Chai Cake
A warm and aromatic chai cake that's perfect for coffee mornings, afternoon tea, or dessert after dinner, combining cozy spices with a tender crumb.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 0.5 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 0.5 tsp ground ginger
- 0.25 tsp ground cloves optional but aromatic
- 0.125 tsp ground nutmeg
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1.5 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp alcohol-free vanilla extract
- 0.5 cup plain yogurt or sour cream adds moisture and tang
- 0.75 cup strong brewed chai, cooled see notes below
- 1 cup powdered sugar for optional glaze
- 2-3 tbsp brewed chai or milk for optional glaze
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the spices until evenly distributed. Set aside.
- Brew a strong chai and let it cool to lukewarm. Measure 3/4 cup for the batter.
Mixing
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes with a hand mixer or 2–3 minutes with a stand mixer on medium speed.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Mix in vanilla. Scrape sides as needed.
- With the mixer on low, add one-third of the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined.
- Pour in half the chai and half the yogurt; mix briefly. Repeat: add another third of the dry ingredients, then the remaining chai and yogurt, and finish with the last dry portion. Don’t overmix — stop when streaks vanish.
Baking
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Tap the pan on the counter once to release air bubbles.
- Bake: 9-inch round for 35–45 minutes; loaf for 50–60 minutes. Check doneness with a toothpick: it should come out with a few moist crumbs but not wet batter.
- Cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before glazing.
- For the glaze, whisk powdered sugar with chai until pourable and drizzle over the cooled cake.
Notes
For a lighter spice profile, reduce cardamom to 1/2 tsp. For a vegan version, swap butter for neutral oil and use flax eggs + plant yogurt. Best enjoyed warm or at room temperature.