Chai Spice Cake

5 from 6 votes

This Chai Spice Cake is a three layered moist cake that has a blend of homemade chai spices mixed into the cake batter. The outside of the cake is frosted with a vanilla spice buttercream frosting. You will absolutely love all of the fall flavor in this perfect cake!

Prep Time30

Cook Time25

Decorating Time30

Total Time1 25

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: slices

Calories: 693kcal

Author: Karissa Parrish

Equipment

Three 6-Inch Cake Pans
Mixing Bowls
Electric Stand Mixer
Cake Decorating Tools

Ingredients

Chai Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 ½ teaspoons ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
⅛ teaspoon ground fine black pepper
1 ¼ cups sugar
⅔ cup oil (vegetable or canola)
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 egg whites, room temperature
½ cup yogurt (plain or vanilla), room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¾ cup milk, room temperature

Vanilla Spice Frosting

1 ½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
5 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper then nonstick spray. Set aside.

Chai Cake

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, and black pepper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, eggs, egg whites, yogurt, and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined. Alternately add the flour mixture and milk, starting and ending with the flour (flour, milk, flour) and mixing just until combined.
Divide the batter amongst the three prepared cake pans and bake for 23-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes come out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 25 minutes before removing and placing them on a wire rack to cool completely.

Vanilla Spice Frosting

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat together the butter on med-high speed until light and creamy (2-3 minutes). Add the powdered sugar, heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg and mix on low speed until combined.
Increase the speed to high and beat the frosting until smooth and creamy (1-2 minutes).

Assemble

If needed, use a serrated knife to level off the tops of each cake layer to create a flat surface. Place one cake layer on a cake stand or plate and spread about ⅔ cup of frosting. Repeat with the second layer. Top the cake with the last layer and spread on about ¼ cup of frosting.
Frost and smooth the outside of the cake with a thin crumb coat. Place the entire cake in the refrigerator or freezer for 10 minutes to chill.
Remove the cake from the refrigerator and finish frosting. Cover the sides and top of the cake again until frosted to your desire. Place the cake in the freezer for 10 more minutes.
I decorated the top by using the Wilton 6B to pipe a border. Keep any leftover cake slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

- - Cake Pans: This recipe calls for three 6-inch cake pans. Line each pan with parchment paper and non-stick spray.
  - Measuring Flour: To help ensure you don’t add extra flour, follow these three simple steps: 1) Fluff up the flour using a fork. 2) Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. 3) Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level out the flour.
  - Room Temperature Ingredients: Any ingredient that needs to be at room temperature should be taken out of the refrigerator at least 1 hour before you want to bake. Do not skip this step! It's super important so that the ingredients can incorporate properly.
  - Dividing the Batter: To make sure I evenly divide up the batter amongst the cake pans I use a ½ measuring cup to scoop the batter into each pan. I count as I go and then switch to a tablespoon as I get less and less batter.
  - Crumb Coat: This is where we add a thin layer of frosting on the cake in order to catch the crumbs and keeps them secure. You’ll want to chill the cake in the refrigerator or freezer for 10 minutes after the crumb coat has been put on before the final frosting layer.
  - Cake Decorating Tools: I like to use a turntable, cake scraper, and an icing spatula to help assist me when assembling a cake.

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