If you love tea, especially Indian chai, today we recommend a very special cake that brings delicious spiced chai into the crumb, and the combination is perfect. Chai gets its signature aroma from a mix of spices such as mature ginger and green cardamom, simmered in hot water to release their fragrance. Black tea and milk are then added and simmered for the aroma of tea and milk, and a little sugar is added for a touch of sweetness. The tea is then strained into a teapot and enjoyed with any dessert you like.
Our love of chai led us to put it into this cake, which we call chai tea cake. Inspired by the drink, it is designed to have a soft, fragrant crumb with a balanced aroma of tea and spices, not too strong. For something extra, we add toasted walnuts for crunch and more fun in every bite.
What makes this cake work is the fragrant, perfectly soft crumb, which balances the cream cheese, caramel and hazelnuts for a beautifully rounded flavour. It pairs well with a cup of chai, or with your favourite drink, though hot drinks go better than cold ones.
Chai Tea Cake Recipe
Cake Ingredients
- ¾ cup plain fresh milk
- 30 g black tea
- 5 slices fresh ginger
- 150 g all-purpose flour
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp fine salt
- 113 g unsalted butter
- 30 g sugar
- 50 g brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 50 g sour cream
- 60 g roughly chopped hazelnuts
Equipment: four 7.5 x 12 x 5-inch cake tins, piping bags, and 14 mm and 4 mm round piping nozzles.
Hazelnut Caramel
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 50 g toasted hazelnuts, halved
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- ¼ tsp sea salt
Caramel Sauce
- 100 g sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- ½ to ¾ cup warm whipping cream
- 35 g unsalted butter
- 1 tsp sea salt
Cream Cheese Icing
- 125 g cream cheese
- 75 g softened unsalted butter
- 160 g icing sugar
- 60 g mascarpone cheese
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Method
- Hazelnut caramel: Put the butter and sugar in a pan over medium heat and wait until they begin to melt. Add the hazelnuts and toss to coat, then add the mixed spice and salt. Keep stirring until the nuts are fully coated and the sugar turns to caramel. Pour onto a tray and let cool before chopping.
- Caramel sauce: Put the sugar and water in a pot over medium heat and cover with a lid until the sugar dissolves. Once dissolved, remove the lid and don't stir. When the sugar around the edge starts to turn pale gold, stir slowly with a wooden spatula until the whole pot is amber. Reduce to low heat and add the warm whipping cream (watch out for the hot steam). Stir well, add the butter and salt, stir again and let it simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool completely before spooning into a piping bag with a 4 mm nozzle.
- Cream cheese icing: Beat the cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the icing sugar and beat to combine, then add the mascarpone and vanilla and beat until thick and smooth. Spoon into a piping bag with a 14 mm nozzle and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and line the base and sides of the tins with baking paper.
- Chai cake: Heat the milk in a pot over medium heat. When hot, add the black tea and ginger, turn off the heat and steep for about 15 minutes. Strain, keeping only the milk, and let it cool. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl, stir and set aside. Beat the butter with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, then gradually add the sugar and brown sugar and beat for about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the egg and sour cream and beat again. Gradually add the sifted flour and beat until well combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared tins, smooth the top and bake in the preheated oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a rack. Pipe the cream cheese icing and caramel sauce over the top and sprinkle with hazelnut caramel. It's ready to serve.
When you're ready, you can easily make this chai tea cake at home.
