Print

Brown Sugar Chai Cake Recipe

Brown Sugar Chai Cake Recipe
Print Recipe

★★★★★

5.1 from 25 reviews

This Brown Sugar Chai Cake blends warm, aromatic chai spices with a moist, tender crumb sweetened by rich dark brown sugar. Topped with a smooth and creamy cream cheese frosting, this cake offers a perfect balance of spice and sweetness, ideal for cozy gatherings or special occasions.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Brown Sugar Chai Cake:

  • 390 g (3 ¼ cups) all-purpose flour
  • 320 g (1 ½ cups) dark brown sugar
  • 15 g (1 tbsp + ¾ tsp) baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons cardamom
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon cloves
  • 140 g (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 100 g (½ cup) neutral oil (such as vegetable or canola oil)
  • 283 g (1 ¼ cups) whole milk, room temperature
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 227 g (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 340 g (12 oz or 1 ½ blocks) cream cheese, cold
  • 340 g (3 cups) powdered sugar, sifted

Instructions

  1. Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease two 9-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Soak cake strips in ice water to use later for wrapping the pans.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the all-purpose flour, dark brown sugar, baking powder, kosher salt, and all the chai spices (cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, cloves) until evenly distributed.
  3. Add Butter: Cut the room temperature unsalted butter into small cubes and add to the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until the mixture resembles wet sand, ensuring the butter is well incorporated but not overmixed.
  4. Add Wet Ingredients: Pour in the neutral oil, whole milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed until just combined, taking care not to overmix the batter to keep the cake light.
  5. Divide Batter and Apply Cake Strips: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Wrap the soaked, cold cake strips around the outside of each pan; this helps the cake bake evenly by insulating the edges.
  6. Bake the Cake: Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Immediately invert the cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  7. Freeze the Cake Layers: Once cool, wrap the cake layers tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for at least two hours to firm up layers and make frosting easier.
  8. Prepare Cream Cheese Frosting: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat room temperature butter and cold cream cheese on high speed until smooth and creamy. Gradually add sifted powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined. Continue beating on low until the frosting is smooth without lumps or air pockets.
  9. Assemble the Cake: Secure one cake layer on your cake stand with a small dab of frosting. Spread an even layer of frosting over it using an offset spatula. Place the second cake layer on top and frost the entire cake as desired.
  10. Decorate and Serve: Optionally, sprinkle a small amount of cinnamon on top for garnish. Slice and serve to enjoy the warm spice flavors with creamy frosting.

Notes

  • Use cake strips soaked in ice water and wrapped around the pans before baking to ensure flat, evenly baked cake layers without domed edges.
  • Freeze cake layers for at least two hours before decorating to make frosting easier and prevent the cake from crumbling.
  • Use cold cream cheese and room temperature butter for smooth, sturdy, and pipeable cream cheese frosting.
  • Sift powdered sugar before adding to the frosting to avoid grainy texture and reduce mixing time.
  • If using a premade chai spice blend instead of individual spices, use approximately 3 tablespoons (to match the combined spice quantities) to maintain balanced chai flavor.

Nutrition

Keywords: brown sugar chai cake, chai spice cake, spiced cake with cream cheese frosting, chai cake recipe, brown sugar cake

Find it online: https://kitchenwithkai.com/brown-sugar-chai-cake-recipe/