If you love masala chai, I’ve found your new favorite dessert. This fusion cake turns the favorite hot drink of South Asians – masala chai, into a delicious, soft, and fluffy cake with a light and airy chai-flavored whipped cream frosting. PS: This recipe has actual tea, not just “chai spices”! This one-of-a-kind dessert uses basic pantry ingredients and comes together in under an hour!
Before we begin, let’s clear out one thing – It’s just CHAI, not CHAI TEA. Chai literally means tea. In Hasan Minhaj’s words – “You’re saying Tea Tea, You Dumb Dumb!”
If there is one fact about me that EVERYONE who knows me even a little bit is aware of, it’s my undying love for chai. Not surprisingly, one of my most famous videos on TikTok is about chai, and it caused quite a controversy because I shared that I use a measuring scale to make my chai every single day because I want to make the perfect cup of chai every time. That’s how much I care about chai, every single cup should be perfect.
My two cups of chai in a day, one in the morning and the other in the evening drive me through the day. I sleep at night looking forward to my morning cup of chai, and I spend the day looking forward to my evening cup of chai. It’s a truly loving and committed relationship that I never want to let go of (so if you have any “that much caffeine isn’t good for you!” lectures, please keep them to yourself 🙂).
Given how much I love chai, you better believe that I try to incorporate it into desserts as much as possible, so this masala chai cake recipe should not surprise anyone.
If you love chai as much as I do, you will love these recipes –
It’s a soft, fluffy vanilla cake sponge spiced with masala chai spices like cinnamon and cardamom that’s soaked in masala chai and topped with chai-flavored whipped cream. It represents chai in every sense of the word. And it’s totally customizable to your chai preferences!
Let’s get into the details of this masala chai cake
The Masala Cake Sponge
The masala cake sponge forms the perfect base for this chai-flavored dessert. As it’s a vanilla-flavored cake, it carries the flavor of the chai very well and helps it shine. The cake is ultra fluffy thanks to the addition of extra egg whites and buttermilk that take this sponge to a whole new level.
To add the masala touch to the cake, it’s flavored with spices commonly used in masala chai. I personally prefer adding only cardamom and cinnamon to my chai, so I added those two powders to the cake. However, you can personalize it to your chai preferences and add whatever spices you like to add to your chai – ginger powder, black pepper powder, clove powder- endless options.
The cake batter comes together in just a few steps.
- First, combine all the dry ingredients – all-purpose flour, corn flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices, in a bowl.
- Cream the softened butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, then add the eggs and egg whites along with a LOT of vanilla and whisk until it’s properly combined.
- Next, you’re going to add the dry ingredients into the egg mixture in two parts, first folding the ingredients gently with a spatula, then whisking them together with your electric beater.
- Finally, you will add the buttermilk and whisk until you have a thick fluffy batter. Transfer it to the cake pans and bake for 20 minutes at 180 degrees until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
The Chai-Flavored Whipped Cream
I hate, HATE recipes that claim to be “chai-flavored” but actually include only chai spices and no tea leaves. I mean, what’s the point of calling it “chai-flavored”, then? So you better believe that this cake is jam-packed with chai, starting with the chai whipped cream.
This fluffy cream topping is made by combining a cooked, milk-based chai with whipping cream. The chai base can be customized as per your preferences – you can add more or fewer tea leaves to make it stronger, lighter in flavor, or more sugar to make it sweeter. You can also add your favorite whole spices like ginger, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon to build that masala chai flavor on the cake.
The chai mixture should be cooked for long enough for the milk to develop the flavor of the tea leaves properly, the exact timing would depend on the strongest of the tea leaves you are using.
Pro tip: Make sure the chai mixture is completely cool before mixing it with the whipped cream, or the whipped cream will split.
Whipping the cream halfway through before adding the chai mixture allows the cream to stabilize and whip properly. If you add the chai mixture before whipping the cream, the cream will not whip properly and will remain loose and unstable.
The Chai Topping
Did you think we were done adding chai to this cake? Not even close!
To double down on the chai flavor and make sure that the cake ACTUALLY tastes like chai, the sponge is topped with a chai mix (similar to a milk cake). This allows the cake to soak up as much chai flavor as possible and helps it stand out and shine throughout the eating experience.
The chai used in the topping can be the regular chai recipe you drink daily. Again, you can customize it and add spices as per your preferences.
Once the cake is soaked with the chai mixture, add the chai whipped cream on top and finish with a sprinkle of cinnamon for some extra pizzazz and flavor.
This masala chai cake is really that simple and will make everyone think you’re a pro in the kitchen with minimum effort.
PS: You can make it a day in advance and let it soak overnight; the flavor will be even better the next day!
Ready to enjoy your favorite cup of chai in the form of a delicious cake? Let’s get started!
PS: I always measure ingredients in grams, never in cups. Using a measuring scale is the only way to bake accurately. Cups are very unreliable and can give different measurements, so I would suggest you buy a measuring scale before you start baking! If you can’t get your hands on one, you can use the online tools for converting grams into cups; however, I do not guarantee their accuracy.
Masala Chai Cake With Chai-Flavored Frosting
Equipment
- Three 6" cake pans or Two 9" cake pan you can make this as a two layer cake or a single layer cake
- Electric mixer
- Silicone spatula
Ingredients
Masala Cake
- 400 gs all-purpose flour
- 58 gs corn flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4th tsp baking soda
- 400 gs granulated white sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder substitute or add any other spices of your choice
- 345 gs unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder substitute or add any other spices of your choice
- 3 whole eggs
- 2 egg whites
- 2 tsp vanilla essence
- 360 ml buttermilk (instructions to make your own buttermilk in the recipe)
Chai-Flavored Whipped Cream
- 200 ml full-fat milk
- 10 gs loose tea leaves more or less as per your preference
- 25 gs sugar more or less as per your preference
- Whole spices (cardamom, clove, cinnamon, ginger) as per your prefernece
- 120 ml liquid whipping cream
Chai Topping
- 130 ml full-fat milk
- 150 ml water
- 7 gs loose team leaves more or less as per your preference
- 10 gs sugar more or less as per your preference
Instructions
Masala Cake
- Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Prepare the cake pans by greasing them with butter and flour
- Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl – all purpose flour, corn flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon powder, cardamom powder, and any other spices you are using (add 1/2 tsp of every additional spice)400 gs all-purpose flour, 58 gs corn flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/4th tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder, 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- In another bowl, add the softened butter and sugar and whisk on high speed with an electric or stand mixer until the mixture is thick, pale, and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes. Make sure you are creaming the mixture enough: if it's not whisked properly, the cake will not be as fluffy as you want it to be.400 gs granulated white sugar, 345 gs unsalted butter, softened
- Add the eggs, egg whites, and vanilla essence and whisk again on medium speed until well combined, about 2-3 minutes.3 whole eggs, 2 egg whites, 2 tsp vanilla essence
- With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and whisk until completely combined.
- Add the buttermilk and whisk on low speed until completely combined, and you have a thick and smooth batter. Make your own buttermilk – Combine the milk with 2 tsp of vinegar and let it sit for 10-15 minutes until it splits and is ready to use.360 ml buttermilk
- Transfer the batter to prepared cake pans and bake for 20-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake. Cool the cake layers completely before assembly.
Chai-Flavored Whipped Cream
- Make the chai base: In a saucepan, add the milk, tea leaves, sugar, and whole spices (if using) and heat it on high flame until it starts boiling. Lower the heat and let the mixture simmer for 10-15 minutes. Take off the heat, strain, and cool completely before using.200 ml full-fat milk, 10 gs loose tea leaves, 25 gs sugar, Whole spices (cardamom, clove, cinnamon, ginger)
- Meanwhile, whisk the liquid whipping cream halfway through until you get t sofpeaks. Once the cream reaches this stage, add the cooled chai mixture and whip on high speed until the cream becomes stable and reaches the stiff peaks stage. Refrigerate until ready to use.120 ml liquid whipping cream
- Make the chai topping: Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil on high heat, then lower the flame and let the mixture simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes. Strain and cool completely before using.130 ml full-fat milk, 150 ml water, 7 gs loose team leaves, 10 gs sugar
- Assembly: Once the cake sponges are cool, poke holes into them using a fork. This will allow the chai topping to moisten the cake layer properly. Pour the cooled chai topping on the cake sponge, as much as possible, until the cake stops absorbing the liquid. Pipe a layer of the chai whipped cream and sprinkle cinnamon powder on top to finish. Serve cold.
Notes
- Make sure the chai mixture is cool before adding it to the whipping cream, or the heat will cause the cream to split.
- Whip the cream halfway before adding the chai mixture, this ensures that the cream stabilizes when whipped completely and does not become loose due to the addition of liquid.
- Cool the cakes completely before assembly.
- Make the cake a day ahead and let it sit overnight in the fridge; this will allow the cake to absorb the chai flavor even more and develop a stronger flavor.
- You can customize the spices and the strongness of the tea as per your preference.
Fellow chai lover? Let me know how you liked this recipe in the comments! And, of course, share it with me on Instagram.
What chai-inspired dessert should I make next?
