect chai flavor.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Here is how to make and bake this Chai Cake. This recipe needs an electric mixer. You can use either a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or an electric hand mixer. You will also need 2 x 20 (8 inch) cake pan lined with baking paper.
The full recipe is down below in the recipe card.
Before starting preheat the oven to 170ºC/ 340ºF conventional oven. Prepare 2 x 20 (8 inch) baking pan with parchment paper.
STEP 1: Sieve together the all-purpose flour, spices, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set it aside. In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer or in a bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar and mix it together on medium speed.
STEP 2: Add the eggs one at a time and whisk it in until combined. Continue by adding half the dry ingredients, on low speed, mixing until just combined. Then add the sour cream, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Then add the other half of the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
STEP 3: Divide the cake into the 2 prepared baking pans and bake for 28-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cakes cool on a wire rack. After 5 minutes, gently remove the cake from the cake tin and let the cakes cool down completely.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - FROSTING AND ASSEMBLING
STEP 1: For the frosting, sift the powdered sugar. In your stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, start by creaming the butter, powdered sugar and brown sugar for 3 minutes on high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it another mix for 1 minute.
STEP 2: Add the vanilla bean paste and cream cheese and cream it together, on low speed, with the butter for 1 minute.
STEP 3: For assembling the cake. Start by cutting the top of the cake layers, so they have a flat top.
STEP 4: Add 3 big scoops of buttercream and with an offset spatula, even it out. Then add the other cake layer and cover the cake in a thin layer of frosting. Scrape down the sides of the cake for a naked look. Decorate with a dusting of cinnamon, star anise and cinnamon sticks.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Use a kitchen scale: My default setting for my recipes is grams. It is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients, I therefore highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Don't over mix your batter: I always use a spatula after everything has mixed together, to give it one final gentle fold together. This makes sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
- Light vs. dark baking pans: For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper in the bottom. Aluminum pans are light in color and therefore attract less heat. That means it bakes more gently which results in a softer cake. If you use a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat. That will then give a darker crust, which can result in a dryer cake.
FAQ
Yes, replace it 1:1 with full-fat Greek yogurt.
Yes, let the cake layers cool down at room temperature, then wrap them in plastic wrap and store them at room temperature. Want to make them more than one day ahead, place them in the freezer. Store the brown butter cream cheese frosting in the fridge covered by plastic wrap or in an airtight container. Let it come to room temperature before giving it a mix to knock out the air bubbles.
I recommend using a cake tester or a toothpick. Once the time has passed, per the recipe, insert the cake tester in the middle of the cake and once it comes out clean, with no cake batter on it, then it's done.
Yes, divide the cake batter into 3 baking pans instead of 2 and bake them for 23-25 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
STORAGE
Store this chai cake in the fridge in an airtight container. When wanting to eat it, take it out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. It's best enjoyed within a 2-3 days.
Other Layer Cake Recipes To Try
Make sure leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats. To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.
Chai Cake
Equipment
- 2 x 20 cm baking pan
Ingredients
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 teaspoon 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 teaspoon 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
The US customary cup measurement serves as a rough estimate, as it can have uncertainties, so for precise results, it's recommended to weigh your ingredients using a digital scale in grams. Baking is both an art and a science, which most often requires precision and accuracy.
Instructions
CHAI CAKE
- Preheat the oven at 170ºC/ 340ºF conventional oven and prepare a 2x20 cm (8 inch) baking pan with parchment paper.
- Sift together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, black pepper, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set it aside.330 g all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon ground cardamom, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1 ½ teaspoon 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
- In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer or in a bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar and mix it on medium/high speed for 3 minutes.180 g butter, 150 g granulated sugar, 150 g dark brown sugar
- Add the eggs one at a time into the mixture and mix it in until combined.4 large eggs
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue by adding half the flour mixture, continuing on low speed, mixing until just combined.
- Add the sour cream, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and mix until just combined, make sure not to over mix the cake batter. Then add the other half of the flour and mix until combined.240 g sour cream, 60 g vegetable oil, 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Using a rubber spatula, give the batter a gentle fold to make sure all of the ingredients have combined.
- Divide the cake into the 2 prepared baking pans and bake for 28-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Be aware that these cake layers stay very light in color and therefore won’t look browned when done.
- Let the cakes cool on a cooling rack. After 5 minutes, gently remove the cake from the cake tin and let the cakes cool down completely.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- If you live in Europe, place your cream cheese between a few pieces of paper towels to remove any excess water.
- Sift the powdered sugar. In your stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, start by creaming the butter, powdered sugar and brown sugar for 3 minutes on high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it another mix for 1 minute.200 g butter, 280 g powdered sugar, 30 g dark brown sugar
- Add the vanilla bean paste and cream cheese and cream it together with the butter, on low speed, for 1 minute.115 g full-fat cream cheese, ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- Take the bowl off the stand mixer and with a spatula or wooden spoon, beat it well by hand to make sure to remove the air bubbles in the buttercream.
ASSEMBLING
- Start by cutting the top of the cake layers, so they have a flat top.
- Place the first cake layer on your serving dish or cake board on your turntable. If you don’t have a turntable, don’t worry, you can easily decorate the cake without it.
- Add 3 big scoops of buttercream and with an offset spatula, even it out. Then add the other cake layer and cover the cake in a thin layer of frosting. Scrape down the sides of the cake for a naked look. Decorate with a dusting of cinnamon, star anise and cinnamon sticks.
- Store the layer cake in an airtight container in the fridge. Before enjoying the cake, let it come to room temperature. Can last 2-3 days in the fridge.
P. Wilson
I made the cake for Christmas. The cake was moist and yummy. This one is a keeper. Thank you 😊
Cindy
I baked this for our September and Oct family birthdays. One of our granddaughters loves Chai flavors. It was delicious and I'll definitely make it again.
Leonie
The cake was very tasty and the spices worked well together. I didn't make it as a layered cake, but as a sheet cake (18x18) so that I had lots of small pieces as a snack that you could eat out of your hand. Thanks for the recipe
Sarah
this was so fluffy and good!! i was slightly alarmed by the amount of spices at first, but i committed and the flavors were absolutely perfect! i made these as a cupcakes recipe and it turned out absolutely perfect. great recipe!
Julie Marie
Thank you for your sweet review! I'm so happy that you enjoyed it!
vic
How can I store the cake best if I want to assemble and eat it the day after baking it?
Also could I use yoghurt instead of sour cream? I can’t find that where I live
Thank you!
Julie Marie
Hi. I recommend storing the chai cake in the fridge in an airtight container as it has cream cheese in the frosting. When wanting to eat it, take it out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. It's best enjoyed within a 2-3 days. Yes, you can replace sour cream 1:1 with full-fat Greek yogurt 🙂
Hadiah
I messed up a couple of stages and tried to recover the mistakes, and didn’t expect it to turn out well considering, but even with the mistakes on my first try, the sponge was amazing. Looking forward to going again without mistakes 🤞🏾🤩
Hannah
Came out perfect. It’s so delicious!
Trisha
It’s phenomenal! Thank you for a great recipe!
Iben Pernille Nielsen
Made it for a family birthday and everyone loved it. A perfect autumn cake.
Alberte
Kære Julie,
Jeg vil lave denne kage til min fødselsdag. Er det meget vigtigt at bruge 2 springforme?
Kan man nøjes med en og så halvere kagen, ved at skære den?
Tak for gode og lækre opskrifter - jeg glæder mig til at prøve denne :))
Shobhna
Can this be made as a single cake also and wikkyit taste equally good?
Julie Marie
Yes absolutely. Either half the recipe for a single 20 cm (8 inch) pan or use a large 22x33 cm (9 x 13 inch) sheet pan for the full recipe 🙂