Fans of both chai tea and coffee will love this dirty chai cake! With marbled cake layers and a simple, elegant chai buttercream, this tender cake is perfect for any gathering and surprisingly easy to make at home. A “dirty chai” simply refers to chai tea mixed with coffee, giving you the best of both flavors in every bite.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love this Recipe
- 📋 Key Ingredients
- Best Results: Baking in Grams
- Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Using Your Homemade Chai Spice
- 📖 Step-by-Step Prep and Baking Instructions
- Making Homemade Chai Spice Buttercream with Espresso
- 💡 Pro Tip: Frost Cold Cake Layers
- Cake Assembly Instructions
- Storing, Refrigerating, and Freezing Your Cake
- 🎉 Party Suggestions and Pairings
- More Tips for Baking Success
- Related Dessert Recipes
- Dirty Chai Spice Cake
In spite of the fancy marbled frosting and insides, this dirty chai cake is a crowdpleaser that's also easy to make. Impress friends and family with it at Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations around your table.
As far as cake goes, this is one of my favorite fall recipes, but below are a few others to spotlight.
- 🍏 Mini apple Bundt cakes - Bring in fall flavor and cozy vibes with these mini apple cakes. Glazed or unglazed, they are such a fun treat.
- 🧈 Brown butter sugar cookies - Perfect for holiday cookie boxes and exchanges, these brown butter sugar cookies are perfectly chewy and easy to make, too!
- 🎄 Christmas wreath sugar cookies - Holiday baking wouldn't be complete without frosted homemade sugar cookies. Coated in a tasty buttercream, these wreaths are absolutely adorable.
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Unique Flavor: Combines the warm spices of chai with a hint of coffee for a rich, cozy taste that'll instantly transport you to your favorite coffee shop.
- Visually Stunning: Marbled layers and chai-spiced buttercream create a beautifully frosted cake.
- Easy to Customize: You can adjust the chai spice and coffee levels to suit your taste!
- Stores Well for Making Ahead: You could easily freeze this cake weeks (or even up to a few months!) in advance of needing to serve it. Individual slices freeze well, too.
📋 Key Ingredients
The recipe card below includes all the ingredients, but I'm highlighting a few key ones.
- Unsalted room temperature butter – Butter gives cake structure and flavor. For best results, use room temperature ingredients like butter here. It mixes more easily into the batter than cold, firm butter. This ultimately creates a soft cake.
- Vanilla extract – No need for expensive vanilla extract; the options at your local grocery store are perfectly fine. I don't taste much difference between pricier extracts and more basic ones.
- Chai spice mix - Chai spices are a blend of warm and aromatic spices commonly used in chai tea. While the precise combination of spices it contains varies, you'll often find some combination of these ingredients: cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and even black pepper.
- Espresso powder - Coffee or espresso is the ingredient that makes a chai latte "dirty," though we know it's delicious! In this recipe, we use powder for a simple way to add coffee flavor.
Best Results: Baking in Grams
If you’re not already, use a kitchen scale for accuracy in baking.
While I include cups and grams in my recipe cards, weighing your ingredients and writing or following a recipe using a standard metric like grams ensures consistency.
I highly recommend investing $30 or less in a kitchen scale.
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Chai Spice: If you don’t have chai spice, use ground cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger as a close substitute.
- Espresso Powder: Swap with instant coffee powder if needed.
- Marbled Layers: For a simpler cake, skip the marbling and mix all ingredients directly into the batter.
Using Your Homemade Chai Spice
Use half of your espresso chai blend in the cake batter and the remainder in your frosting.
If you don't want the extra step of marbled layers, nix it by adding your chai espresso ingredients to your flour mixture at the beginning of the cake recipe.
Similarly, you can do the same with the remaining mixture by adding it all into your frosting if you don't want to divide your buttercream for the marbled design.
📖 Step-by-Step Prep and Baking Instructions
After melting your butter, let it cool for about 10 minutes while you preheat your oven to 350°F and follow these steps.
Prep Pans: Butter and flour two 8” or three 6” round cake pans (or coat with baking spray). Soak bake-even strips in water if using.
Mix Chai Spice: In a small bowl, combine ingredients for the homemade chai spice mix with espresso powder, and set aside.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla for 4 minutes until fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed.
Add Eggs and Oil: Add eggs and canola or vegetable oil to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed for 3 minutes.
Alternate Wet and Dry: Add half the buttermilk and flour mixture, mixing briefly. Repeat with the remaining portions until just combined.
Layer and Marble: Pour half the batter into prepared pans, sprinkle the chai espresso mix evenly, then pour batter that remains. Swirl with a knife for a marble effect.
Bake and Cool: Bake for 35-40 minutes until edges pull away from pans. Cool cakes in pans for 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Making Homemade Chai Spice Buttercream with Espresso
This hybrid buttercream frosting combines unsalted butter with cream cheese for a bit of tanginess.
Beat Butter and Cream Cheese: With an electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth, about 2 minutes. Mix in cream cheese and repeat the step for another minute until smooth.
Add Sugar and Vanilla: Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, mixing until fully combined. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
Separate for Marbling: Remove and set aside half of the white frosting in a separate bowl.
Flavor with Chai and Espresso: Add remaining chai spice blend and espresso powder to the mixing bowl and blend until well-combined.
Prepare Piping Bags: Place white frosting in one piping bag and the chai-flavored frosting in another.
💡 Pro Tip: Frost Cold Cake Layers
Frost your cake layers cold!
Whenever I bake a cake, I almost always bake one day and decorate the following.
I let my cake layers cool enough that I can handle them before I seal them tightly in plastic wrap. Then I store them in the freezer overnight.
I bring them out once I'm ready to decorate my cake. This helps them keep their crumbs within the cake and out of the frosting. It makes for a much cleaner cake design and faster decorating process.
Cake Assembly Instructions
Anchor Bottom Cake Layer: Pipe or spread a dollop of chai frosting onto a cake circle to hold the layer in place, then set the first cake layer on top.
Alternate Frosting Colors: Pipe about a quarter of the frosting on top of the bottom layer, alternating colors. Spread evenly with a cake spatula or large spoon.
Add Next Layers: Place the second cake layer on top and repeat with remaining layers.
Cover Sides and Top: Starting from the base, pipe a thick layer of white frosting around the sides and top of the cake.
Fill and Alternate: Fill any gaps with brown chai frosting, alternating with the white buttercream.
Frost and Marble: Place a cake scraper along the sides to smooth bubbles. Alternate between using this and dabbing frosting onto the cake with a spoon or offset cake spatula to create a marbled effect.
Smooth Out Cake Top: Use your offset spatula to push frosting from the cake's top toward the center. This creates a clean border around the top layer of your cake.
Add Final Details: Switch to a decorative piping tip for extra detailing and finish with cinnamon sticks for garnish.
Storing, Refrigerating, and Freezing Your Cake
Room Temperature: This delicious moist cake is best kept refrigerated in between servings but will stay fresh at room temperature for 1-2 days.
Refrigerating: Store in the refrigerator in a well-sealed container for up to 4 days.
Freezing: You may freeze this cake for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Preserve as a whole cake or with parchment paper between individual slices.
🎉 Party Suggestions and Pairings
If you're hosting a fall, Thanksgiving (like I did in 2023! See below 👀), or holiday party, this dirty chai latte cake recipe would go great alongside these mini pumpkin muffins in a seasonal spread of sweet treats!
If Halloween is still on the horizon, you could also share these black cocoa cookies. They're rich, chocolatey, and have a spooky feel to them, thanks to their dark color. 👻
More Tips for Baking Success
- Check the Freshness of Your Baking Powder and Soda: Test baking powder with hot water or baking soda with vinegar to make sure they’re still active.
- Set Up Your Ingredients: Lay out everything you need before you start baking for a smoother experience.
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Related Dessert Recipes
If you're looking for more options like this dirty chai cake, try the recipes below.
Dirty Chai Spice Cake
Espresso powder and homemade chai spice add flavor to the layers and frosting on this dirty chai cake. Coffee and chai tea fans will love it!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Decorating Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 70 minutes
- Yield: 1 6-inch, 3-layer cake 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Chai Espresso Mix (Half will go into your cake, half in the frosting)
- 3 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 ¾ teaspoons espresso powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cardamom
- ¾ teaspoons allspice or cloves
- ¾ teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Cake Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (300 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cups (260 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ sticks (171 grams) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- ¾ cup + 2 T (210 grams) buttermilk, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons (35 grams) canola oil (or other colorless, odorless oil like vegetable or rapeseed)
Dirty Chai Buttercream
- 1 stick of butter, room temperature
- ¾ block (170 grams) of cream cheese, room temperature or slightly softened
- 4 cups (460 grams) of powdered sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Optional: A few drops of lemon or lime juice (or white vinegar) to cut sweetness; add to your preference
Instructions
Baking Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350 F. Butter and flour two 8” or three 6” round cake pans or coat them with baking release spray. I use damp cake strips on my pans for more evenly baked layers.
- Combine all ingredients for chai espresso swirl into a small bowl or ramekin. You’ll use half in the cake and the remainder in your frosting.
- Add and whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Set aside.
- Using the paddle attachment in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat your sugar, butter, and vanilla extract together on medium speed for 4 minutes. Stop mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add your eggs and canola oil to your primary mixing bowl. Mix on low speed for about 3 minutes.
- Add half of your buttermilk and half of your flour. Mix, repeat, and gently mix all ingredients together until just combined.
- Pour and evenly spread half of the batter into your prepared cake pans. Disperse the chai espresso swirl into your pans before pouring remaining batter into each of them. Take a butterknife to the pan to gently swirl design.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when layers appear buttery and dense but bounce back at the touch of your finger.
- Let cakes cool in pans about 10-15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the butter until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the cream cheese and mix for another 1 minute until well combined and smooth.
- Mix in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Continue mixing until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Remove half of the frosting and set aside in another bowl.
- Add remaining chai espresso mix to mixing bowl and incorporate until well-combined.
- Put white frosting in one piping bag and brown in another.
Cake Assembly
- Pipe or spread a dollop of cream cheese frosting onto a cake circle to act as glue to hold the layer in place. Set first cake layer on top of that.
- Pipe about a quarter of your frosting on top of the bottom layer and spread evenly with a cake spatula or large metal spoon.
- Place second cake layer on top of the first and repeat steps with final layer.
- Starting from the base of the cake and moving to the top, pipe a thick layer of frosting all around the three layers of your cake’s sides and on its top.
- Place a cake scraper against the side of the cake and gently pull the cake around to smooth out bubbles in the frosting.
- Pipe lines of the brown frosting around and on top of the cake, using the cake scraper to even it out and create a marbled effect.
- Add detailing with open star tip for remaining frosting.
Notes
- You can use a mix of the two frosting bags for marbling inside. If you want more white frosting on the outside with small brown sections, use more brown inside or vice versa.
- Please note that these nutritional values are approximate and may vary slightly depending on the specific brands and measurements used. This is based on 12 servings per cake.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 490 kcal
- Sugar: 39.5 grams
- Sodium: 266 mg
- Fat: 24.2 grams
- Saturated Fat: 13.2 grams
- Unsaturated Fat: 9.7 grams
- Carbohydrates: 63.5 grams
- Fiber: 0.9 grams
- Protein: 5.3 grams
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
Del
I made this cake for my husband’s birthday, and it was a hit with everyone! I ended up using 2 x 9 inch round cake pans, and it worked well. I ended up using about 3/4 of the frosting that the recipe called for, so I may adjust accordingly next time.
Susan
Thanks so much for leaving a review and letting me know! I'm really glad you all enjoyed the cake and that adapting the recipe worked so well. 🙂 Thanks again!