Chai Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
There’s something about fall baking that feels like hitting a reset button. Maybe it’s the smell of cinnamon and cloves floating through the kitchen or the excuse to pull out your favorite mug and bake something just because it’s chilly outside. Either way, this chai cake with cream cheese frosting is one of those cozy fall recipes you’ll come back to again and again. It’s simple, flavorful and tastes like autumn wrapped in a blanket.
This cake has everything I love about fall: warm spices, a soft, fluffy crumb, and that tangy cream cheese frosting that makes it impossible to stop at one bite. It’s basically a chai latte turned into a dessert. And yes, it’s just as good as it sounds!
why you’ll love this cake:
Chai Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the chai cake:
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup strong brewed chai tea cooled or ¼ cup milk + ¼ cup chai concentrate
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of cinnamon optional but highly recommended
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line an 8×8-inch pan or a loaf pan (if you want a more chai bread style look).
- Whisk dry ingredients together: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all your cozy spices.
- In another bowl, beat together the butter and sugars until creamy and light. Add eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla.
- Alternate adding dry ingredients and liquids (milk + chai tea) into the butter mixture until just combined. Don’t overmix! Just gently fold everything together.
- Pour batter into your pan and bake for about 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let it cool completely before frosting (I know, the hardest part).
- To make the frosting:
- Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla and powdered sugar, mixing until creamy and fluffy. Spread generously over the cooled cake and sprinkle with cinnamon for that extra fall touch.
tips & tricks for the perfect chai cake:
my favorite baking supplies:
FAQs:
This recipe is one of those easy cake recipes that can be adapted a hundred ways…drizzle caramel on top, add a handful of chopped nuts, or bake it into muffins. You really can’t mess it up!
At the end of the day, baking should feel like a little escape. Like something that slows you down and fills your kitchen with warmth. So make this on a quiet weekend, light a candle, and let your home smell like a chai latte dream.
