Spiced Chai Latte Cake (Printable)
Moist chai-infused cake with warm spices and creamy frosting, ideal for a flavorful dessert experience.
# Ingredient List:
→ Cake
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 g)
02 - 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
06 - 1 teaspoon ground ginger
07 - ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
08 - ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
09 - ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
10 - 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
11 - ½ cup light brown sugar (110 g)
12 - ¾ cup vegetable oil (180 ml)
13 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
14 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
15 - 1 cup whole milk (240 ml)
16 - 2 chai tea bags
→ Cream Cheese Frosting
17 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened (225 g)
18 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (115 g)
19 - 2 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted (300 g)
20 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
21 - Pinch of salt
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - Heat milk until just simmering, then steep chai tea bags for 10 minutes. Remove bags, squeezing out excess tea. Let milk cool.
03 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
04 - In a separate bowl, beat granulated sugar, brown sugar, and oil until combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each, then stir in vanilla extract.
05 - Alternately add dry ingredients and chai-infused milk to the wet mixture, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined to avoid overmixing.
06 - Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
08 - Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt, continuing to beat until fluffy.
09 - Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread half of the frosting evenly on top. Add second layer and cover with remaining frosting.
10 - Optionally, sprinkle cinnamon or chai-spiced tea leaves on top before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The cake stays moist for days, making it forgiving for busy bakers who aren't frosting it the moment it cools.
- Every bite tastes like warming spices and tea without being heavy or overly complicated to execute.
- The cream cheese frosting cuts through the richness just enough to make you want another slice immediately.
02 -
- Room temperature ingredients mix smoothly and create a uniform crumb; cold eggs and cold cream cheese lead to lumps and separation that no amount of beating fixes.
- Don't skip the sifting step for the powdered sugar or you'll taste grittiness in the frosting—it's the difference between velvet and sandpaper.
- The chai milk needs to cool completely before adding it to the sugar mixture, or the eggs will start to cook and you'll have a grainy, broken batter.
03 -
- Use real chai tea bags with visible leaves instead of powder—the flavor is deeper and more complex, and it actually steeps into the milk rather than just tinting it.
- If your cream cheese frosting breaks or looks grainy, it's too cold; let it sit out for a few minutes and beat it again gently until it smooths back out.