Effortless Chai Cake (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Chai-Spiced Cake Layer

01 - 2 1/4 cups (282g) all-purpose flour, leveled with care
02 - 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon allspice powder
05 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
07 - 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
08 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
09 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
11 - 10 tablespoons (140g) softened, unsalted butter
12 - 1 cup (200g) white sugar, granulated
13 - 1/2 cup (110g) tightly packed brown sugar
14 - 3 room temp eggs
15 - 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
16 - 1 cup (240ml) room temp buttermilk

→ Velvety Brown Butter Cream Cheese Layer

17 - 1 1/4 cups (280g) unsalted butter
18 - 8 oz (226g) cold cream cheese
19 - 2 cups (260g) sifted powdered sugar

→ Chai-Infused Milk Soak

20 - 2 chai tea sachets
21 - 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk
22 - 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
23 - 1/2 cup (150g) sweetened condensed milk

# Instructions:

01 - Start with heating your oven to 350°F. Coat a light-colored, square 9x9-inch baking pan with grease and lay parchment paper inside it, leaving the edges hanging out a bit for an effortless removal later on.
02 - Grab a medium-sized bowl and mix together things like flour, baking powder, and spices: cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, plus baking soda and salt. Once it smells aromatic and combined, set it aside.
03 - In your biggest bowl, toss in softened butter plus both types of sugar (white and brown). Whisk them on high with a mixer until the texture becomes airy and pale—this takes around 2 minutes.
04 - Now add vanilla extract along with the eggs, one at a time, to your whipped butter mixture. Don’t rush—let them mix till smooth, creamy, and a soft light yellow shade.
05 - Switch back and forth, pouring in some of the flour mixture while also adding a splash of your buttermilk to the bowl. Go easy and keep your mixer on low so you avoid overmixing. Use a spatula to scrape along the sides at the end, ensuring nothing is dry or uneven.
06 - Pour the complete batter into your prepped pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 35-38 minutes. You’ll recognize it's cooked when you insert a toothpick into the middle and no wet batter clings to it.
07 - Leave your baked cake in the pan for 30 minutes so it can settle. Then lift it out carefully using the parchment paper edges and rest it on a cooling rack until it’s completely cool.
08 - While waiting on the cake, melt butter in a pot at medium heat until it foams, shifts to a golden shade, and smells nutty. Stir occasionally, keeping a close eye to avoid burning—it should take about 10-12 minutes. Remove it from the heat right away.
09 - Move the golden butter into a cool bowl and put in the fridge to harden slightly. Wait until it’s no longer liquid but still soft enough to beat—this takes about 40 minutes.
10 - Pull out your soft brown butter and whip it on high with a mixer for 6-10 minutes until light and fluffy. Add your cream cheese, piece by piece, and keep going until your mix looks smooth.
11 - Dust in powdered sugar a little at a time and blend it all in using a low mixing speed. Once the sugar is fully combined, kick it up to high for a minute to whip the frosting to a pillowy finish.
12 - Heat up milk over low heat in a small pot until it’s hot to touch but never boiling. Dunk the chai tea bags in and rest them for 20 minutes. Squeeze the bags before taking them out and allow the fragrant milk to fully cool down.
13 - Pour your cooled chai milk into a pouring container. Stir in sweetened condensed milk along with vanilla extract thoroughly until everything melds into one sweet spiced liquid.
14 - Once your cake feels cool to touch, slice a super thin layer off the top so it can absorb more milk evenly. Shift the cake over to your serving platter and use a skewer to poke holes across the entire surface.
15 - Drizzle the prepared chai milk gently over the top, being patient to let it seep in fully. Don’t worry if it looks like a lot of liquid—it’ll absorb over time.
16 - Once all the chai milk soaks into the cake, slather over the prepared frosting generously. For some extra flair, lightly sprinkle cinnamon on top before slicing into 16 squares. Serve and enjoy!

# Notes:

01 - Let the cake sit overnight to deepen its flavor and improve its texture.
02 - Swap all the individual spices for 4 teaspoons of chai or pumpkin spice mix. Boost cardamom with an extra 1/2 teaspoon for authenticity.
03 - Store the finished cake in your fridge, covered, for up to four days. Bring it to room temperature before eating for the best experience.
04 - Different chai tea brands bring unique tastes, so experiment with what you like most.

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