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Chai Spice Cake with Whipped Brown Sugar Buttercream Recipe

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★★★★★

4.9 from 100 reviews

This Chai Spice Cake with Whipped Brown Sugar Buttercream is a comforting and aromatic dessert perfect for any occasion. Infused with warm chai spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger, the moist cake layers are complemented by a luscious white chocolate mousse filling and a velvety brown sugar buttercream frosting. The whipped brown sugar buttercream adds a rich, caramel-like sweetness that balances the spice perfectly.

Ingredients

Scale

Cake:

  • 1 chai tea bag
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mousse:

  • 8 ounces white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided

Buttercream:

  • 7 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Steep the Chai Tea: Place the chai tea bag in a cup or bowl and pour boiling water over it. Let it steep for 15 minutes to infuse the water with chai flavors. Allow the chai water to cool completely.
  2. Prepare the Cake Pans and Oven: Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
  3. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves until evenly combined. Set aside.
  4. Cream Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until lightened in color and creamy in texture, about 3-4 minutes.
  5. Add Eggs and Wet Ingredients: Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Then mix in the sour cream and vanilla extract on medium speed until blended.
  6. Combine Dry and Wet Mixtures: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Pour in the cooled chai tea water and mix until just blended, being careful not to overmix. Scrape the bowl as needed.
  7. Divide and Bake: Evenly divide the batter among the three prepared cake pans. Smooth the tops for even baking. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
  8. Make the White Chocolate Mousse: Place white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl with 3 tablespoons of heavy cream. Microwave in 30-45 second intervals, stirring until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
  9. Whip Cream: In a cold bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the remaining heavy cream on high speed until stiff peaks form.
  10. Fold Mousse: Stir a quarter of the whipped cream into the cooled melted white chocolate until smooth. Gently fold this mixture back into the remaining whipped cream. Mix carefully to maintain whipped cream volume. Refrigerate mousse until ready to assemble.
  11. Prepare Brown Sugar Buttercream Base: In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the flour and milk constantly until thickened, resembling thick pancake batter. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool completely to room temperature.
  12. Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or hand mixer, beat the room temperature butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and salt on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
  13. Combine Mixtures: Add the cooled milk and flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Beat on high speed for 5-7 minutes until the buttercream becomes fluffy and resembles whipped cream in texture.
  14. Assemble Cake: Place one cake layer on your cake plate or stand. Pipe a border of buttercream around the edge to contain the mousse. Spread one-third of the white chocolate mousse inside the border evenly. Repeat layering with remaining cake layers and mousse, ending with mousse on top. Chill the assembled cake in the freezer for 1 hour to set.
  15. Frost the Cake: Remove cake from freezer and apply a crumb coat layer of buttercream over the entire cake. Freeze for at least 30 minutes to let the buttercream set.
  16. Final Frosting and Decoration: Remove cake from freezer and frost with a final thick layer of buttercream. Decorate as desired with sprinkles or additional garnishes. Keep the cake refrigerated until serving.

Notes

  • Steeping the chai tea in boiling water infuses the cake with authentic chai spice flavor without adding extra spices directly to the batter.
  • Use room temperature butter and eggs for best mixing results and tender crumb.
  • When whipping the cream for mousse, ensure the bowl and whisk are well chilled for better volume.
  • Cooling the flour and milk mixture completely before adding to the butter is essential to prevent melting the butter and to achieve the correct buttercream texture.
  • Chilling the cake before final frosting helps to create a smooth, clean finish and keeps filling from leaking.
  • This cake can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.

Keywords: Chai Spice Cake, Brown Sugar Buttercream, White Chocolate Mousse, Spiced Cake, Holiday Cake, Layer Cake, Creamy Frosting

Find it online: https://frommamamaya.com/chai-spice-cake-with-whipped-brown-sugar-buttercream-recipe/