Chai Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting 

Warm chai spice, caramel-like brown sugar, and a smooth cream cheese frosting make this chai cake feel right at home with a hot cup of coffee or tea. Baked in a simple 9×13-inch pan, the cake has a moist, springy crumb with a little more substance than a light boxed-style cake, while the chai stays pleasantly mild rather than heavily spiced.

I make the batter in one bowl using cold eggs and milk straight from the fridge. There is no need to bring everything to room temperature first or mix a separate bowl of dry ingredients.

This chai spice cake recipe uses a prepared blend rather than requiring you to measure cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and other chai spices separately. I usually use a prepared chai spice blend, although I have also made the cake with tea masala. The tea masala changed both the color and flavor of the batter, but both versions worked well.

I originally made this cake and wasn’t quite happy with it, so I continued working with the recipe until I got the combination of brown sugar, mild chai spice and springy homemade cake crumb I wanted. It makes enough for 12 generous servings without turning into a complicated layer-cake project.

If you enjoy baking with chai, my Apple Chai Streusel Muffins are another way to use the same warm spice profile in a smaller baked treat.

Quick Answer

Chai cake is a moist brown sugar spice cake flavored with a prepared chai spice blend and baked in a 9×13-inch pan. This version has a mild chai flavor, a springy but substantial crumb and a thin layer of cream cheese frosting.

I have been baking since I was a child, so some things I do by feel now started as lessons learned a long time ago. One that stuck with me came from my sister’s home economics class: don’t keep beating cake batter once the flour is incorporated unless you want to encourage tunneling. With this cake, I mix only until everything comes together because I want an even, springy crumb.

Why You’ll Love This Chai Cake

One-Bowl Batter: The dry ingredients are added directly to the wet ingredients, so there is no need for a second bowl just for the cake batter.

Family-Sized Cake: A 9×13-inch pan makes 12 generous servings and can be cut into smaller squares when you need more pieces.

Mild Chai Flavor: The spice is noticeable without making the cake as heavily spiced as carrot cake or some other spice cakes.

Simple Frosting: The cream cheese frosting is spread in a fairly thin layer, giving the cake some sweetness and tang without overwhelming the spice.. 

How To Make Chai Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Start by preheating the oven to 350°F and greasing a 9×13-inch baking dish. I use a glass baking dish for this recipe, so the approximately 45-minute bake time is based on glass rather than metal.

Add the vegetable oil, brown sugar, and cold eggs to a large mixing bowl. I usually use golden brown sugar, although I have made this cake with dark brown sugar when that was what I could find. Either one works.

Brown sugar can develop firmer lumps while sitting in the bag. Use a fork to break apart the larger ones before you continue mixing. Tiny bits are not a concern, but you do not want large hard pieces of sugar sitting in the finished batter.

Mix the oil, sugar, and eggs until everything is evenly combined.

Measure the flour into the bowl along with the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chai spice.

I scoop flour directly from the container, but the important part is that it should sit loosely in the measuring cup rather than being packed down. Too much flour will make this already substantial cake heavier than it should be.

Mix the cold 2% milk with the white vinegar shortly before you need it. I do not leave the mixture sitting for a long time because I want to use it before obvious curds begin to form. (When milk is acidified, the change in pH eventually causes its casein proteins to collect into curds. Mississippi State University Extension has a useful explanation of [how acid affects the casein in milk] if you want the food science behind what is happening.)

This quick sour milk is different from traditionally clabbered milk. If you want to understand the difference, I explain it further in What Is Clabber Milk?, including how clabbered milk differs from other soured dairy used in baking.

Begin stirring the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, gradually adding the sour milk as you work.

Scrape along the bottom and sides of the bowl so there are no dry pockets of flour left behind. Stop mixing once the flour and remaining dry ingredients are fully incorporated.

The batter will look fairly thick at first, then loosen as the milk is added. The finished batter should still be thick like a regular cake batter, but easy enough to pour into the pan.

I do not add vanilla to the cake batter. That is intentional. Vanilla has its own flavor, and I wanted the chai spice to do most of the flavoring in the cake rather than competing with it.

Pour the batter into the prepared 9×13-inch baking dish and spread it evenly.

Bake for about 45 minutes, but start checking the cake near the end rather than relying only on the clock.

The finished cake should be deep golden brown. The middle will have risen and rounded, and the edges will begin pulling slightly away from the sides of the pan.

Insert a cake tester into the center. It should come out clean rather than coated with wet batter.

Remove the cake from the oven and place the pan on a wire cooling rack. Let it cool until the cake and pan are no longer warm to the touch before adding the frosting.

While the cake cools, make the cream cheese frosting. Add the softened cream cheese and salted butter to a mixing bowl and beat until smooth and creamy on high.

Add about two cups of the icing sugar first and blend it in before adding the remaining icing sugar and vanilla extract.

Continue mixing until the frosting is creamy and smooth.

If the cake still needs more time to cool, cover the frosting and refrigerate it until needed. Chilled cream cheese frosting will firm up, but it becomes easier to spread again as it warms slightly.

Do not frost the cake while it is still warm. Cream cheese frosting softens quickly against a warm cake and can begin to slide or melt.

Spread the frosting over the completely cooled cake in an even layer. This amount gives the full 9×13-inch cake a thinner layer of frosting rather than a very thick one.

​Ingredients

This chai cake uses familiar baking ingredients, with the brown sugar, sour milk, and chai spice doing most of the work to create its flavor and texture.

Vegetable Oil: Use a neutral oil that will not compete with the chai. The oil helps keep the cake moist without adding another noticeable flavor.

Golden Brown Sugar: This is the brown sugar I usually use, although I have also made the cake with dark brown sugar when golden brown was unavailable. Either works. Dark brown sugar will give the cake a slightly deeper molasses flavor and darker color.

Eggs: I use large eggs straight from the refrigerator. There is no need to bring them to room temperature for this cake.

All-Purpose Flour: Regular all-purpose flour gives the cake its structure. Measure it so the flour sits loosely in the cup rather than being packed down, since too much flour will make the cake heavier.

Baking Powder: Helps provide lift as the cake bakes.

Baking Soda: Works with the acidic sour milk to help the cake rise and develop its springy crumb.

Salt: A small amount helps balance the sweetness and keeps the brown sugar from overwhelming the milder chai flavor.

Chai Spice Blend: I originally used Watkins Organic Chai Powder, a prepared blend containing sugar, cinnamon, black tea, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. I have also made this cake with tea masala, so use a chai blend whose flavor you already enjoy. Use a chai blend you already enjoy because different blends will change both the flavor and color of the cake.

2% Milk: I use cold 2% milk straight from the refrigerator to make the sour milk mixture.

White Vinegar: The vinegar is mixed into the milk shortly before it is added to the batter. It provides the acidity needed for the baking soda without requiring a separate cultured dairy product.

Cream Cheese: This forms the base of the frosting and gives it the tang that helps balance the sweet cake.

Salted Butter: Adds richness and structure to the cream cheese frosting. Since I use salted butter, I do not add extra salt to the frosting.

Icing Sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting while dissolving smoothly enough to keep it from feeling gritty.

Vanilla Extract: Vanilla is used in the frosting rather than the cake batter. This lets the chai spice remain the main flavor in the cake itself.

Substitutions and Add-Ins for Chai Cake

This cake allows for a few practical substitutions, but I would keep the main balance of flour, brown sugar, eggs, sour milk, and oil intact because those ingredients affect the crumb and rise.

Golden Brown Sugar: Dark brown sugar works in this cake and I have used both. I usually buy golden brown sugar, but if it is unavailable, dark brown sugar is a perfectly good substitute and will give the cake a slightly deeper molasses flavor and darker color.

Vegetable Oil: Another neutral-tasting oil can be used in place of vegetable oil. Avoid strongly flavored oils unless you want that flavor noticeable in the finished cake.

All-Purpose Flour: I have not tested another flour in this recipe, so I would keep the all-purpose flour rather than suggesting a direct substitute that may change the texture or structure.

Eggs: I have not tested this cake with an egg replacement. Because the eggs affect both structure and moisture, I would not recommend an egg-free substitution without retesting the recipe.

Chai Spice Blend: The spice blend you choose will make a difference, too. I’ve enjoyed this cake with both chai spice and tea masala, even though each gives the batter a slightly different flavor and color. For another dessert built around the same warm chai flavor, try my Cranberry Pecan Chai Bread Pudding with Vanilla Chai Cream Sauce.

Chai Spice Amount: Two teaspoons gives the cake a mild chai flavor. If you prefer a stronger spice profile, you can add more chai spice to suit your taste.

Sour Milk: The tested version uses cold 2% milk mixed with white vinegar. I have not tested this particular cake with buttermilk, so I would not present it as a tested substitution even though the two can serve similar purposes in baking.

Cream Cheese: Cream cheese gives the frosting its structure and tang, so I would keep it rather than replacing it with yogurt, coconut cream, or other softer alternatives and expecting the same result.

Salted Butter: Unsalted butter can be used in the frosting. Add a small pinch of salt if needed to replace the seasoning normally supplied by salted butter.

Vanilla Extract: The vanilla can be omitted from the frosting if necessary. If the frosting seems too stiff without it, add a small amount of milk or cream to loosen it.

Cream Cheese Frosting: For a stronger chai flavor, add a small amount of your chai spice blend to the frosting. Start lightly and taste before adding more because different chai blends vary in strength.

Nuts or Dried Fruit: These can be added if you want more texture, but they are not part of my tested base recipe

Expert Tips, Serving and Storing Suggestions

Tip #1: Keep the Flour Loose in the Measuring Cup: I scoop flour directly from the container, but the important part is not packing it down. Too much flour will make this already substantial cake heavier than it should be.

Tip #2: Stop Mixing Once the Batter Comes Together: Once the flour and other dry ingredients are incorporated and the batter is smooth, stop mixing. Overmixing can encourage tunneling, while this cake should have an even, springy crumb.

Tip #3: Use More Than One Doneness Cue: Do not rely on the 45-minute bake time alone. The finished cake should be deep golden brown, the center should be risen and slightly rounded, the edges should begin pulling away from the sides of the pan, and a cake tester inserted into the middle should come out clean.

Tip #4: Let the Cake Cool Completely Before Frosting: The center of a 9×13-inch cake can stay warm longer than the edges. Wait until the cake and pan are no longer warm to the touch before adding the cream cheese frosting, otherwise it can soften and slide.

Serving Suggestions

Cut the chai cake into 12 generous squares, or make smaller pieces if you are serving it alongside other desserts.

I prefer this cake at room temperature because I like the softer crumb, while my partner prefers it chilled. We usually keep it refrigerated because of the cream cheese frosting, then let individual slices sit out briefly if we want them closer to room temperature.

The mild chai spice also makes this a natural cake to serve with coffee or tea. If you want something smaller to serve alongside coffee, these fried dough balls with chai sugar use the same spice profile in a completely different way.

Storing Chai Cake

Once the cream cheese frosting has been added, cover the cake and store it in the refrigerator for up to five days. Keep refrigerated foods at 4°C (40°F) or lower, in line with [Health Canada’s food-safety guidance].

If you are waiting to frost the cake, I have kept the unfrosted cake at room temperature for up to about three hours while it cools.

For longer storage, freeze the cake without the frosting. Let it cool completely, wrap it well in plastic wrap, and place it in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to three months, then thaw before adding the cream cheese frosting.

Conclusion

This chai cake keeps things simple with a one-bowl batter, brown sugar, sour milk, and a prepared chai spice blend. The result is a moist, springy cake with a slightly denser homemade crumb and a mild chai flavor that works well with the cream cheese frosting.

I like that the spice blend can shift slightly depending on what you have on hand. I have made the cake with both prepared chai spice and tea masala, and while the color and flavor changed, both worked well.

If you make this cake, I’d be interested to know which chai blend you used and whether you kept the spice mild or added a little more.

Meet Amber

I’m the home cook and recipe creator behind A Cents For Cookery. I learned to cook growing up off-grid in Northern Ontario, where meals were made on a woodstove and preserving, baking, and making ingredients stretch were part of everyday life. Here I share practical family recipes, homemade baking, vintage-inspired cooking, and the kitchen knowledge I’ve picked up over the years to help you make the most of the food you have.

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