Caramel Chai Spice Cake

This recipe is like a warm hug. My Caramel Chai Spice Cake is full of cozy Fall flavors with super soft and moist chai spice butter cake covered with cream cheese frosting and filled with salted caramel that is swirled on top as well. If you love chai masala and you enjoy drinking chai latte then you will really enjoy this cake. The combination of caramel and spice with cream cheese frosting is delectable and this could become a really lovely birthday cake for someone who doesn't fancy chocolate, but wants something more than vanilla. Layer cakes are fun to make, and here are some more of my other popular recipes: Funfetti Cake, BEST Carrot Cake and my Best Ever Moist Chocolate Cake too!

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Soft and tender spice cake - this recipe makes 2 layers of really soft spiced brown sugar butter cake.
• Chai spices - the combination of ginger, cardamom, cinnamon and clove makes a traditional chai spice blend and a bite of this cake tastes like a chai latte. If you enjoy drinking spiced tea, then this recipe is for you.
• Cream cheese frosting - the frosting is so light and creamy and not too sweet. It pairs so well with the spice flavors.
• Easy to make - the recipe is simple and uses the traditional method for making cakes - the creaming method. After beating butter and oil with sugar, you mix in the eggs and then alternate adding the dry ingredients with the milk.
• Salted caramel sauce - this is the finishing touch that really elevates this cake. I use my Rich Salted Caramel Sauce recipe which is thick so it holds up nicely on the cake.

INGREDIENTS FOR CARAMEL CHAI SPICE CAKE

• All purpose flour - unbleached all-purpose flour works great for tender butter cake. I would avoid cake flour which absorbs more moisture and could actually make this cake a bit dry without altering the other ingredients.
• Unsalted butter - for this recipe, I use a blend of butter and oil to create a very soft texture since oil is liquid at room temperature.
• Oil - a bit of oil is my secret to making soft cakes. Oil is liquid at room temperature because it is an unsaturated fat while butter is a saturated fat with more solid fats. That means if we were to use all butter, the cake would have a firmer texture. Oil will help bring down the fat melting profile so that the cake layers stay soft. You can use any neutral oil like sunflower oil or canola oil or vegetable oil.
• Brown sugar - brown sugar enhances the caramel flavors from the molasses that it has.
• Granulated sugar - simple granulated sugar keeps this cake soft and creates the perfect amount of sweetness.
• Chai spice - a fragrant blend of cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, clove and nutmeg is so incredibly intoxicating and pairs very nicely with caramel.

• Eggs - three large eggs will add nice structure and tenderness for the butter cake.
• Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is essential to enhance the chai spices. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
• Sour cream - use full fat sour cream to balance the sweetness and add more richness to this recipe. If you don't have sour cream where you live, read down below in my FAQ section for my substitution recommendations.
• Milk - any type of milk will do. I prefer whole milk for baking. It should be at room temperature so measure it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before baking.
• Cream cheese - use block or brick cream cheese for the frosting. Avoid using whipped or spreadable cream cheese which has a higher moisture content and more air. It will affect the consistency of the frosting.
• Caramel sauce - use my Easy Salted Caramel Sauce to drizzle between the layers and swirl it over the cake. There's a full video tutorial on how to make caramel here.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

• STEP 1). Make the cake batter. Combine dry ingredients. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices into a medium bowl. Add the salt and whisk to blend evenly.
• STEP 2). Combine wet ingredients. Combine soft butter, oil, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer for 2 minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition so they are well incorporated. Mix in sour cream.
• STEP 3). Combine wet and dry ingredients. Add half of the flour mixture over the wet mixture and mix it in slowly. Gradually beat in half of the milk. Mix in remaining flour and then rest of the milk. Beat on high speed for the last 5 seconds to emulsify the batter.
• STEP 4). Bake. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 25-27 minutes until lightly golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cool completely.
• STEP 5). Make the filling. Combine cream, brown sugar, milk powder (if using it) and vanilla in a medium bowl and beat until it holds firm peaks.
• STEP 6). Make the frosting. Beat cream cheese until very smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of cream and beat until very smooth. Continue beating in 1 tablespoon of cream at a time until it forms soft peaks. Add brown sugar and beat to stiff peaks, then mix in vanilla.
• STEP 7). Assemble the cake. Place one cake layer on a serving plate or turn table. Spread the filling over top leaving about ½ inch border for it to spread when you add the top layer. Swirl some caramel sauce over the filling. Place the second cake layer on top of the filling so that it lines up nicely with the bottom layer. Spread the frosting evenly over the cake to cover completely and then swirl more caramel sauce on top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR CARAMEL CHAI SPICE CAKE

• Use room temperature ingredients. It is important to have all ingredients at the same temperature (not cold!) in order to help them blend evenly together to make a soft and tender cake. Make sure the butter, eggs and milk are not straight from the fridge. Take them out at least 1 hour before you plan to bake.
• Sift the dry ingredients. This is optional, but it will minimize the amount of mixing needed to combine the ingredients evenly so that you do not over-mix the batter. It will give you the best results for a finer texture crumb as well since the sieve will break up all the flour particles.
• Do not over-mix the batter. The batter should be smooth, but stop mixing as soon as the flour is incorporated. Over-mixing can lead to tunneling (large holes in the cake) and can also make the texture more coarse and tough.
• Do not over-bake. The best way to dry out a cake is to over-bake it, so check on it at the lowest baking time suggested in the recipe. Every oven is different, so it is important to check with a skewer for doneness.

RECIPE FAQ

STORING AND FREEZING

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Video

Caramel Chai Spice Cake

Christina Marsigliese

Soft and tender brown sugar chai spice cake with cream cheese frosting and swirls of salted caramel sauce. It's full of warm cozy flavors and perfect for Fall baking!

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 27 minutes mins

Servings 10 servings

Ingredients

  

Cake batter:

• 1 ¾ cups (250g) all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground clove
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper optional but really awesome!
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoon (84g) unsalted butter, softened
• 3 tablespoon (45ml) sunflower oil or other neutral-tasting oil
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup (70g) packed dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• ½ cup (120ml) sour cream
• ½ cup (120ml) whole milk

Filling:

• ⅔ cup (160ml) 35% heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon (15g) packed dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoon (4g) skim milk powder
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoon (30ml) Salted Caramel Sauce to swirl on top

Frosting:

• ½ block (125g) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup (237ml) 35% heavy whipping cream
• 3-4 tablespoon (45-60g) packed dark brown sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• extra Salted Caramel Sauce to swirl over the frosting

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans and line the base with rounds of parchment paper.
• Make the cake batter. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices into a medium bowl. Add the salt and whisk to blend evenly.
• Combine soft butter, oil, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer for 2 minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition so they are well incorporated. Mix in sour cream. Add half of the flour mixture over the wet mixture and mix it in slowly. Gradually beat in half of the milk. Mix in remaining flour and then rest of the milk. Beat on high speed for the last 5 seconds to emulsify the batter.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 25-27 minutes until lightly golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cool completely.
• Make the filling. Combine cream, brown sugar, milk powder (if using it) and vanilla in a medium bowl and beat until it holds firm peaks.
• Make the frosting. Beat cream cheese until very smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of cream and beat until very smooth. Continue beating in 1 tablespoon of cream at a time until it forms soft peaks. Add brown sugar and beat to stiff peaks, then mix in vanilla.
• Assemble the cake. Place one cake layer on a serving plate or turn table. Spread the filling over top leaving about ½ inch border for it to spread when you add the top layer. Swirl some caramel sauce over the filling. Place the second cake layer on top of the filling so that it lines up nicely with the bottom layer. Spread the frosting evenly over the cake to cover completely and then swirl more caramel sauce on top. Refrigerate until ready to serve. If your frosting is too soft, you can chill it for 15-20 minutes to firm it up before using it.