Chai Cake with Apples Recipe

4.88 from 8 votes

If you love Chai Tea Lattes and sweet and crisp fall apples, this Chai Cake is for you! It's perfect for a crowd, and you can make it ahead of time. Celebrating the flavors of fall, the warm spices, tart apples and soft texture all come together beautifully to create a heavenly dessert.

Prep Time35

Cook Time50

Cooling Time30

Total Time1 55

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: apple recipes, desserts for a group, spiced cakes

Servings:

Calories: 435kcal

Author: Valentina K. Wein

Equipment

10-inch bundt cake pan

Ingredients

For the cake

1 cup plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
1¾ cups granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
4 cups thinly sliced apples (Fuji, Granny Smith or other good baking apple)* about 3 to 4 average-sized apples

For the glaze

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons water
¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground ginger

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the cake

Set oven, melt butter and prepare pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Melt the butter and use a pastry brush to grease a 10-inch bundt pan with about 2 teaspoons of it. Set the remaining melted butter aside to cool to room temperature.
Combine dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar, flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Mix until well combined. Make a small well in the center and set aside.
Prep the apples. Peel, core and slice the apples in half vertically. Then cut the halves as thinly as you can, horizontally (⅛-inch or less).
Combine wet ingredients with the apples. Add the remaining 1 cup of (now room temperature) melted butter to another mixing bowl. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add the apple slices and mix just to incorporate them evenly.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Add the wet apple mixture into the well in the dry ingredients. Fold to blend. This is a thick batter, so you might need to use your hands for this part, and many of the apple slices might break -- that's okay!
Pour batter into the pan and bake. Add the batter to the buttered bundt pan and then use a small spreader to smooth out the top and gently press it into the grooves of the bundt pan. (Don't press too hard or the chances of it sticking to the pan might increase.) Bake in the preheated 350°F oven until the cake no longer jiggles, is lightly browned, and is beginning to crack on top -- about 50 minutes. It should feel a bit like a wet sponge if you gently press with your finger on the top.
Cool. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 30 minutes, then use a cooling rack to invert it, and place it on a foil-lined sheet pan.

For the glaze

Combine ingredients. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the water, sugar and spices, and use a whisk to mix until it's smooth.

Assemble

Add the glaze to the cake and serve. Drizzle the glaze over the cake while it's still warm, a little bit at a time. Some will seep into the cake, and some will drip down the sides and into the center, falling onto the foil. Let it sit for a few minutes and repeat this process at least twice more. You can use a spoon to scoop up the glaze from the foil and drizzle it over the cake again. (Anything left after this can be saved for an ice cream topping.) Slice and serve!

Notes

Nutritional information is automatically calculated, so it should only be used as an estimate.

*Other good baking apples: Braeburn, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady

Nutrition