This chai cake with spiced chai buttercream is like a chai latte in cake form! The cake is made with chai-infused milk and so many fragrant spices.
Once the weather cools down I am ready to get cozy with some spiced drinks! This chai spiced cake is perfect for the fall or the holidays. It has so many warm spices in it and gets an extra oomph of chai flavor thanks to a chai infused milk!
Based off of my vanilla cake with chocolate frosting, this chai cake uses the same base recipe of oil and butter, keeping it super moist and fluffy. I’ve swapped out buttermilk for sour cream and whole milk. The milk is infused with chai before being added to the cake batter.
The cake is then frosted in the best creamy chai buttercream. This is a classic American buttercream, so it’s really simple to make and takes just a few minutes. This cake is perfect for the chai lover in your life! If you’re more of a PSL lover, try my pumpkin spice latte cake!
Ingredients Needed
- Flour: I’ve only tested this recipe with all purpose flour.
- Milk: I recommend using whole milk here!
- Chai Tea Bag: I used 1 chai tea bag to infuse the milk. You can do this the day before if you want!
- Spices: I use a combination of cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and ginger in both the frosting and the cake.
- Oil: Make sure to use a neutral oil like vegetable oil, canola oil or sunflower oil. You don’t want anything with a strong flavor!
- Unsalted Butter: I always use unsalted butter in my recipes to control the level of salt. I also use European style butter which is much richer and creamier.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Heat your milk in the microwave or in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Place the tea bag in a mug and pour the hot milk over. Let steep for 20 minutes, then remove the tea bag and let the chai milk cool.
Step 2: Preheat the oven to 350ºFahrenheit and grease and line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter with the sugar and oil until light and fluffy.
Step 3: In a large bowl, whisk all of the dry ingredients together.
Step 4: Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition. Mix in the sour cream and vanilla extract.
Step 5: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the chai milk.
Step 6: Pour the chai cake batter into your prepared cake pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
Step 7: Once the cakes are cool you can make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until it becomes very thick.
Step 8: Stop the mixer and add all of the spices, salt and vanilla extract. Beat again on high speed until thick. Finally, turn the speed to low and slowly pour in the heavy cream until it is the consistency you desire.
Assemble the cake and frosting and enjoy!
