If you’re anything like me, you probably have a love for chai too! It’s got that blend of warm spices that just so perfect during the fall. And when I started thinking about how to get those rich, aromatic flavours into a cake, I knew it had to be something that was easy to make, so I made this Moist Chai Spiced Sheet Cake.
I really wanted to get the spice balance right. You want to taste every one of those spices (hello, cardamom and ginger!) without any single one overpowering the others. It also has to be tender, not dry. It’s such an easy recipe for a cake that tastes like you put in WAY more effort than you actually did.
The chai milk infusion is where the delicious flavour starts. I infused the milk directly with loose chai tea. This step is non-negotiable if you want a very chai forward cake!!
I gently heated the milk and chai in a saucepan, bring it to a simmer, then let it steep. Think of it like making a really strong cup of tea, but for your cake. I usually let it steep for 5 minutes, but if you want that chai flavour to REALLY stand out, you can let it sit for an extra 5-10 minutes off the heat (don’t forget to strain it really well afterwards though!). This concentrates all those beautiful notes of cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg right into the liquid base of your cake.
Ingredients
- Loose chai OR chai tea bags
- Milk
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Large eggs
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Sea salt
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground cardamom
- Ground ginger
- Ground nutmeg
- Vanilla cream cheese frosting (optional)
*These are the main ingredients. The full list of ingredients and measurements can be found at the bottom of this post!*
Once the chai infused milk is strained and ready, the batter comes together quickly. I whisk the wet ingredients together first: the chai milk, melted butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla.
Then I sifted together the flour and all those spices (cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, plus baking powder, baking soda and salt). Sifting is important here to ensure everything is evenly distributed and you don’t end up with any lumps of spice (ground ginger can be a little bit clumpy).
Now, for the combining: add the dry to the wet. Use a spatula and fold the ingredients together gently. The goal here is to mix until just combined. You might still see a few small streaks or areas of flour, and that’s fine. Overmixing flour develops the gluten too much, and that can lead to a tougher cake texture, which we absolutely do not want for this tender sheet cake. Stop when it’s mostly incorporated!
Equipment
- Kitchen scale (I like to weigh out most of my ingredients for accuracy, I also think it’s more efficient when measuring things out over measuring cups!)
- Large and small mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
- 8×8 inch square pan
- Parchment paper
- Wire cooling rack
To Frost or Not to Frost
This cake is delicious on its own, truly! But if you’re feeling a little extra (and sometimes, you just are), a vanilla cream cheese frosting takes it to another level. The tanginess of the cream cheese is a really good match for the spices in the cake.
Here’s the MOST important thing if you’re frosting: the cake has to be COMPLETELY cool!! If you try to spread frosting on a warm or even slightly warm cake, it will melt, slide, and make a mess. You’ll lose all that beautifully piped or spread frosting and end up with a sticky situation. Plan ahead and let your cake cool for a good while. Pop it in the fridge for 20 minutes if you’re impatient, but make sure it’s cold!
Top Tips for Baking Your Chai Sheet Cake
- Boost the chai flavour: If you’re a big chai fan and want the spice to be really prominent, let your chai and milk mixture steep for an extra 5-10 minutes after you take it off the heat. Just ensure you strain it thoroughly so no tea leaves end up in your batter.
- Mix with a light hand: When combining the wet and dry ingredients, mix only until the flour is just incorporated. A few small lumps are entirely acceptable and actually help keep the cake tender and light. Overmixing can make your cake tough.
- A frosting essential: If you choose to add the cream cheese frosting, ensure your cake is completely cool before you even think about spreading it. This is not a suggestion, it’s a rule. Warm cake and frosting do not mix well (unless you want a runny mess, and I highly doubt you do).
That’s it from me on this one. I hope you give this Chai Spiced Sheet Cake a try soon! When you make it, remember to tag me @theflournook on socials and leave a review below to let me know how your chai spiced sheet cake turned out. To save this recipe for later, you can use the pin button on the recipe card, the buttons around the post, or any of the photos above.
Happy baking!
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Chai Spiced Sheet Cake
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 16 1x
Description
This chai sheet cake packs intense ginger, cardamom and cinnamon into a dense, moist cake. A thick layer of tangy cream cheese frosting over the top, balancing those cozy fall spices. It stays tender for days, making it a go to dessert for any chai lover!
Ingredients
Chai infusion
- 5 tbsp (75 g) loose chai OR 5 chai tea bags
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) milk
Wet ingredients
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1/2 tsp (3 g) baking powder, sifted
- 1/4 tsp (1 g) baking soda, sifted
- 1/2 tsp (3 g) sea salt
- 1 tsp (2 g) ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp (2 g) ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp (2 g) ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp (1 g) ground nutmeg
Frosting
- 1/2 batch vanilla cream cheese frosting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8 inch square pan with parchment paper.
- Combine the loose chai (or contents of tea bags) and milk in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and continue to heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep for 5 minutes. Strain the chai mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the tea leaves.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the strained chai mixture, melted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- In a separate medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and nutmeg.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Gently fold with a spatula until just combined. Stop mixing when a few small pockets of flour remain.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack.
- If you are using cream cheese frosting, spread it over the completely cooled cake.
Notes
- For a bolder chai flavour, I like to let the tea steep for an extra 5-10 minutes after removing it from the heat. Just make sure you strain it well afterwards.
- When you’re mixing the wet and dry ingredients, stop as soon as most of the flour is incorporated. A few small lumps are fine, and it keeps the cake tender.
- If you’re adding the cream cheese frosting, make sure the cake is completely cool before you spread it. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a melty mess.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Cake
- Method: baking
did you make this chai spiced sheet cake?
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