Some people are coffee people, but I would describe myself as a chai person. I love to start the morning with a cup of vanilla or masala chai, and my favorite treat on a weekend morning or at a coffeeshop is a chai latte. Each bite of this Brown Butter Chai Cake is like a chai latte on a fork – toasty, sweet, and perfectly spiced. It’s rich, intensely flavored, and full of warming chai spices. You’ll definitely want to give this one a try!
How to Make Brown Butter Chai Cake
Brown Butter Chai Cake
I love single layer, one pan cakes, and this Brown Butter Chai Cake is no exception. It’s so simple to make and results in a delicious, thick layer of cake. Each bite is so fluffy and moist, with warm chai spices and notes of toasty brown butter.
To make this cake, first brown the butter. Once browned, pour the brown butter into a mixing bowl and then chill until it starts to set but is still soft, about 30 minutes. When you’re ready to make the batter, preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare either an 8×8 or 9×9 inch baking pan by grasing it and lining with parchment paper. Next, cream the brown butter with the sugar and brown sugar for a minute or two, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until combined. In a liquid measuring cup or other separate bowl, mix the milk and chai concentrate. I used the chai concentrate from Dona, which is my favorite for at-home chai lattes. I really love their chai concentrate because it’s spicier and less sweet than other concentrates I’ve tried. In another, separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients – the flour, baking powder, salt and spices. Add half of the chai mixture to the brown butter mixture, followed by half of the flour mixture. Mix and then repeat with the remaining chai and the remaining flour.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake at 350°F until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. With an 8×8-inch pan, bake for about 35-40 minutes. Plan on about 30-35 minutes for a 9×9-inch pan. Make sure to allow the cake to cool fully before frosting it!
Cinnamon Brown Butter Frosting
Brown butter cake needs brown butter frosting! This Cinnamon Brown Butter Frosting is the perfect complement to the Brown Butter Chai Cake. It’s a rich, toasty vanilla frosting with a hint of cinnamon. The combination of brown butter and cinnamon helps prevent the frosting from tasting overly sweet, while pairing nicely with the chai in the cake. To make this frosting, first brown your butter. Pour the brown butter into a mixing bowl and then chill until it starts to set but is still soft, about 30 minutes. After the brown butter solidifies, add two tablespoons of milk and whip it with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy. Since browning butter removes the water from the butter, it’s necessary to add back more liquid so that the frosting mixes well. Next, reduce the speed of your mixer to low and add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time. If the frosting is thick, add more milk. I used a total of 5 tablespoons of milk when making this recipe, but you may need more or less. After the powdered sugar is combined, add the vanilla extract, salt, and cinnamon. Increase the speed on your mixer to medium high and whip for 2-3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Frost the cooled cake and enjoy!
This recipe makes a generous amount of frosting. I know there are some people (myself included) who prefer more cake than frosting. If that’s the case, you might have a little extra frosting leftover after icing the cake. If you only want a very thin layer of frosting, it might be best to make only a half-batch of this recipe.
Serving and Storage
Once frosted, store the wrapped or covered cake in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. If you would like to keep it for longer, freeze individually wrapped pieces of cake for up to 2 months. This cake tastes best at room temperature, so I’d recommend pulling it out of the fridge an hour or two before serving, or longer if frozen.
This Brown Butter Chai Cake really is one of my favorites. The toasty brown butter and warming chai spices in the cake paired with the creamy spiced vanilla frosting make for an absolutely incredible treat. Enjoy it as an afternoon snack with a cup of tea or coffee, or serve it as an after-dinner dessert. I hope you love this one as much as I do!
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Brown Butter Chai Cake
Ingredients
Brown Butter Chai Cake
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter browned
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (60 g) brown sugar
- 1 tsp (4 g) vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup (120 g) chai concentrate
- ¾ cup (160 g) whole milk
- 1 ½ cup (200 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp (8 g) baking powder
- ½ tsp (2 g) salt
- 1 tsp (4 g) cinnamon
- ½ tsp (2 g) ginger
- ½ tsp (2 g) nutmeg
- ½ tsp (2 g) cloves
Cinnamon Brown Butter Frosting
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter browned
- 4 cups (400 g) powdered sugar
- ½ tsp (2 g) vanilla extract
- ½ tsp (2 g) cinnamon
- ¼ tsp (~1 g) salt
- 4-6 tbsp (60-90 g) whole milk
Instructions
Brown Butter Chai Cake
- Brown the butter. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and chill for 30 minutes, or until solidified but still soft.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prep an 8×8 or 9×9 inch pan by greasing it and lining it with parchment paper.
- Cream together the brown butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Mix in the eggs and vanilla, stirring well.
- In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine the milk and chai concentrate.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Stir until the spices are evenly distributed.
- Add half of the chai mixture to the sugar mixture, stirring to combine. Follow with half of the flour. Repeat with the remaining chai and the remaining flour.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake at 350°F until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Using an 8×8-inch pan, bake for about 35-40 minutes. Plan on about 30-35 minutes for a 9×9-inch pan.
- Set the cake aside to cool completely before frosting.
Cinnamon Brown Butter Frosting
- Brown the butter. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and chill for 30 minutes, or until solidified but still soft.
- Add 2 tbsp of milk to the brown butter and whip on high speed until light and fluffy.
- Reduce the speed of the mixer to low and add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time. As needed, add more milk to adjust the consistency of the frosting.
- Add the vanilla extract, salt, and cinnamon. Whip the frosting at a high speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. If the frosting feels too thick, add more milk. If it feels too thin, add more powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency.
- Top the cooled cake with frosting and enjoy!
Hey there! I’d love to make this cake for my birthday in a few days, can’t go wrong with chai and brown butter. Are you starting with 1/2 cup of butter and then browning it? Or are you measuring 1/2 cup after it has browned? Thanks!
Great question! Start with 1/2 c butter and then brown it. I’ll update the recipe to make it more clear. I hope you have an absolutely fantastic birthday!!
Thanks for responding so promptly! I so look forward to trying it and I’ll let you know how it turns out <3
You should not be surprised to hear that this cake hit the spot. I froze some right away so I wouldn’t eat it all. I’ll definitely make it again 🙂
Yay, I’m so happy you liked it! Happy Birthday!