Cozy Brown Sugar Chai Cake Recipe with Warm Spices

This Cozy Brown Sugar Chai Cake Recipe with Warm Spices is the perfect fall and holiday treat. After making this many times, I’ve discovered the trick to a moist, flavorful cake is to cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. The warm spices in this cake will fill your home with a comforting aroma that’s sure to impress your guests. Keep reading for my best tips or jump to the recipe card. If you love recipes like this, you’ll also enjoy Slow Cooker Chuck Roast with Potatoes and Carrots and Fresh Apple Tortellini Salad with Strawberries and Greens.

What You'll Need for Cozy Brown Sugar Chai Cake Recipe with Warm Spices

Choosing the right ingredients makes a big difference, but this recipe is forgiving enough to work with what you have.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon chai spice mix
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Optional: Powdered sugar for dusting
• Optional: Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for serving

How to Make Cozy Brown Sugar Chai Cake Recipe with Warm Spices

1. Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, salt, and chai spice mix.
3. Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
4. Add eggs and vanilla: Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in vanilla extract.
5. Combine wet and dry ingredients: Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, alternating with sour cream, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix just until combined.
6. Bake: Pour batter into prepared baking dish and smooth the top. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Cool and serve: Cool cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then dust with powdered sugar before serving. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired.

Storing & Reheating Cozy Brown Sugar Chai Cake Recipe with Warm Spices

Short-Term Storage

Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Make-ahead tip: You can prepare the batter up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Freezing Cozy Brown Sugar Chai Cake Recipe with Warm Spices

Freeze cooled cake for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

How to Reheat Without Drying It Out

Oven: Reheat individual slices in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 5-10 minutes. Microwave: Reheat individual slices in the microwave for 15-25 seconds.

Recipe Notes

• Chef tip: For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free flour and make sure all other ingredients are certified gluten-free.
• Best substitution: You can substitute the sour cream with plain Greek yogurt for a lighter version.
• Make-ahead: This cake can be made up to 24 hours ahead and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
• Scaling: This recipe can be halved or doubled depending on your needs.
• Troubleshooting: If the cake is not cooking through, try covering the top loosely with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.

Cozy Brown Sugar Chai Cake Recipe with Warm Spices

⏱

Prep

15 mins

🍳

Cook

35 mins

⏳

Total

50 mins

🍽

Serves

12 servings

🥗

Diet

Gluten-free option available

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream

Seasonings

• 1 tablespoon chai spice mix
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Optional Toppings

• Powdered sugar for dusting
• Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, salt, and chai spice mix.
3. Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
4. Add eggs and vanilla: Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in vanilla extract.
5. Combine wet and dry ingredients: Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, alternating with sour cream, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix just until combined.
6. Bake: Pour batter into prepared baking dish and smooth the top. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Cool and serve: Cool cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then dust with powdered sugar before serving. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired.

Notes

• Chef tip: For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free flour and make sure all other ingredients are certified gluten-free.
• Best substitution: You can substitute the sour cream with plain Greek yogurt for a lighter version.
• Make-ahead: This cake can be made up to 24 hours ahead and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
• Scaling: This recipe can be halved or doubled depending on your needs.
• Troubleshooting: If the cake is not cooking through, try covering the top loosely with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.

Storage

• Fridge: Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Freezer: Freeze cooled cake for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
• Oven reheat: Reheat individual slices in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 5-10 minutes.
• Microwave reheat: Reheat individual slices in the microwave for 15-25 seconds.
• Make ahead: You can prepare the batter up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Nutrition Per Serving

• Calories: 420
• Protein: 6g
• Fat: 17g
• Carbs: 62g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 32g
• Sodium: 220mg
• Cholesterol: 80mg
• Sat. Fat: 10g

Nutritional values are estimates only. Actual values may vary by brand and portion size.

Cozy Brown Sugar Chai Cake Recipe with Warm Spices FAQs

A Warm Final Note

I can’t wait for you to try Cozy Brown Sugar Chai Cake Recipe with Warm Spices and see how effortlessly it comes together. When you make it, pop back here and leave a rating or share how it turned out — I love hearing from you!