Chai Cake Food

CHAI CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Bring milk and tea to a boil in a small pot over med-high heat. Turn heat off and steep for 10mins. Strain and measure out 1 cup. Top up with milk if needed.
• Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 6" cake rounds and line with parchment.
• In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, spices, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
• Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars on med-high until pale and fluffy (approx 3mins).
• Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.
• Alternate adding flour mixture and Chai milk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition.
• Bake for 35-40mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
• Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack. Allow to cool completely.
• Using a stand mixer or hand mixer beat butter until pale and creamy.
• Reduce speed to low. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and mix on low until well blended. Increase speed to medium and beat for 3 minutes. Add vanilla and continue to beat on medium for 1 minute.
• Slowly add chilled cream cheese one cube at a time (about 1 tablespoon at a time). Beat well until blended and ensure no lumps of cream cheese remain.
• If needed, add cornstarch or meringue powder 1 tablespoon at a time to stiffen the frosting (I didn't but this is an option).
• Run mixer on low for a couple of minutes to remove any air bubbles.
• Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with 2/3 cup of frosting and spread evenly. Repeat with remaining layers and apply a thin coat of frosting all over the cake. Chill for 20mins.
• Use the remaining frosting to frost the cake and do a rustic swirl on the sides and top with a large offset spatula if desired.
• Decorate top with whole spices and gooseberries if desired.

SPICED VANILLA CHAI CAKE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, and cloves and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare three 6-inch or two 9-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with a cooking spray (Baker's Joy is my favorite) and fitting a wax or parchment paper circle to the bottom of the pan. Alternatively, you can grease and lightly flour the pans.
• Place the chai tea bag into a mason jar. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the whole milk, stirring constantly, until it begins to boil. Pour the boiling milk over the chai tea bag in the mason jar and let steep for 20 minutes before removing the tea bag. Allow the mixture to cool completely to room temperature before moving on.
• Sift the cake flour and then measure by spooning and leveling it in your measuring cup. Add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, 4 teaspoons of the chai spice mix, and salt into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), cream the butter for on high for two minutes until it's light and fluffy. Add in sugar and continue to mix on medium-high for another two minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, then add vanilla and sour cream and mix for one minute on high, scraping down the bowl and paddle once more.
• With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the (room temperature!) chai milk mixture slowly and mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs to make sure there are no lumps (without over-mixing). The batter will be slightly thick, but pourable.
• Pour batter evenly into prepared cake pans (no more than 2/3 of the way full) and bake for 30-35 minutes. They're done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for five minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack for an additional few hours of cooling. Make sure they're entirely room temperature before applying any frosting.
• With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the butter on medium-high until it's creamy and light (almost white) in color. About 7 minutes.
• Whisk 1 Tbsp of the Chai Spice Mix into the measured powdered sugar. With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar mixture a few cups at a time, scraping down after each addition and making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next one.
• Add vanilla, milk, and salt and mix on medium-low for another two minutes until fully incorporated.
• Once the Vanilla Chai Cakes have cooled completely, fill and frost the layers with Vanilla Chai Buttercream. To create the design pictured, add crushed Speculoos Cookies to the sides of the cake by placing them into the palm of your hand and gently pressing them onto the buttercream finish. Then, fit one piping bag with Wilton Tip 4B and another piping bag with Wilton Tip 1M before filling each with Vanilla Chai Buttercream. Pipe rosettes and stars onto the top of the cake in a crescent moon shape, add some cinnamon sticks, and sprinkle more crushed Speculoos Cookies on top.

COCONUT CHAI TRAYBAKE

Steps:

• Grease a 20 x 30cm baking tin with a little oil, and line the base and sides with baking parchment. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Measure the coconut milk and oil into a jug. Crack in the eggs, add the vanilla and whisk with a fork to combine.
• In a large bowl, mix the sugar, flour, coconut, spices and a pinch of salt. Squeeze any lumps of sugar through your fingers, shaking the bowl a few times so they come to the surface. Pour in the wet ingredients and use a large whisk to mix to a smooth batter. Pour into the tin, scraping every drop of the mixture out of the bowl with a spatula.
• Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 25 mins or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. If there is any wet mixture clinging to it, bake for a further 5 mins, then check again. Leave to cool for 15 mins in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack and drizzle over the ginger syrup.
• To make the icing, mix the coconut milk with the icing sugar until smooth. Drizzle the icing over the cake in squiggles, then scatter with the chopped ginger, pistachios and coconut flakes, if using. Eat warm or cold. Will keep for 3 days in an airtight container.

CHAI TEA CAKE WITH GINGER CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
• Begin cake by combining water, 3 tea bags, ginger root, cardamom pods, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon cloves in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and keep warm.
• Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add molasses and egg; mix well.
• Mix flour, baking soda, cardamom, and salt with remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon cloves in a separate bowl. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, one half at a time; stir to combine. Strain hot tea and slowly pour into the batter and stir until smooth; batter will be thin. Pour into the prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges to loosen. Invert carefully onto a serving plate or cooling rack. Let cool, about 30 minutes.
• While the cakes are cooling, combine water, sugar, and tea bags for simple syrup in a small pot over medium-high heat. Cook until sugar has dissolved, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
• Brush simple syrup over cooled and leveled cakes until the majority of the cake has absorbed the syrup. Do not oversoak the cakes; you want enough syrup to soak in and keep cakes moist and flavorful without flooding them. Place cakes in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until ready to decorate.
• Combine cream cheese, butter, and ginger for frosting in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add sugar and blend until smooth. Frost cake.

CHAI CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F/170°C
• Grease and flour a round cake pan (8"/20 cm).
• Stir hot water into Chai Latte until blended. Measure 1/2 cup/125 mL of the chai latte for the cake and set aside 2 tbsp/30 mL for glaze.
• Mix flour, baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, cloves, ginger and salt. Set aside.
• Beat sugar and butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until fluffy.
• Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth and blended.
• Gradually beat in flour mixture alternately with 1/2 cup Chai Latte until smooth.
• Pour into pan.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack.
• Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Spread Chai glaze over top of cake, allowing some to drizzle down side. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon.
• For glaze, melt butter in 1-quart/litre saucepan over medium heat.
• Stir in remaining ingredients until smooth. Drizzle glaze on cake. If desired, grate cinnamon on top as garnish.

MASALA-CHAI CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
• To make the cake, add the tea bags to a mug of the boiling water and let them steep for 5 minutes before discarding the bags. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, pepper and cardamom. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, add the muscovado sugar, eggs and tea, mixing until combined before stirring in the oil. Tip in the carrots and fold them in so they're evenly distributed. Fold in the flour mixture until just incorporated, making sure there are no pockets of flour hiding near the bottom.
• Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cakes are nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely in the pans, then turn them out onto a rack.
• To make the frosting, beat the butter and confectioners' sugar with an electric mixer for 3 to 5 minutes, or until pale and smooth. Beat in the cream cheese until combined.
• To assemble, place one cake layer on a cake stand. Spoon one-third of the frosting on top and push right to the edges. Place the second cake topside down in order to give you a flat top. Add the rest of the frosting, spreading it evenly with an offset spatula. Scatter the walnuts on top of the cake.

CHAI BUTTERMILK SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Pour boiling water over tea bags in a bowl; steep 5 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags; cool to room temperature.
• Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, stirring with a whisk.
• Place the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 3 minutes).
• Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until well combined. Beat in brewed tea and vegetable oil.
• Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix after each addition.
• Using clean, dry beaters, beat egg whites with a mixer at high speed until foamy.
• Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.
• Gently stir one-third of egg whites into batter; gently fold in remaining egg whites.
• Spoon batter into a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool in pan on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

CHAI CREAM CAKE WITH CINNAMON-CHAI FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13-inch cake pan.
• Mix cake mix, flour, sugar, chai latte powder, and salt together in a large bowl using a fork. Set aside.
• Combine sour cream, melted butter, eggs, heavy cream, and vanilla extract together in a bowl using an electric mixer. Add flour mixture and mix on medium speed for 1 minute; scrape down sides of bowl and mix about 1 minute more. Pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Beat butter in a bowl using an electric mixer until fluffy. Slowly add confectioners' sugar, coffee creamer, and vanilla extract. Mix well. Add cinnamon and chai latte powder and mix using low speed until frosting is smooth.
• Allow cake to cool completely, about 1 hour, before frosting.