This masala chai tea cake is a delicious vegan sponge infused with warming Indian spices. It’s wonderfully aromatic, sweet, and fluffy. So, jump on board and let’s make it together!
But first, what’s masala chai?
The Indian terms masala and chai stand for “spice mix” and “tea” respectively.
So, masala chai (also called chai tea) is a spiced tea prepared with a special blend of Indian spices and Assam black tea, brewed together in milk or water.
And this masala chai cake too is made with both tea and spices!
For the recipe, we used convenient chai tea bags, which have black tea already mixed with chai spices, and made a chai milk tea with coconut milk to add to the cake batter.
On top of that, we tipped in a homemade chai spice mix.
That’s to make the cake extra flavourful and ensure that the “chai flavour” really pops out with every bite!
For the chai spice blend, we used cinnamon, cardamom, clove, and ginger. Simply get the dry, ground spices and mix them together. Easy!
Combined with the tea bags, these spices add warmth, colour, and aroma to the cake — plus a nice energetic, spicy kick!
As for the other cake ingredients, we used coconut oil and coconut milk as a vegan alternative to butter and milk.
Then, we replaced eggs with starch, baking powder, baking soda, and lemon juice.
These ingredients work together to help the cake rise, hold together, and stay soft and fluffy.
As for sugar, we used regular caster sugar, but we halved the amount compared to a classic sponge cake recipe for a healthier take.
And if you want, you’ll also have to option to use sweetener erythritol for a sugar-free cake!
Once ready, you can enjoy this wonderful chai tea cake as is or top it with our creamy peanut butter frosting — or you can find more decorating ideas below!
And if you’d like to discover more delicious recipe ideas with chai spices, check out this matcha chai latte, chai chia pudding, and chai hot chocolate. All a must-try for chai lovers!