Description
This Spiced Brown Sugar Chai Layer Cake is a moist, flavorful dessert infused with warm chai spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger. Layered with a smooth cream cheese frosting, this cake brings cozy chai flavors to a classic layered cake perfect for gatherings or special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
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
- 283 g (1 ¼ cups) whole milk, room temperature
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Frosting
- 227 g (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 12 oz (1 ½ blocks) cream cheese, cold
- 340 g (3 cups) powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
- Prepare and Bake the Cake: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease and line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper, then soak cake strips in ice water to help the cakes bake evenly. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, dark brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices (cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, cloves). Add the cubed butter to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until the mixture looks like wet sand. Then add the oil, whole milk, eggs, and vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and wrap the soaked cake strips around the pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and immediately turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, wrap the cakes tightly in plastic wrap and freeze until ready to frost, as frozen layers are easier to frost.
- Make the Frosting: In a clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the room temperature butter and cold cream cheese together on high speed until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar while mixing on low speed, continuing to beat until the frosting is smooth, lump-free, and without air pockets.
- Assemble the Cake: Place the first cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate and secure it by spreading a small amount of frosting on the bottom. Using an offset spatula, spread an even layer of frosting over the top of the first layer. Carefully place the second cake layer on top of the frosted layer. Use the remaining frosting to finish decorating the cake as desired. Finally, sprinkle a light dusting of cinnamon on top before serving.
Notes
- Freezing the cake layers before frosting helps achieve cleaner, smoother frosting application.
- Make sure all the butter and milk ingredients are at room temperature to ensure proper mixing.
- Using fresh spices will enhance the chai flavor profile in the cake.
- If you don’t have cake strips, you can chill the pan sides with damp towels to prevent doming.
- This cake can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen after assembly for up to 1 month.
