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Imperial Sugar
Imperial Sugar

Dirty Chai Latte Cake

Dirty Chai Latte Cake Imperial
Prep Time:
1h 30m
Bake/Cook Time:
30m
Yield:
8-12 slices

Love a delicious dirty chai latte? So do we, and we believe that dirty chai latte flavor is wonderfully captured in this moist and tender cake. Bake this Dirty Chai Latte Cake for a birthday, office party, or any time you need a tasty cake for a celebration. We have two options for a creamy buttercream frosting. A simple, and easy basic buttercream, or a slightly more advanced version that's extra velvety. It's a little more work, but it's totally worth it.

Ingredients

Dirty Chai Latte Cake

  • 2 cups + 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour *
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 2 teaspoons dried ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons cardamom
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 black tea bags
  • 1 cup any type of vegetable oil, including non-virgin olive oil or avocado
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups Imperial Sugar Light Brown Sugar, well packed
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup hot water
  • 2 teaspoons white distilled vinegar

Easy Buttercream

Extra Smooth & Creamy Buttercream

  • 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) super soft butter
  • 1 1/2 cups Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons evaporated milk, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 5 teaspoons instant coffee
  • 1 tablespoon evaporated milk or water, room temperature

Finishing

  • A few cinnamon sticks
  • A few star anise

*Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour required for recipe.

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
  2. Butter and flour 3, 8 or 9-inch cake pans and fit a round sheet of parchment on bottom to make removal from pans flawless.
  3. Sift together flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, allspice, black pepper, cardamom, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Remove tea from tea bags and sprinkle into dry ingredients. Set aside.
  4. Using a stand or handheld mixer or a sturdy hand whisk, mix oil and eggs until well blended. Add brown sugar and whisk until completely smooth. Add buttermilk and vanilla.  
  5. Add sifted ingredients in one step and mix until batter is smooth. Do not mix more than necessary.
  6. Place water in microwave for 40 seconds and then add vinegar and mix into cake batter until combined.
  7. Divide batter evenly into pans and place in oven. Bake until center of cakes bounces back when lightly pressed with a finger and until you see cake retracting from sides in a few areas. About 30 minutes.
  8. Allow to cool for about 5-10 minutes before turning upside down onto plastic food film, a kitchen towel or parchment paper. Do not remove parchment paper from cakes yet. Turn baked cake upside down onto plastic food film.
  9. For easy frosting, follow these easy steps. Mix instant coffee with water and add at end of mixing.
  10. For slightly more advanced buttercream, whip soft butter until fluffy. Add granulated sugar and salt and mix until well combined.
  11. Add evaporated milk 2 tablespoons at a time waiting for previously added amount to be fully incorporated before adding next. If cream is no longer light and creamy or looks slightly curdled, heat mixture with a hairdryer while beating. Heavy or curdled looking cream is a result of cold ingredients and is easily remedied by using heat. At end of mixing combine instant coffee with evaporated milk or water and add to cream.
  12. Once cakes have cooled remove parchment paper from one cake layer and place on a serving platter.
  13. Spread cake layer with one fourth of buttercream. Cover with another cake layer and remove parchment.
  14. Cover with 1/4 of butter cream and cover with remaining cake layer and remove parchment.
  15. Frost sides and top of cake with a thin coat of frosting. Place in freezer for about 20 minutes or until buttercream is no longer sticky. Frost cake with a second coat of buttercream and reserving some for decorating surface of cake.
  16. Transfer remaining butter cream into a piping bag fitted with a French star pastry tip and pipe rosette shells on edge of cake.
  17. Decorate with cinnamon sticks and star anise. For most delicious taste experience remove cake from refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving.
Imperial Sugar Insight

For a smooth and creamy buttercream frosting, all ingredients should be at the same temperature. If your liquid was not at room temperature the mixture cannot homogenize and will take on a curdled appearance (become soupy looking). This is a sign that the mixture is still too cold. Rapidly stirring and gentle warming will emulsify the buttercream to a smooth and creamy consistency. Continue to mix while using a hair dryer on the outside of mixing bowl until the perfect consistency is reached. For additional tips on how to make the perfect buttercream, watch our How to Fix a Broken Buttercream video.

Source URL: https://www.imperialsugar.com/recipes/dirty-chai-latte-cake