Description
This Chai Cake is a moist and aromatic dessert infused with a blend of warming spices like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves. Layered with a creamy, smooth cream cheese frosting, this cake perfectly balances sweetness and spice, making it an ideal treat for chai lovers and anyone looking for a unique, flavorful cake.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake:
- 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
- 1/2 cup neutral oil
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk, room temperature
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Frosting:
- 16 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 12 oz cream cheese, cold
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pans: Set your oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease two 9-inch cake pans thoroughly and line them with parchment paper to ensure easy removal of the cakes after baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, dark brown sugar, baking powder, kosher salt, and all the spices including cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves until well combined and evenly distributed.
- Incorporate Butter: Add the 10 tablespoons of cubed unsalted butter to the dry mixture. Use your fingers or a pastry blender to mix until the mixture looks like wet sand with small pea-sized butter pieces.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Stir in the neutral oil, whole milk, eggs, and vanilla extract gently until the batter is just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cake tender.
- Bake the Cake: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Place them in the preheated oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean.
- Cool the Cakes: Once baked, remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool completely in their pans on a wire rack before frosting. This prevents the frosting from melting.
- Prepare Frosting: In a mixing bowl, beat the room temperature butter and cold cream cheese together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar while beating until fully combined and fluffy.
- Frost the Cakes: Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the cooled cake layers. Stack the cakes if desired and decorate as you like.
Notes
- Room temperature ingredients help achieve a smooth and well-emulsified batter.
- Sifting powdered sugar ensures the frosting is lump-free and silky.
- Spices can be adjusted based on your preferred chai flavor intensity.
- Make sure the cakes are thoroughly cooled to prevent the frosting from melting.
- This cake tastes even better when left to rest overnight for flavors to meld.
