Brown Butter Chai Cake
Spiced brown butter chai cake with cinnamon brown butter frosting.
Servings: 16 slices
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 8x8 or 9x9 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 8x8-inch pan, bake for about 35-40 minutes. Plan on about 30-35 minutes for a 9x9-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!