I’m a tea lover all year round, but once the weather gets colder and things start to get cozy, chai is a staple in my tea cabinet. This spiced vanilla chai cake is that dreamy feeling of a warm chai latte in cake form – layers of soft and moist chai tea-infused cake and vanilla buttercream speckled with homemade chai spice mix. The remarkable yet perfectly balanced chai flavor makes this the ideal cake for any fall or winter gathering.
One reader, Marisa, says: “I made this cake and it was AMAZING!! I’ve been baking cakes for most of my life and this was one of the best I’ve ever made. It was so light and fluffy, with the perfect amount of spice.” ★★★★★
Why You’ll Love this Vanilla Chai Cake
Here are a few reasons why this spiced vanilla chai cake has become such a blog reader favorite over the years:
- Super soft & moist. This recipe uses a variation of my favorite vanilla cake recipe as a base, which is beautifully soft and moist from the addition of cake flour (keeps it light and fluffy) and sour cream (makes it super moist).
- Beautiful spiced chai flavor. Between steeping chai tea for the cake batter + adding tons of chai spices, I pull all the stops to create the perfect chai flavor in this recipe. It’s so cozy!
- Fun to make. The additional steps of steeping the chai tea and making homemade chai spice mix makes this recipe feel a little more complex, but in a fun way!
Perfectly Spiced Vanilla Chai Cake
There are two ways that I add chai flavor to this spiced vanilla chai cake: infusing the milk portion of the recipe with chai tea and adding a homemade spice blend to the dry ingredients and buttercream. Both of these methods add tons of spicy chai flavor, and combined with a good dose of vanilla extract, the result is perfection.
- Steeping the tea. This cake recipe begins with bringing the whole milk to a simmer in a small saucepan, then pouring it over a chai tea bag and steeping it for at least 15 minutes. After removing the tea bag, you’ll have a chai-infused milk mixture that will be added to the cake batter once it’s room temperature.
- Homemade chai spice mix. To flavor the cake and buttercream, you’ll blend together cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, and cloves. This gets added to the dry ingredients for the cake batter, and whisked into the powdered sugar that you’ll add to the buttercream.
Dreamy Vanilla Chai Buttercream
To really up the flavor, this delicious chai cake gets filled and frosted with silky smooth, beautifully speckled vanilla chai buttercream. It’s essentially my favorite vanilla buttercream recipe with homemade chai spice mix added, and oh my. The combination is Fall flavor heaven! This cake will technically pair well with all sorts of buttercreams (cream cheese, chocolate, vanilla, or anything that pairs well with chai tea), but if you want the full-on chai cake experience, this is it.
How to Decorate a Chai Layer Cake
Once you have your cake layers baked, cooled, and leveled + the buttercream made, here’s how to decorate this chai cake as pictured:
Step 1: Fill and stack. Place a swipe of buttercream on top of a cardboard cake circle and place the first chai cake layer on top. Add a layer of chai buttercream and smooth it down as the filling, then repeat the process of filling and stacking the cake until you have one layer left. Place that last layer upside down.
I like to crumb coat the cake at this point and place it in the refrigerator to firm up before moving on.
Step 2: Frost the cake. I created a smooth buttercream finish with the chai buttercream.
Step 3: Add Biscoff cookie crumbs. This part is completely optional, but I crushed up some Biscoff cookies and pressed the crumbs onto the bottom third of the cake.
Step 4: Add finishing touches. I divided the rest of the chai buttercream between two piping bags, one fitted with Wilton Tip 1M and the other fitted with Wilton Tip 4B. Then, I piped rosettes with Tip 1M in a crescent shape on top of the cake and filled in the gaps with stars that I piped with Tip 4B. I topped this crescent border with more Biscoff cookie crumbs and cinnamon sticks.
However you decorate, this cake is sure to be a hit wherever it goes! Feel free to get creative with how it looks.
Similar Cake Recipes You’ll Love
Here are some other cozy cake recipes from my blog to add to your baking list:
- Spiced Chai Cupcakes
- Spiced Chai Bundt Cake
- Chai Pumpkin Cake
- London Fog Cake
- Golden Milk Latte Cake
I hope you love this spiced vanilla chai cake as much as I do! Let me know if you make it in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me if you post a photo. I love to see what you create with my recipes!
Spiced Vanilla Chai Cake
Ingredients
Chai Spice Mix
- 4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
Vanilla Chai Cake
- 1 1/4 Cups (300ml) whole milk
- 1 chai tea bag
- 2 3/4 Cups (290g) sifted cake flour* DIY recipe in notes
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 4 tsp chai spice mix (recipe above)
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 Cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 2/3 Cups (333g) granulated white sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 Cup (120g) sour cream, room temperature
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
Vanilla Chai Buttercream
- 2 Cups (452g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 7 Cups (840g) powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp chai spice mix (recipe above)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
- 1/4 tsp salt
Garnish
- 5 Biscoff cookies, ground into crumbs
Instructions
Make The Chai Spice Mix
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, and cloves and set aside.
Make The Vanilla Chai Cake
- Place the chai tea bag into a mason jar. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the whole milk, stirring constantly, until it begins to boil. Pour the boiling milk over the chai tea bag in the mason jar and let steep for 20 minutes before removing the tea bag. Allow the mixture to cool completely to room temperature before moving on.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (170ºC). Prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with a cooking spray (Baker's Joy is my favorite) and fitting a wax or parchment paper circle to the bottom of the pan. Alternatively, you can grease and lightly flour the pans.
- Sift the cake flour and then measure by spooning and leveling it in your measuring cup. Add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, 4 teaspoons of the chai spice mix, and salt into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), cream the butter for on high for two minutes until it's light and fluffy. Add in sugar and continue to mix on medium-high for another two minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, then add vanilla and sour cream and mix for one minute on high, scraping down the bowl and paddle once more.
- With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the (room temperature!) chai milk mixture slowly and mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs to make sure there are no lumps (without over-mixing). The batter will be slightly thick, but pourable.
- Pour batter evenly into prepared cake pans (no more than 2/3 of the way full) and bake for 30-35 minutes. They're done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for five minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack for an additional few hours of cooling. Make sure they're entirely room temperature before applying any frosting.
Make The Vanilla Chai Buttercream
- With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the butter on medium-high until it’s creamy and light (almost white) in color. About 7 minutes.
- Whisk 1 Tbsp of the Chai Spice Mix into the measured powdered sugar. With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar mixture a few cups at a time, scraping down after each addition and making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next one.
- Add vanilla, milk, and salt and mix on medium-low for another two minutes until fully incorporated.
Assembly
- Once the Vanilla Chai Cakes have cooled completely, fill and frost the layers with Vanilla Chai Buttercream. To create the design pictured, add crushed Biscoff cookies to the sides of the cake by placing them into the palm of your hand and gently pressing them onto the buttercream finish. Then, fit one piping bag with Wilton Tip 4B and another piping bag with Wilton Tip 1M before filling each with Vanilla Chai Buttercream. Pipe rosettes and stars onto the top of the cake in a crescent moon shape, add some cinnamon sticks, and sprinkle more crushed Biscoff cookies on top.
Notes
- The chai milk mixture can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature before adding it to the cake batter.
- The cake layers can be made ahead and stored, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to two days. Alternatively, you can store the wrapped cake layers in the freezer for up to 2 months before thawing and frosting.
- The Vanilla Chai Buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip in your stand mixer to bring back to smooth buttercream consistency.
Hi! I was wondering if I could use this recipe to make cupcakes? And if so roughly how many it would make? Thank you!
Hi Aisha! You totally can. Just be sure to fill the tins no more than 2/3 of the way full and bake at 250 for 15-18 minutes. This recipe will make quite a few cupcakes, around 36-40!
I can’t wait to try this cake recipe out! I’ll be making it for my sister’s birthday this week!
Just wondering if you could clarify “whole milk”… is that Full Fat Milk (whipping cream) or is that Homogenized Cream (3.25%)?
Hi Brandi! Whole Milk refers to Vitamin D milk, basically the kind of milk you would drink by the glass that has the most fat. Here is an article that explains what it is so you can find the equivalent for this recipe: https://milklife.com/articles/nutrition/types-of-dairy-milk
Hi, how would you adjust the recipe for a sheet cake? All of our baking equipment is in storage for a couple weeks and it’s my wife’s birthday this weekend. Working with what I’ve got!
Excited for you to make this for your wife’s birthday, Chris! To make this recipe as a sheet cake, be sure to fill the pan no more than 1/2 full and bake at 350 for an additional 5 minutes than this recipe calls for (or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean). Here’s more info on how to convert my layer cake recipes into sheet cakes: https://sugarandsparrow.com/sheet-cake-recipes/
I made this over the weekend for my birthday (and because I couldn’t wait for the fall). I am so happy with how it turned out. Everyone loved it! It’s definitely going to become a staple within my friend/family groups! 🙂
Yay, Mel! I am so happy to hear that the recipe was a hit and hope you had the happiest birthday weekend!
Hello, do you think I could use Chai Concentrate? I picked it up without looking, it has 23 g added sugar per 3/4 cup concentrate. Thank you
Hi Nilevi! I actually made a chai cake recipe with chai concentrate here: https://sugarandsparrow.com/coconut-chai-cake-recipe/ you can use that recipe with yours!
I have a friend who’s diabetic., Is there something else than splenda that i can substitute the sugar? Because i noticed the last time i used splenda in cup cake it make the cake dense.
Hi Josianne! I wish I knew of some great sugar alternatives, but I have never baked anything sugar-free/reduced sugar before. I would do a little research on sugar substitutes to see what people are recommending. If you do end up making this recipe with a sugar substitute let me know how it goes – now I’m curious!
Unsweetened Applesauce is the best alternative in baking cakes as a sugar alternative in my experience. When you use Applesauce over sugar, you need to reduce the liquid in the recipe. What I do is omit half the eggs (or 1 egg) then reduce the other liquids to account for the Applesauce. If you don’t reduce the fluids, it can make the batter too runny. If that happens, add flour 2 tablespoons at a time to thicken it up. My dad’s side is the family were all diabetics, and splenda wasn’t around when I got into baking, so I learned that most fruit purees can be used instead of sugar. I’ve had best experiences with Applesauce. (In case anyone else needs to know, lol)
Hi! can I use an instant chai instead of the tea bag for the milk? also, can I omit allspice? thanks!
Hi Ana! You can totally use instant chai instead of the tea bag and also omit the allspice. Different chai flavors include different spice profiles, so feel free to do what you love best for the spices!
What are some good egg alternatives for this particular recipe? Would love to try it!
Hi Bhagjit! I’ve never tried substituting the eggs in this recipe, so I’m not sure how replacements will affect the chemistry of this cake. Feel free to do some research to see how you can convert a cake recipe with eggs to an eggless recipe and let me know if you try it with any substitutes!
Unsweetened apple sauce would work as the egg replacement in this recipe, but you’d want to also cut back on the sugar. Look up proper replacement measurements. You could probably also use banana, but they would potentially impart a slight flavor, though it’s imagine it would be delicious.
How could I alter the recipe to make this into cupcakes instead of a cake? Thank you!
Hi Megan! This recipe makes perfect cupcakes as-is. Just be sure to fill the tins no more than 2/3 full and bake at 350 for 17-19 min and you’ll be set!
Her recipes are very easy to use for cupcakes!! If you want just 12-15 cupcakes, just halve the recipe (divide each ingredient by 2). And follow her instructions to fill each cup only 2/3 full and bake on 350°F for 17-19 mins. Best recipes ever! And I even take it a step further and make mine gluten free. Rave reviews!
Best cake, so moist and so good
Yay, Helena! So happy you love this recipe as much as I do!
What size cake is this? And how many servings do you get?
Hi Avery! This is a triple layer 6 inch cake, it serves about 15 people.
If I wanna make just one layer do I just divide all of the measurements by 3?
Yes, that’s exactly right!
Hi, what alternative flour could I use for this recipe? I’m in the uk and can’t find cake flour, would self-raising work?
Hi Darcey! Self-raising flour will mess with the chemistry of the cake since it already has rising agents in it. Instead, the best recommendation is to make your own cake flour using All Purpose Flour https://sugarandsparrow.com/homemade-cake-flour-recipe/ but you can also just sub straight All Purpose Flour. The cake might end up a little more dense that way but a better alternative than any other flours.
Can I use a pre made chai seasoning by Watkins?
You can totally use a pre-made chai seasoning with this recipe. Hope you love it!
Made this cake for a work colleague for her birthday and it was given rave reviews. Very, very good! Will be adding to my “birthday cake” rotation!
Yay, Suzanne! So happy to hear this cake was a hit!
Would I need to alter the recipe for a 8in, three layer cake?
Hi Mary! I would make 1.5x this recipe to accommodate three 8-inch layers.
Hey, I love all your healthy recipes. Your all recipes look awesome.
It’s Healthy and tasty. Vanilla Chai Cake recipe is looking mouth-watering.
I love vanilla cakes. I am going to try this recipe for sure.
I will let you know the feedback.
Thanks for sharing!!!
Yay, Farzana! So excited for you to try some of my cake recipes!