Spiced Chai Latte Cake (Printable)

A moist cake infused with chai spices and topped with creamy, rich frosting.

# What You Need:

→ Cake

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
06 - 1 teaspoon ground ginger
07 - ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
08 - ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
09 - ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
10 - 1 cup granulated sugar
11 - ½ cup light brown sugar
12 - ¾ cup vegetable oil
13 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
14 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
15 - 1 cup whole milk
16 - 2 chai tea bags

→ Cream Cheese Frosting

17 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
18 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
19 - 2 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
20 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
21 - Pinch of salt

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - Heat milk until simmering, steep chai tea bags for 10 minutes. Squeeze bags to extract flavor, then discard. Allow milk to cool.
03 - Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Whisk to blend evenly.
04 - Beat granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil until well incorporated. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each, then stir in vanilla extract.
05 - Alternate adding dry ingredients and chai-infused milk to wet mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix gently until just combined; avoid overmixing.
06 - Distribute batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean.
07 - Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
08 - Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt; continue beating until fluffy.
09 - Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread half the frosting evenly over top. Add second layer and cover completely with remaining frosting.
10 - Optionally, dust with cinnamon or sprinkle with chai-spiced tea leaves before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The cake stays impossibly moist because the chai-infused milk keeps every crumb tender and soft.
  • Cream cheese frosting cuts through the spices just enough to feel like a balance between dessert and comfort drink.
  • It's the kind of cake that fills your entire kitchen with a warm, welcoming aroma while baking.
  • You can make it ahead—it actually tastes better the next day once the flavors settle.
02 -
  • If your cream cheese or butter is cold, the frosting will break and become grainy—it's worth the wait to let them soften at room temperature, or you can microwave them in very short bursts, checking constantly.
  • Chai-infused milk loses its magic if you use boiling water; the delicate spice notes get muddy, so aim for just-steaming milk that's hot enough to extract flavor but not so hot it scalds the leaves.
  • Overmixing the batter after adding the wet and dry ingredients is the most common mistake—the flour-sugar-egg mixture will suddenly seem like it's not combining, and the urge to keep mixing is strong, but stop and trust that those last streaks of flour will incorporate as it bakes.
03 -
  • Grind your own chai spices if you can—cardamom pods in particular are worth the effort, and they transform the cake from good to memorable.
  • The test for doneness is crucial here: a toothpick should come out clean but the cake should still feel slightly springy to the touch, not dry and set.
  • If you're making this for someone, mention that it tastes even better the next day when the spices have fully settled into the crumb.

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