Chai Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Hello my loves,

Happy #easymondays! Bringing this simple-to-throw-together chai cake with cream cheese frosting to you today to celebrate the first day of Fall this week!

Once September hits, it’s Fall in my house. Doesn’t matter what the temp is outside… inside, it’s air conditioning blasting and pumpkin candles lit to get me in the holiday spirit. My husband jokes that “Tessember” is my holiday. It starts with my birthday (October 9th) and goes through all the holidays and into the New Year. That entire time you will not find an undecorated room in my house. It’s festive everywhere! September is the month I use to gear up for that!

Anyways, let’s chat cake. I love this chai cake because it’s a single layer like mom used to make. It’s nostalgic, yet current and new with the warm spices. It’s fluffy, has all that yummy spice that you associate with the best chai tea latte you’ve had and it’s topped with a simple yet always satisfying cream cheese frosting. Dust it with a little cinnamon or top with some star anise for a little pizazz and make this simple cake dinner party worthy.

Chai Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Print Recipe

Chai Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

A single layer, warm chai spiced cake topped with cream cheese frosting. It's simple to make yet so rich and delicious. A new Fall favorite in my house!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk, can use any kind but whole is best
• 4 chai tea bags
• 1 cup butter
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 4 eggs, room temp
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp cardamom
• 1 tbsp ginger
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 cup butter, softened to room temp
• 1 brick cream cheese, softened to room temp
• 6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350° and grease a 9x13 baking dish. I used a glass pyrex.
• In a medium saucepan over medium low heat, heat the milk until it starts to simmer. Once simmering, turn off heat and add the tea bags. Let steep as the milk cools. Once milk is cool, remove tea bags.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter, sugar and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating between each addition. Add the vegetable oil, sour cream and vanilla. Mix until combined.
• In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together. Flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, salt, nutmeg and pepper.
• Alternate adding the flour mixture and cooled tea to the wet ingredients. Starting with adding 1/3 of the flour. Then 1/3 of the tea. Repeat until all added and just combined. Pour into 9x13' and bake for 36-40 minutes, until top is golden browned and springs back when lightly touched. Let cool before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• Now beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth and no clumps. Add the powdered sugar a little bit at a time until all mixed. Now vanilla. Beat until smooth. Frost the cake once cooled. Dust with cinnamon if desired. Enjoy!

There you have it. It’s really, really good. I easily could’ve just gone to town on this with a fork straight from the dish. But I sliced some and started giving to neighbors so I wouldn’t. haha! If you’re looking for more Fall baking recipes, check out my pecan pie cheesecake bars or my pumpkin bread with salted maple butter. Both are winners! Happy baking!