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    Home » Recipes » Cakes & Cupcakes

    Dirty Chai Spice Cake

    Published: Oct 3, 2022 · Modified: Feb 1, 2023 by brooke · This post may contain affiliate links · 6 Comments

    130 shares
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    This dirty chai spice cake is a moist cake filled with chai spices and topped with an espresso buttercream swirled with caramel sauce. The flavors are warm and not too strong.

    dirty chai spice cake with 3 slices cut from the corner.

    Dirty chai spice cake is such a good taste of fall flavors without using pumpkin. The chai spice is subtle and pairs so well with the light espresso taste in the buttercream. It's like the cake version of the ever popular Starbucks drink.

    If you're looking for other lightly spice treats you should also try my cinnamon chai blondies, my favorite snickerdoodle cookies, or my gingerbread cake with cream cheese frosting.

    side view of the whole dirty chai spice cake

    WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS

    CHAI SPICES: I love the warmth that these chai spices give to this tender cake.

    SINGLE LAYER: An easy cake without having to worry about layers.

    ESPRESSO CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM: This buttercream has so much flavor.

    INGREDIENT NOTES

    • CAKE FLOUR: This will give the cake a softer and lighter crumb, but all-purpose flour is fine if that's all you have.
    • CARDAMOM: This is one of the spices that stands out in a chai mix.
    • BUTTER: Make sure your butter is room temperature
    • BUTTERMILK: You can substitute regular milk if needed.
    • ESPRESSO POWDER: I buy mine in the baking aisle.
    • CARAMEL SAUCE: I use a jarred sauce from trader joes.
    ingredients needed to make the dirty chai spice cake.

    STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

    STEP ONE: Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and line a 8" square or round baking pan. Set aside.

    STEP TWO: In a medium bowl sift together cake flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and nutmeg. Set aside.

    STEP THREE: In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

    dry ingredients sifted together.
    wet ingredients mixed together.

    STEP FOUR: Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating between additions. Mix in the vanilla extract and sour cream. Don't panic if the batter looks curdled.

    STEP FIVE: Mix in half the dry ingredients, followed by buttermilk, and then remaining half of the dry ingredients. Mix only until combined.

    half the flour mixed in.
    cake batter done and ready.

    STEP SIX: Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out free of wet batter. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

    cake before caking in pan.
    cake after baked in pan.

    STEP SEVEN: In a small bowl mix together hot water and espresso powder and set aside. In a standing mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, powdered sugar and heavy cream together for about 2 minutes until all smooth. Add more or less powdered sugar and cream to get a nice thick consistency. Pour in cooled espresso and mix together. Frost cooled cake. Take caramel sauce and using the back of a spoon dip the caramel and make wave motions over the top of the buttercream to create little swirls of caramel throughout.

    dirty chai spice cake after done frosting.

    EXPERT BAKING TIPS

    This cake would also be great with a cinnamon buttercream. If you'd prefer that omit the water and espresso and add 1 teaspoon cinnamon when mixing the butter and powdered sugar.

    Cakes will have the best results if made with room temperature ingredients. I like to pull my eggs, sour cream, and butter and buttermilk out of the fridge an hour or two before I start baking, depending on how cold the house is.

    I have given both cups and grams as measurements. Grams will be more precise, especially when measuring flour. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, no problem! Just lightly spoon flour into your measuring cup to insure its not packed in there. Light and fluffy is the key.

    FAQ

    Can I make this into a layer cake?

    Yes, you can double this recipe and make it into a 2 or 3 layer cake. Decrease baking time if making into 3 layers, and add a few minutes if making it into 2.

    Why is it important to use room temperature ingredients?

    When you use room temperature ingredients for baking this allows all the ingredients to mix together better, and it will in fact give a higher rise on your cake.

    Can I make this cake ahead of time?

    Yes, you can make both the cake and the buttercream ahead of time. Wrap your cooled cake in plastic wrap and place into the freezer until ready to frost and serve. Frosting can also be made ahead and stored in the freezer in an airtight container.

    a slice of dirty chai spice cake on its side to see the cake crumb.

    STORING AND FREEZING

    You can store this dirty chai spice cake at room temperature for 3-4 days. Just cover with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container. Do not store cake in the fridge, it will dry it out.

    FREEZING

    Cake may be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for 3-4 months. Or you can wrap and freeze individual slices and pull out as needed to thaw.

    a side angle of the dirty chai spice cake cut into slices.

    OTHER FALL RECIPES TO TRY

    Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filling

    Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

    For more yummy treats follow me on instagram @thesaltedsweets. And be sure to tag me and comment if you make them and love them as much as I do. 

    And please make sure to leave a star review below!

    dirty chai spice cake with 3 slices cut from the corner.

    Dirty Chai Spice Cake

    brooke
    This dirty chai spice cake is a moist cake filled with chai spices and topped with an espresso buttercream swirled with caramel sauce. The flavors are warm and not too strong.
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    cooling 30 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12
    Calories 361 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Chai Spice Cake

    • 1⅓ cups cake flour all-purpose will work as well
    • 2 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 2 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon ginger
    • 1 teaspoon cardamom
    • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
    • ½ cup butter room temp
    • ½ cup brown sugar
    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • 2 large eggs room temp
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla
    • 2 tablespoon sour cream room temp
    • ½ cup buttermilk room temp

    Espresso Caramel Buttercream

    • ½ cup butter room temp
    • 2-3 cups powdered sugar
    • 1-2 tablespoon heavy cream milk will also work
    • 1 teaspoon espresso powder
    • ½ tablespoon hot water
    • caramel sauce for swirling on top

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and line a 8" square or round baking pan. Set aside.
    • In a medium bowl sift together cake flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and nutmeg. Set aside.
    • In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
    • Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating between additions. Mix in the vanilla extract and sour cream. Don't panic if the batter looks curdled.
    • Mix in half the dry ingredients, followed by buttermilk, and then remaining half of the dry ingredients. Mix only until combined.
    • Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out free of wet batter. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
    • In a small bowl mix together hot water and espresso powder and set aside. In a standing mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, powdered sugar and heavy cream together for about 2 minutes until all smooth. Add more or less powdered sugar and cream to get a nice thick consistency. Pour in cooled espresso and mix together. Frost cooled cake. Take caramel sauce and using the back of a spoon dip the caramel and make wave motions over the top of the buttercream to create little swirls of caramel throughout.

    Notes

    This cake would also be great with a cinnamon buttercream. If you'd prefer that omit the water and espresso and add 1 teaspoon cinnamon when mixing the butter and powdered sugar.
    Cakes will have the best results if made with room temperature ingredients. I like to pull my eggs, sour cream, and butter and buttermilk out of the fridge an hour or two before I start baking, depending on how cold the house is.
    I have given both cups and grams as measurements. Grams will be more precise, especially when measuring flour. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, no problem! Just lightly spoon flour into your measuring cup to insure its not packed in there. Light and fluffy is the key.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 361kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 3gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 316mgPotassium: 68mgFiber: 1gSugar: 38gVitamin A: 566IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 77mgIron: 0.5mg
    Keyword Chai Spice Cake, Dirty Chai Spice Cake, Espresso Buttercream
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!


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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Marissa

      October 10, 2022 at 9:33 am

      Could this be converted into cupcakes? Or would the cake flour be too much? In so excited to try it!

      Reply
      • brooke

        October 10, 2022 at 5:09 pm

        Absolutely! Cake flour just makes things lighter and softer, so it would be great for the cupcakes also.

        Reply
    2. Princessananka

      October 18, 2022 at 6:33 pm

      Where are the gram calculations for the Dirty chai spice cake?

      Reply
      • brooke

        October 19, 2022 at 2:07 pm

        If you click the metric button the measurements convert to grams.

        Reply
    3. Esther

      February 01, 2023 at 6:47 pm

      I want to make this but need to make it lactose free. Do you think I can replace the sour cream with applesauce? Thx 😊

      Reply
      • brooke

        February 02, 2023 at 3:59 pm

        yes, you could do that. You could also just add a bit more milk, which I'm assuming you'll just sub with a nut milk.

        Reply

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