Chai Cake Recipe

Hello, baking enthusiasts! This Chai Cake is the ultimate treat for lovers of warm spices and cozy desserts. Infused with the bold, aromatic flavors of chai, this cake boasts a moist crumb paired with a creamy Chai Pastry Cream filling. Finished with a luscious Chai Cream Cheese Frosting and a sprinkle of chai spice on top, it’s the perfect centerpiece for any fall or winter celebration.

Best Chai Cake Recipe

In this post, I’ll guide you through each step of creating this spiced masterpiece, from making the aromatic chai spice blend to assembling the cake with its decadent layers. Whether you’re preparing a dessert for a holiday gathering or just indulging your sweet tooth, this recipe guarantees a memorable bake

Full ingredient amounts and step-by-step instructions for this chai spice cake can be found at the bottom of this post!

Chai Spice Powder

To create this flavorful blend, mix ground cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and an optional pinch of black pepper. This versatile blend is used in the pastry cream, cake batter, and frosting, making every layer a burst of chai flavor. Make some extra to keep on hand in case you ever need a chai boost or a chai latte!

Chai Pastry Cream

Begin by heating the milk with chai tea bags until it’s infused with the warm flavors of tea. While the milk steeps, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and chai spice in a medium bowl until pale and smooth. Gradually temper the eggs with the warm milk, whisking as you slowly pour the milk in.

Then add the cook back to the pan and cook it over medium heat until it thickens to a pudding-like consistency, making sure to stir non-stop. Stir in vanilla extract, cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin, and let it chill completely before using. This creamy, spiced filling adds a luxurious texture to the cake.

Infusing Milk with Chai Spice

Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat, then add the chai tea bags and allow them to steep, infusing the milk with rich, aromatic flavors. Once infused, discard the tea bags and measure out 1/3 cup of the flavored milk. While the recipe begins with 1/2 cup of milk to account for absorption by the tea bags, you’ll only need 1/3 cup for the cake. If you prefer to skip the infusion step, simply use 1/3 cup of plain milk in its place. Make sure that it’s fully cooled before using in the batter.

Make the Batter

Preheat your oven to 350ºF and prepare an 8” or 9” springform cake pan by lining it with parchment paper and spraying it with oil. If using an 8″ pan, ensure it’s at least 2.5 inches deep.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and chai spice powder, then set aside. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter at medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and continue beating for another 2 minutes until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, scraping the bowl occasionally to ensure even mixing.

Incorporate the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then stir in the vanilla extract. Gradually add half of the dry ingredient mixture to the bowl and mix on low speed until just combined. Pour in the cooled milk, mix briefly, and then add the remaining dry ingredients. Make sure to mix on low or fold the ingredients gently together with a spatula to avoid overmixing, which could result in a dry cake. Once the batter is fully combined, spread it evenly in the prepared pan.

Baking

Bake the cake in the preheated oven for approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Keep an eye on the top of the cake as it bakes—if it begins to brown excessively before the center is fully cooked, cover it loosely with a piece of aluminum foil to prevent over-browning. To check for doneness, gently touch the top of the cake; it should feel firm and not jiggly underneath. Additionally, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake—it should come out clean, without any wet batter attached. Once the cake is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack before proceeding.

Piping in the Chai Pastry Cream

Once the cake has cooled, use a dowel or the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes throughout the cake. Pipe the chilled Chai Pastry Cream into these holes, ensuring each slice delivers a burst of creamy filling.

Chai Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth with a hand mixer, then mix in powdered sugar and chai spice for a frosting that’s tangy, sweet, and perfectly spiced. Spread the frosting over the top of the cake like shown in the images above, smoothing it with a spatula. Sprinkle additional chai spice powder on top for decoration and an extra flavor boost.

Tips, Tricks, & Storage

• Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure all your ingredients, especially eggs, butter, and milk, are at room temperature. This helps the batter mix more evenly and results in a softer cake texture.
• Properly Measure Flour: Use the spoon-and-level method to measure flour to avoid packing it into the measuring cup, which can result in a dense cake.
• Chai Milk: If you prefer not to infuse the milk with tea bags, use 1/3 cup of regular milk in the cake batter.
• Prevent Scrambled Eggs in the Pastry Cream: When tempering the eggs, pour the hot milk into the yolks very slowly while whisking constantly to prevent curdling. Also to help prevent scrambling the eggs, stir non-stop while cooking the custard, and keep the heat low, or medium low.
• Smooth Pastry Cream: Strain the custard after cooking to remove any lumps for a silky-smooth texture.
• Storage: Store the finished cake in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days. Allow it to come to room temperature before serving.
• Make Ahead: Both the pastry cream and frosting can be prepared a day in advance and stored in the fridge. Freeze the pastry cream for an even longer storing time.

Variations

• Pumpkin Spice Rendition: Replace chai spice in the cake batter with pumpkin spice blend. Add 1/3 cup pumpkin puree to the pastry cream and frosting for a festive twist.
• Chocolate Twist: Mix 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder into the cake batter. Stir melted chocolate into the pastry cream or frosting for a rich chocolate-chai flavor.
• Black Tea Flavor: Infuse the milk for the cake batter and pastry cream with strong black tea instead of chai for a bold, classic tea flavor. Add a touch of honey to the frosting to complement the tea notes.
• Honey-Lavender Chai: Add 1 tablespoon of honey to the cake batter for a touch of natural sweetness. Infuse the milk for the cake with 1 teaspoon of dried lavender for a floral twist. Drizzle the frosted cake with a thin honey glaze.
• Espresso Chai: Mix 1 tablespoon of instant espresso powder into the cake batter for a coffee-chai combination. Add a splash of brewed espresso to the cream cheese frosting for a mocha-like finish. Dust the cake with espresso and chai spice!

Serving Suggestions

Slice this spiced cake to reveal its creamy layers and serve it with a cup of chai tea or coffee. It’s the perfect way to bring warmth and indulgence to any occasion.

If you like this cake, you’ll love these recipes:

• Coffee Cake
• Caramel Cake
• Apple Crumb Cake
• Pumpkin Coffee Cake
• Chai Macarons

I can’t wait to hear how your Chai Cake turns out! Don’t forget to share your creations with me on Instagram and let’s make every slice unforgettable.

Chai Cake

Camila Hurst

This Chai Cake is a symphony of warm spices, featuring a luscious Chai Pastry Cream filling and finished with a velvety Chai Cream Cheese Frosting for the perfect balance of flavor and indulgence.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Chill Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 5 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Calories 450 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Chai Spice

• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ⅛ tsp ground black pepper optional

Chai Pastry Cream

• 1¼ cup whole milk 300 ml
• 3 chai tea bags
• 4 large egg yolks
• ½ cup granulated sugar 100 grams
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• ½ tsp chai spice powder (from above)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cake Batter

• ½ cup whole milk 120 ml, read notes
• 2 tea bags of chai
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour 160 grams
• 2 tsp chai powder (from above)
• 1¼ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature, 113 grams
• ⅓ cup brown sugar 73 grams
• ½ cup granulated sugar 100 grams
• 2 large eggs
• ½ tbsp vanilla extract

Chai Cream Cheese Frosting

• ½ cup cream cheese 113 grams
• ¼ cup unsalted butter 56 grams
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp chai spice powder (from above)

Instructions

 

Chai Spice Powder

• Combine all the spices in a small bowl.
• Mix until well-blended. You will use it throughout this recipe in the pastry cream, cake batter, frosting, and then to dust the cake once frosted.

Chai Pastry Cream

• Place the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat.
• At the first sign of bubbling, turn the heat off.
• Add the tea bags to the milk and let it infuse for 5 minutes. Discard the tea bags once steeped.
• Whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and chai spice powder in a medium bowl until pale in color.
• Now we're going to temper the egg mixture with the steeped milk. Pour the hot milk over the yolks in thin stream while whisking. Do this slowly so you don’t scramble the eggs. By slowly bringing the eggs up to temperature, they should not scramble. Do this until all the milk is incorporated.
• Pour the mixture back into the pan that you used to heat up the milk. Use a strainer to catch any lumps that may have formed.
• Place the pan over medium heat, and begin to cook the mixture stirring non-stop. It will start to thicken into a custard. Cook until the custard becomes thick.
• When the custard starts thickening up, the mixture will look scrambled or lumpy. Just continue to stir and cook, it will come together and become smooth.
• When the custard is thick like pudding, remove from the heat.
• Place the custard in a bowl and add the vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
• Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard so it won’t form a skin as it cools down.
• Let it cool down, and then place it in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
• You can make the pastry cream ahead. It can be kept in the freezer for up to 1 month, and in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Cake Batter

• If desired, infuse the 1/2 cup milk with tea bags. Place the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat, then add the tea bags and let it infuse. Discard the tea bags, and measure out 1/3 cup of milk. We start with 1/2 cup in the recipe because some milk might evaporate or get soaked by the tea bags but the recipe requires only 1/3 cup. If you are not infusing the milk with the tea, use 1/3 cup instead of 1/2 cup.
• Let the milk cool down before using in the recipe.
• Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF.
• Line a 8” or 9” springform cake pan with parchment paper and spray it with oil. If using a 8″ pan, make sure it’s at least 2.5 inches deep.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and chai spice powder. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter at medium speed for 30 seconds.
• Add the sugar to the bowl, and beat together with the butter for another 2 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• Scrape the bowl every so often to ensure everything is getting nicely incorporated together.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated before adding the next egg.
• Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
• Add half of the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on low to combine.
• Pour the cooled down milk in and mix.
• Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix on low to combine. You can also use the spatula instead of the mixer to fold the batter during this final stage. Avoid over mixing, to prevent the cake from turning out dry.
• Spread the batter on the bottom of the prepared pan.

Baking & Assembling

• Bake the cake in pre-heated oven for about 35 to 40 minutes. If the top of the cake is browning too much towards the end, and the center is not yet cooked, cover it with a piece of aluminum foil.
• You will know the cake is done baking when you touch the top of the cake and doesn’t feel soft or jiggly underneath. Insert a toothpick in the cake, and should come out clean, without any gooey batter attached.
• Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool down completely.

To Assemble

• When the cake has cooled down, use a dowel, or a chopstick, or even the handle of a wooden spoon or spatula, to poke holes in the cake.
• Place the pastry cream in a piping bag. Snip the end of the bag with scissors.
• Pipe the pastry cream inside each hole you poked.

Chai Cream Cheese Frosting

• Beat the cream cheese and butter with a mixer for 45 seconds. Add the powdered sugar and chai spice powder. Mix on low until incorporated, then raise the speed to medium and beat for another 45 seconds to 1 minute.
• If the frosting is too thick, add one tsp of milk at a time to thin it out, and if it’s too thin, add a bit of powdered sugar to make it thicker.
• Top the cake with the frosting, using a spatula to spread it out evenly and smooth it out on top of the cake.
• Sprinkle with the remaining chai spice powder.
• Place the cake in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.

Notes

Chai Milk: In case you want to skip infusing the milk with the chai bags in the cake batter, use 1/3 cup instead of 1/2 cup.

Storage: Store the cake in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days. Let the cake come to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 sliceCalories: 450kcal

Keyword chai, chai cake

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