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.
Made this cake for my boyfriend’s birthday yesterday. He absolutely loved it! This recipe makes a lot of frosting and it’s fairly sweet- he isn’t a frosting person so I found that just placing frosting in the middle and top and keeping the sides naked was just the perfect amount! (That’s if you don’t like sweet things or are not a frosting person either) Directions easy to follow and most definitely be making it again.
Yay, Asalia! I’m so happy this recipe was a hit!
I’ve made this cake twice already and get rave reviews! Thank you for a delicious recipe! My niece requests this cake for her birthday.
Yay, Rita! That makes me so so happy! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Hi, how do you store this cake for an outdoor wedding? I will prepare day prior to my son’s wedding – can I keep overnight sealed on counter or do I have to refrigerate?
How special that you get to make your son’s wedding cake! I always refrigerate my cakes until they’re ready to display (a few hours before serving). You don’t technically have to refrigerate the cake but I find that refrigerating keeps all the decorating details looking perfect.
Hi Whitney,
love the look of this recipe but just have two questions:
1. what is the purpose of adding sour cream to the cake? Am i okay to leave it out?
2. If i wanted to make 2 tiers how I do divide the ingredients? (divide by 3 and then x2?)
Hi there! Thanks so much! To answer your questions: 1) the sour cream makes this cake extra moist. I wouldn’t recommend leaving it out. If you need a good substitute for it, you can use an equal amount of plain yogurt. 2) That’s exactly how you’d make just two tiers. Good math skills! Let me know if you have any more questions and I hope you enjoy this recipe!
It was delicious!!!!!! My grand daughter turned 13 and chose this cake for me to make. We made it together and we’ll be making it again.
Yay, DeeDee! I’m so happy to hear that this cake is a hit and you’ll be making it again! Thanks for taking the time to let me know 🙂
Hello, I was just wondering how long you can keep the finished cake in the fridge before it goes bad? Thank you in advance
Hi Victoria! The finished cake (uncut) can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days or so. Enjoy!
Hi Whitney,
I just love making your cakes! I think this is the 4th recipe of yours I try. And I have to say this one is my favorite!! I’m obsessed with Chai anything. And this cake fully delivers.
I do use either Italian or Swiss meringue buttercream instead just because of preference, but I always keep the same flavor profile as your buttercream.
That’s amazing, Alexandra! I’m so happy you love this recipe as much as I do!
Hi! Is there any substitute for egg in this recipe?
Hi Pankhuri! I haven’t tried substituting the eggs in this recipe, so I’m not sure what would be the best sub. Let me know if you try substituting the eggs though, I’d love to know if you made it work!
My cakes ran over the pans. Has anyone else had this problem!
Hello. What brand did you use for the chai tea bags? I plan on making it for my daughters 10th birthday, she loves all things chai. And am excited to try this recipe, it looks delicious! Thank you so much.
Hi Nausicaa! I used Trader Joe’s brand chai, but you could use any brand! Enjoy – this sounds like the perfect cake for your daughter’s birthday!
I don’t have sour cream available where I live (Uganda) would plain yogurt be a good substitute?
Hi Marissa! Yes – plain yogurt would be the best sub. Enjoy!
Hi Whitney!!
I’m in the process of making this cake for my friends birthday!! i’m super excited for the results.
As i was mixing the last of the wet ingredients (sour cream and vanilla) i noticed once i finished mixing, it almost looked.. curdled?? Do you know what could have caused this? I am almost certain everything i used for that, like the butter and sour cream, were room temperature, so i’m not sure what’s up!! i’ll continue with it and see how it goes!!
Thanks so much!!
Hi Jordan! It is totally normal for the mixture to look curdled at that point in the recipe. When you add the flour mixture and liquid at the end, it should come together as a uniform batter and no longer look curdled. Hope it ended up well!
Hey! I was just wondering about the overall sweetness of this cake? It just looks like quite a large volume of sugar to butter/flour compared to most recipes I’ve worked with! The spice blend sounds great!
Hi Cat! In my opinion, this cake isn’t too sweet and I’ve never ever had complaints about it being too sweet from reviewers. It’s one of my very favorite recipes and I hope you get the chance to try it!
Wow! Made this for our anniversary and it was incredible! Amazing flavor.
I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit! Congratulations on your anniversary!
Hi Whitney, this cake is gorgeous and so delicious. I made it for my husband’s birthday (he loved it). I used Monkfruit sweetener and oikos greek yogurt in place of the sugar and sour cream. It came our more dense than light and fluffy, but the flavour is still fantastic! I could not find your cookies and ended up trying Biscoff biscuits by Lotus. They are so good.
Do you happen to have a calorie breakdown for this cake?
Thank you for a beautiful cake that s definitely going to be added to the recipe bin.
Hi Sarah! So happy this cake turned out well with those substitutions and it was a hit for your husband’s birthday! I don’t have a calorie breakdown but it looks like you can copy/paste recipes into this website to calculate calories: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Hi! Would you describe this came as light and fluffy? It is it more of a dense cake?
Hi Erin! I’d call it light and fluffy, yet moist. That’s the goal with most of my cakes and the reason why I use cake flour vs. all-purpose and add extra moisture with sour cream 🙂