I made this lovely chai cake with maple frosting for my birthday (I told you I make all my own birthday cakes!). Rather than a true birthday party, I hosted more of a girls’ night/gab fest to celebrate entering the last year of my twenties. It was truly more of an excuse for me to hole myself up in the kitchen for two straight days baking and creating to my heart’s content than anything else.
Read more after the jump!
Because of that, I have a bunch of new recipes and DIYs to share with you here on A Side of Sweet and it’s everything I can do to contain my excitement and not post them all in the same day! That, and that little full time job I have occupying a good amount of my time. Thank goodness for work keeping me a balanced blogger?
Anyway, back to this amazing cake. It’s spicy and delicious and between the layers is maple cream cheese frosting. Then it’s topped with a maple whipped cream frosting instead of buttercream to keep it from getting too sweet and overwhelmingly decadent. I absolutely love the balance of the two maple frostings. My guests gobbled it up and then Pat finished off the remainder for breakfast. We keep it classy here at Chez H.
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PrintChai Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes three 9 inch round cakes with enough maple cream cheese frosting for between the layers and whipped cream frosting to cover outside of the cake.
Ingredients
For the Chai Mixture:
- 3 tsp. cinnamon powder
- 3/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 3/4 tsp. ground cardamom
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 6 whole star anise
- 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 12 black tea bags or 1/4 c. loose black tea leaves
- 1 1/2 c. unsalted butter (3 sticks)
- 1 1/2 c. maple syrup
- 1 1/2 c. whole milk
For the Cupcake Batter
- 4 1/2 c. flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 3/4 tsp. sea salt
- 6 large egg, at room temperature, whisked
For the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
- 24 oz (3 packages) cream cheese, at room temp
- 3/4 c. (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp
- 1/3 c. maple syrup
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 3.5 c. powdered sugar
For the Maple Whipped Cream
- 3 c. heavy cream
- 1/3 c. maple syrup
Instructions
Make the Chai Cake:
- Prepare the cake pans – grease three 9″ cake pans and line the bottoms with a parchment paper round. Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Heat the spices, butter, maple syrup and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the butter is completely melted. Remove from heat and let cool for 10-15 minutes. Remove the anise and tea bags, or if using loose leaf black tea run the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Pour contents into the bowl of a stand mixer.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, whisking with a fork to combine.
- Add the whisked eggs to the cooled chai mixture and mix on medium until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing on low until just combined. Scrape sides of bowl between each addition.
- Divide the cake batter equally between prepared cake pans. I use a kitchen scale because I’ve found that I’m miserable at eyeballing it. Tap the pans gently to level the mixture.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes then transfer from pans to wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Maple Cream cheese Frosting
- Beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth.
- Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the cinnamon and powdered sugar and beat on medium-low speed until thoroughly combined.
Make the Maple Whipped Cream
- Beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Whisk in the maple syrup.
Assemble the Cake
- Use a serrated knife to level the cakes (remove the domed tops).
- Using an offset spatula, spread half the maple cream cheese icing evenly over the surface of one of the cooled cake layers. Top with another cake layer and repeat. Top with the last cake layer, making sure that the unleveled side is facing up (so there are fewer crumbs).
- Clean your offset spatula and use it to evenly spread out the maple whipped cream. I used the remaining maple whipped cream frosting, a pastry bag and a large closed star piping tip to pipe small stars around the border of the cake. If you run out of frosting you may have to whip up a bit more.
- Dust cake with ground cinnamon to finish.
- Transfer to cake platter (this tool is a lifesaver) and serve!
I love tea-flavored baked goods! And this looks particularly delicious — will definitely have to try it. Oh, and happy birthday! 🙂
Me too! I have so many things I want to add tea to….scones, ice cream, doughnuts….
Oh my gosh, that sounds AMAZING!!! Chai is one of my favorites!! And you definitely can’t beat a cream cheese frosting!
It was absolutely delicious! The balance of cream cheese frosting between the layers and whipped cream to cover the outside was awesome.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGAIN! Chai is my go-to morning beverage. Also…this cake is making the gift I have for you tomorrow that much more perfect;) 😉
Thank you! Can’t wait to see yoouuuu!
Happy belated! This cake looks right up my alley – chai and maple, yes, please!!
Aww, thanks! You’re telling me – I want to put chai in everything!
This looks incredible! I think I may have to give the recipe a shot!
kyleedell.blogspot.com
Is the batter supposed to be so thick and sticky?
Hi Rami – It’s been a few years since I made this cake but I remember it being quite thick. It’s more of a spice cake and not as fluffy as a white cake. Hope that helps!
Hi Kelly, did you keep this cake in the fridge after frosting with the whipped cream etc? Thanks 🙂
Hi Emma – It should be refrigerated. It only needs to be out for 15-30 minutes or so before enjoying.