Description
This delicious Chai Cake combines aromatic spices and creamy textures to create a comforting and flavorful dessert. Infused with chai tea and a unique blend of warm spices, this cake features a chai-spiced pastry cream filling and a smooth cream cheese frosting, making it perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Chai Spice Powder
- 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)
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, infused with 2 chai tea bags and cooled, or plain ⅓ cup milk if not infusing)
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour (160 grams)
- 2 tsp chai spice 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)
- Milk (optional, to adjust consistency)
Instructions
- Prepare Chai Spice Powder: Combine all the spices—cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and black pepper—in a small bowl and mix well until evenly blended. This spice mix is used throughout the recipe in the pastry cream, cake batter, frosting, and for dusting.
- Make Chai Pastry Cream: Heat 1¼ cup milk in a saucepan over medium heat until just bubbling, then remove from heat. Add 3 chai tea bags and steep for 5 minutes; discard tea bags. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and ½ tsp chai spice powder until pale. Temper the egg mixture by slowly pouring the hot infused milk into the eggs while whisking continuously to prevent scrambling. Strain the mixture back into the saucepan to catch lumps. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened and smooth like pudding. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract, cover with plastic wrap touching the surface, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Prepare Cake Batter: Optionally, infuse ½ cup milk with 2 chai tea bags over medium heat; discard tea bags and measure out ⅓ cup milk after cooling. Preheat oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Grease and line an 8” or 9” springform pan with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and 2 tsp chai spice powder. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter for 30 seconds, then add brown and granulated sugars and beat until fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition, then stir in vanilla. Alternate adding dry ingredients and cooled milk to the butter mixture, mixing gently on low speed or folding with a spatula to avoid overmixing. Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan.
- Bake the Cake: Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top feels firm and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. If browning too fast, cover the cake with foil. Remove and cool completely.
- Assemble Cake: Using a dowel, chopstick, or wooden spoon handle, poke holes evenly all over the cooled cake surface. Fill a piping bag with chilled pastry cream and pipe into the holes to infuse flavor and moisture.
- Make Chai Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter together for 45 seconds. Add powdered sugar and 1 tsp chai spice powder; mix on low until combined, then beat on medium speed for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Adjust consistency with small amounts of milk if too thick, or powdered sugar if too thin.
- Frost and Finish: Spread frosting evenly over the cake surface with a spatula. Sprinkle additional chai spice powder on top for garnish. Refrigerate the finished cake for at least 2 hours before serving to set flavors.
Notes
- The pastry cream can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
- If not infusing milk with tea for the batter, use ⅓ cup milk directly to avoid excess liquid.
- Use a deep springform pan (at least 2.5 inches) for best results with this cake batter.
- Cover the cake with foil if it browns too quickly during baking to prevent burning.
- Pipe the pastry cream into holes poked in the cake to enhance moisture and flavor infusion.
- Adjust frosting consistency with milk or powdered sugar to reach desired spreadability.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Fusion/International
