Description
A soft, spiced chai cake layered with tangy cream cheese frosting — warm, fragrant, and impossibly cozy. Perfect for fall gatherings, brunches, or quiet weekends at home. With its aromatic blend of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and nutmeg, this cake tastes like a chai latte in dessert form.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Optional add-ins:
1 tbsp strongly brewed chai tea (for extra spice depth)
¼ tsp cinnamon or 1 tbsp maple syrup (for frosting flavor twist)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 8-inch or three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
Cream butter and sugars together for 3–4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla extract.
Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all the spices.
Alternate mixing: Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three parts, alternating with buttermilk. Begin and end with the dry mix. Stir gently until just combined.
Divide and bake: Evenly distribute batter into pans and bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool completely: Let cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool fully before frosting.
Make the frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add powdered sugar gradually, followed by vanilla and salt. Beat until fluffy.
Assemble the cake: Frost between each layer and over the top. Decorate with cinnamon, pistachios, or candied ginger if desired.
Notes
To make cupcakes: Bake at 350°F for 18–20 minutes.
For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend.
Store covered at room temperature for 1 day or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Cake layers can be frozen (unfrosted) for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American / Fall-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (based on 10 servings)
- Calories: ~480
- Sugar: 39g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 58g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 110mg
Keywords: chai spice cake, fall dessert, cream cheese frosting, cozy cake recipe, spiced cake, autumn baking, chai latte dessert
