I am not the biggest fan of fall flavors, but at my favorite donut shop in Boston there is an incredible donut that I look forward to every fall – the vegan chai apple cider. This cake isn’t vegan, but the flavors are very much inspired by that delicious donut. I loved the idea of being able to recreate those warm and sweet flavors at home, and this cake truly made that idea come to life in the best way.
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Apple cider has always been one of the things I’ve missed enjoying post type one diabetes diagnosis. While I do enjoy it on occasion for a low blood sugar in the fall, incorporating it into baked goods that have additional elements, aside from just the cider which would spike my blood sugar too rapidly, gives me a great way to enjoy one of my favorite fall flavors in a new way.
Before you start anything, your first step will be to make your chai spice mixture. You can absolutely buy this premade but I found it difficult to find a premixed chai spice mixture, so I wanted to share an option for making your own at home.
I went through a few rounds to get this cake just right. The end result was an incredibly moist cake that has the perfect balance of apple cider and chai spice. When the cake is fully baked, as you can see below, it will look golden, shiny and very moist across the top layer. It will be hard not to dig in right away, but it’s worth the wait to let the cake cool and top it with the sweet and spiced frosting.
To top off our tasty fall cake, you’ll make a pourable frosting with your chai spices and more of the sweet apple cider. The cake is so tender, that this will also help to avoid any issues with frosting if you were to use a thicker, more traditional buttercream. This frosting comes together in a pinch with no special equipment required, just like the rest of the recipe, making it an easy frosting that tastes even better than it looks.
Chai Spiced Apple Cider Cake
Equipment
- Large and medium bowl
- Whisk and spatula or large spoon
- 9×9 inch square pan (or 8×8)
- Optional: mesh strainer, offset spatula
Ingredients
For the best results, I highly recommend using the gram measurements provided
Chai spice mixture*
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground clove
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 pinch of finely ground black pepper
Chai spiced apple cider cake
- 12 tablespoons (170g) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil like canola oil
- 3/4 cup (144g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (64g) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs + large egg yolk take out of the fridge 30 minutes prior to starting
- 2/3 cup (155g) apple cider room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 2/3 cups (200g) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons chai spice mixture
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Chai spiced apple cider frosting
- 8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons + 1 extra teaspoon (or so) apple cider
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup (180g) powdered sugar
- 1 3/4 teaspoon chai spice mixture
- 1 pinch salt
*You won't use all of this chai spice mixture for this recipe, but set the rest aside and stir into some warm apple cider or tea!
Instructions
- Make your chai spice mixture. In a small dish, add all of your spices to create your chai spice mixture and mix together until combined. Set aside for later.
- Make your cake. Melt your butter and add to a large bowl with your neutral oil, and granulated and light brown sugars. Whisk together until smooth. Add in your eggs and extra yolk, and continue to whisk until thickened, completely incorporated and lightened in color.
- Next, add in your apple cider and vanilla extract. Continue to whisk until fully combined.
- Then, add in your dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 2 teaspoons of your chai mixture. Use your spatula to fold in your dry ingredients until your batter just forms and you don’t have any remaining clumps of dry ingredients.
- Once your batter is ready, line a 9x9in square pan (or you can use an 8×8 pan and increase the cook time a bit) with parchment paper. Pour your batter into the pan and bake for 22-25 minutes. It’ll be done when the top is lightly golden while still looking moist, and the cake doesn’t jiggle when you shake it slightly.
- Once cooled, make your frosting and complete your cake. Melt your butter about halfway in the microwave. Then, stir in your 2 tablespoons of apple cider until combined. If there are still clumps of butter, place back into the microwave for about 10 seconds. Stir until smooth, or repeat with another trip in the microwave if you still have any clumps left. Stir in your vanilla extract, and then place this mixture into the fridge for about 5 to 10 minutes until it looks slightly gelatinous (you do not want it to get solid).
- Into a medium or large bowl, add your butter mixture and combine with your powdered sugar, chai spices and pinch of salt. I recommend sifting these dry ingredients in, or be mindful of any clumps from your powdered sugar. Whisk everything together until you’ve reached a smooth consistency. If your frosting is too stiff, it should be pourable but thick, add in a half teaspoon of apple cider at a time – mixing in completely before adding any additional until you reach your perfect consistency.
- Pour your frosting onto your cake and spread it across evenly using a flat tool like an offset spatula. Let the frosting set completely, for about an hour or two or you can place in the fridge to ensure a clean cut. When you’re ready, slice into 16 squares and enjoy!
