This Chai Cake is soft, moist, and filled with cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg, with fluffy chai buttercream that tastes like a Vanilla Chai Latte in cake form. This easy Chai Cake Recipe is a simple chai spice cake that bakes in one 9×13-inch pan using everyday pantry spices.
If you want a cozy chai spiced cake, this spiced chai cake delivers warm chai flavor in both the tender cake and creamy buttercream. It's easy enough for everyday baking but special enough for fall gatherings, holidays, and family get-togethers.
Chai Cake At A Glance
- 🍽️ Course: Dessert
- ⏱️ Bake Time: 30-35 minutes
- 🍴 Yield: 12-15 slices
- ☕ Flavor: Cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, and vanilla
- 🧁 Texture: Soft and moist with fluffy buttercream
- 🥣 Difficulty: Easy
- 🧊 Make Ahead: Bake up to 2 days ahead and frost before serving
Summarize and Save This Content On
This recipe came together after a conversation about whether a chai cake was even possible. My husband loves chai tea, so naturally we had to find out. After testing a few versions, this was the one we loved most: moist, tender, and clearly chai rather than simply cinnamon-spiced. Our neighbors, son, and daughter-in-law loved it too, and we've already made it twice for family get-togethers.
This was inspired by my pumpkin spice french toast on this site, and pairs well with this pumpkin spice creamer recipe.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Easy One-Pan Cake: Bakes in a 9×13-inch pan with no layers to assemble and no tea to steep.
- Warm Chai Flavor: Cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg flavor both the moist, tender cake and fluffy buttercream.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: Bake the cake up to 2 days ahead and frost it when you're ready to serve.
How We Tested This Recipe
- Spice Balance: We tested several combinations of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg before choosing this ratio. We wanted the cake to taste distinctly like chai rather than like a cinnamon cake with a few extra spices.
- Cupcake Testing: We also tested the batter as cupcakes, filling standard muffin cups about ⅔ full. They baked in 17-19 minutes, with ours perfect at 18 minutes. The recipe made 18 cupcakes, and about ¾ of the buttercream was enough to generously pipe all 18.
- Freezer Testing: We froze the cake both unfrosted and fully frosted. The unfrosted cake had the best final texture, although the fully frosted cake also froze surprisingly well.
Ingredients
You don't need chai tea bags or specialty ingredients for this cake. Its chai flavor comes from a combination of familiar ground spices.
Chai Cake
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides the cake's structure.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Help the cake rise and produce a soft crumb.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the spices.
- Cinnamon, Ginger, Cardamom, Cloves, and Nutmeg: Create the warm chai spice profile.
- Butter and Vegetable Oil: Butter adds flavor while oil helps the cake remain moist.
- Granulated and Brown Sugar: Sweeten the cake, with brown sugar adding extra moisture and caramel notes.
- Eggs: Add structure and richness.
- Vanilla Extract: Complements the warm spices.
- Whole Milk: Adds moisture and creates a smooth batter.
- Sour Cream: Helps produce a soft, tender crumb.
For the Chai Buttercream
- Butter: Forms the creamy frosting base.
- Powdered Sugar: Sweetens and gives the frosting structure.
- Heavy Cream or Milk: Adjusts the consistency.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds warm vanilla flavor.
- Cinnamon, Ginger, Cardamom, Cloves, and Nutmeg: Carry the chai flavor into the frosting.
Topping
- Ground Cinnamon: A light dusting finishes the cake with a chai-latte-inspired look.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Cream Cheese Frosting: Replace the buttercream with chai-spiced cream cheese frosting for a tangier finish.
- Maple Chai: Add 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup to the buttercream for a subtle maple flavor.
- Nut Topping: Finish with toasted pecans or walnuts for extra crunch.
How To Make Chai Cake
This cake comes together in six straightforward steps. Make the batter, bake and cool the cake, then finish it with chai buttercream and a light cinnamon dusting.
Step 1: Combine the Dry Ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish or line it with parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg.
Step 2: Mix the Wet Ingredients. Beat the softened butter, oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar for about 2 minutes, until creamy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, then mix in the sour cream until smooth.
Step 3: Finish the Batter. Mix in about half of the dry ingredients on low speed just until combined. Add the milk, followed by the remaining dry ingredients. Mix only until no dry flour streaks remain.
Step 4: Bake and Cool. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
Step 5: Make the Chai Buttercream. Beat the softened butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, and vanilla. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar, adding heavy cream or milk 1 tablespoon at a time until smooth and spreadable.
Step 6: Frost and Serve. Spread the buttercream over the completely cooled cake. Make swirls with the back of a spoon or offset spatula and lightly dust with cinnamon before slicing.
If you love spiced desserts like this one, you'll also enjoy my pumpkin spice frappuccino and pumpkin spice latte.
Expert Tips
- Use Room-Temperature Ingredients: Room-temperature butter, eggs, milk, and sour cream combine more evenly and help produce an even, tender crumb.
- Do Not Overmix: Once the flour is added, mix only until the batter comes together. Excess mixing can make the cake denser.
- Use Visual Doneness Cues: Begin checking at 30 minutes. The center should spring back lightly and a toothpick should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool Completely Before Frosting: Buttercream can soften or melt on even a slightly warm cake.
- Adjust the Frosting Gradually: If the buttercream is stiff, add cream or milk 1 tablespoon at a time. If it is too soft, add powdered sugar a few tablespoons at a time.
Storage Directions
- Room Temperature: Store the covered cake at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Refrigerate covered for up to 5 days. For the softest texture, let individual slices sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving.
- Freezer: For the best texture, freeze the cake unfrosted. Wrap it tightly in two layers of plastic wrap followed by foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before frosting. We also tested freezing it fully frosted in an airtight container, and it still tasted great - my husband couldn't tell the difference from fresh, though I noticed a slight change in the buttercream's texture. Either way, we happily ate every bite.
- Make Ahead: Bake the cake up to 2 days ahead, wrap well, and store at room temperature. Frost closer to serving.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this cake with chai tea, pumpkin chai latte, coffee, a vanilla chai latte, or warm apple cider or apple cider slushie. For dessert, it also pairs well with vanilla or cinnamon ice cream. Because it bakes in a 9×13-inch pan and cuts easily into squares, it's especially convenient for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, fall potlucks, brunches, and dessert tables.
Chai Cake Recipe FAQs
Not necessarily. Chai flavor can come from brewed chai tea, ground spices, or both. This recipe gets its chai flavor from cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg rather than brewed tea.
The balance of spices is more important than simply adding a lot of cinnamon. Cinnamon provides warmth, while ginger adds heat, cardamom contributes its distinctive aromatic flavor, and cloves and nutmeg add depth.
Yes. We tested the batter in a standard muffin pan filled about ⅔ full. It made 18 cupcakes and they baked in 17-19 minutes, with ours perfect at 18 minutes.
More Chai and Spiced Dessert Recipes
Love warm, spiced desserts? Try another cozy Kitchen Divas fall dessert next.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Chai Cake with Chai Buttercream
Ingredients
Chai Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup whole milk room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature
Chai Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Topping
- ground cinnamon for sprinkling
Instructions
- Step 1: Combine the Dry Ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish or line it with parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg.
- Step 2: Mix the Wet Ingredients. Beat the softened butter, oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar for about 2 minutes, until creamy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, then mix in the sour cream until smooth.
- Step 3: Finish the Batter. Mix in about half of the dry ingredients on low speed just until combined. Add the milk, followed by the remaining dry ingredients. Mix only until no dry flour streaks remain.
- Step 4: Bake and Cool. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
- Step 5: Make the Chai Buttercream. Beat the softened butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, and vanilla. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar, adding heavy cream or milk 1 tablespoon at a time until smooth and spreadable.
- Step 6: Frost and Serve. Spread the buttercream over the completely cooled cake. Make swirls with the back of a spoon or offset spatula and lightly dust with cinnamon before slicing.
Notes
- Use Room-Temperature Ingredients: Room-temperature butter, eggs, milk, and sour cream combine more evenly and help produce an even, tender crumb.
- Do Not Overmix: Once the flour is added, mix only until the batter comes together. Excess mixing can make the cake denser.
- Use Visual Doneness Cues: Begin checking at 30 minutes. The center should spring back lightly and a toothpick should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool Completely Before Frosting: Buttercream can soften or melt on even a slightly warm cake.
- Adjust the Frosting Gradually: If the buttercream is stiff, add cream or milk 1 tablespoon at a time. If it is too soft, add powdered sugar a few tablespoons at a time.
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