This chai spice cake is moist, rich, and packed with chai flavor from cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg! The maple cream cheese glaze is the literal frosting on the cake!
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Can you believe that Christmas is only one week away?! It's surreal how fast this year has flown by. This was certainly a year unlike any other and it is my hope that you and your family are safe and healthy! Regardless of how your Christmas will look this year, this Chai Spice Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze is sure to bring some extra holiday cheer!
This spice cake is moist, rich and features the delectable flavors of chai spice from cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg. The flavors scream Christmas and warm you up from the inside out. This Chai Spice Cake is also not overly complicated to make as long as you carefully the simple instructions.
How to Make Chai Spice Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 cup Bundt pan with baking spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix the cake flour, baking powder, spices, and salt together and set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. (Beat on high for approximately 3-5 minutes to break down the sugar crystals.)
Once the butter and sugar are well creamed. Scrape the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula. Then turn the mixer on low and beat in the eggs one at a time, incorporating after each addition.
Add vanilla and mix until incorporated.
Scrape the bowl again. Turn the mixer back on low and alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk until both are well combined. Turn off the mixer.
Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan. Bake on the middle rack, undisturbed for 45-55 minutes.
Check the cake by inserting a skewer near the center. If it comes out clean, take the cake out of the oven. If the toothpick has batter on it, bake another 5-10 minutes and recheck.
Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Then carefully flip the cake out on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Making the Maple Cream Cheese Glaze
Beat cream cheese with an electric hand mixer until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar and maple syrup.
Stir in vanilla and 2 tablespoons of milk. Add more milk until desired consistency is reached. I prefer a pretty thin consistency for this cake.
Drizzle glaze over top of the cake with a spoon and allow to run down the sides.
Important Tips for Making this Spice Cake
Prep your pan. Make sure to spray or grease your pan, getting into all the crevices if using a fluted pan (this is where the baking spray comes in handy). If greasing the pan, I recommend also dusting the greased pan with a light coating of flour. This will guarantee the cake comes out in one piece.
Cream the butter and sugar long enough. This is a step that is often overlooked. When you beat softened butter and sugar together at high speed, it fluffs the butter for a light airy cake texture. To do this properly, it usually takes a full 3-5 minutes. If you skip this step, your cake will come out dense, instead of fluffy.
Measure properly. I like to think of cooking as an art, and baking as science. If you are heavy-handed when measuring, or don’t add enough of an ingredient, you will not get the consistency you desire. Be exact. And don’t forget to sift your flour before measuring.
My method is to fluff the flour with a spoon, then spoon flour into a measuring cup and scrape off excess with the back of a butter knife.
Scrape the bowl. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the mixing bowl in between steps, so all the ingredients are incorporated evenly.
Do not open the oven while the cake is baking. Leave it alone y’all! Don’t open the oven door seventeen times while it’s baking. It needs that consistent heat, and no movement to rise properly. Just be patient and you will be elated with the results.
Cool cake completely. Don’t rush to cut or glaze your cake. Make sure to give your cake plenty of time to cool. Even a little warmth will make the glaze melt right off of the cake.
You Will Also Love This Caramel Cheesecake Layer Cake!
📖 Recipe
Chai Spice Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups cake flour spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Maple Cream Cheese Glaze
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-4 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-cup Bundt pan with baking spray, being sure to get all crevices. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix the cake flour, baking powder, spices and salt together and set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. (Beat on high approximately 3-5 minutes to break down the sugar crystals.)
- Once the butter and sugar are well creamed. Scrape the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula. Then turn the mixer on low and beat in the eggs one at time, incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla and mix until incorporated.
- Scrape the bowl again. Turn the mixer back on low and alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk until both are well combined. Turn off the mixer.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake on the middle rack, undisturbed for 45 minutes.
- Check the cake by inserting a skewer near the center. If it comes out clean, take the cake out of the oven. If the toothpick has batter on it, bake another 5-10 minutes and recheck.
- Allow the cakes to cool 10 minutes in the pan. Then carefully flip the cake out on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Maple Cream Cheese Glaze
- Beat cream cheese in medium bowl with an electric hand mixer until creamy.
- Beat in powdered sugar and maple syrup. Stir in vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of milk. Add more milk until desired consistency is reached and glaze can be drizzled easily with a spoon.
- Drizzle glaze over top of completely cooled cake with a spoon and allow to run down sides. Slice and enjoy!
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