Chai-Spiced Cake with Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 2 cups water
• 3 tea bags of strong black tea
• 1 (1/2 inch) piece fresh ginger root, peeled
• 3 whole cardamom pods, or more to taste
• 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• ¾ teaspoon ground cloves, divided
• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup molasses
• 1 large egg
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Simple Syrup:
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 tea bags of strong black tea
• Frosting:
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar

Step 1

Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and greasing and flouring two 9-inch round cake pans. To make the chai tea base, combine water, three tea bags, fresh ginger, cardamom pods, and a pinch of cinnamon and cloves in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and keep it warm.

Step 2

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in the molasses and egg until everything is well combined. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cardamom, salt, and the remaining cinnamon and cloves. Add the dry ingredients to your wet mixture in two parts, stirring gently as you go.

Step 3

Strain the warm chai tea into the batter and stir until smooth — it’ll be a bit on the thinner side, but that’s okay. Pour the batter evenly into your prepared pans and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cakes cool for a few minutes before running a knife around the edges to loosen them, then carefully flip them out onto a rack or plate and let them cool completely.

Step 4

While the cakes are cooling, make a simple syrup by heating water, sugar, and two tea bags in a small pot until the sugar dissolves. Once it’s cool enough to handle, brush the syrup generously over the tops of your cakes to keep them moist — just don’t soak them too much. Pop the cakes in the fridge for about an hour or until you’re ready to frost.

Step 5

For the frosting, beat together cream cheese, butter, and fresh ginger until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar and keep mixing until it’s creamy and spreadable. Once your cakes are chilled, spread the frosting over the layers and enjoy!