Chai Cake
A moist, warmly spiced cake infused with cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger, topped with a swoon-worthy cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Perfect for beginners and ready in 45 minutes!
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened (or coconut oil for vegan)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs or 3 flax eggs for vegan
- ½ cup whole milk or almond milk
For the Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Step 1: Mix the Batter
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch cake pan.
- In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves.
- In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time.
- Alternate mixing dry ingredients and milk into the wet mixture until just combined.
Step 2: Bake
- Pour batter into the pan. Bake 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Step 3: Frost
- Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla until smooth.
- Spread frosting over the cooled cake. Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon or crushed nuts.
Notes
- Vegan Option: Use flax eggs (1 tbsp ground flax + 2.5 tbsp water per egg) and vegan cream cheese.
- Spice Hack: Replace individual spices with 2 tsp pre-mixed chai masala.
- Storage: Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Freeze unfrosted cake for 1 month.
- For a 3-Tier Cake: Triple the recipe and bake in three 6-inch pans (adjust bake time to 20–25 minutes).