Indulge in this moist and delicious chai coffee cake recipe that’s bursting with warm spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert, this easy homemade coffee cake combines the cozy flavors of chai tea with a classic crumb topping. Whether you’re a coffee lover or enjoy it with an iced chai latte, this variation on a traditional coffee cake will become your new favorite. Inspired by my Grandma’s nutmeg coffee cake, I’ve swapped in a homemade chai spice blend for an irresistible twist.

If you love the aromatic spices in chai tea—think cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg—this chai coffee cake will transport you to a cozy haven. It’s soft, tender, and topped with a crunchy streusel that’s simply addictive. Plus, it’s straightforward to make with pantry staples!

There’s something undeniably magical about the warm, aromatic spices in chai tea – cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg – they have this incredible ability to transport you to a place of comfort and contentment with every sip. Now, imagine infusing those same flavors into a soft, moist coffee cake – pure bliss, right?

Why You’ll Love This Chai Coffee Cake Recipe

Warm Spices: Infused with a homemade chai spice mix for authentic chai flavor.
Moist Texture: Thanks to buttermilk and melted butter (or oil for a lighter option).
Easy to Make: Ready in about an hour, with simple steps for beginners.
Versatile: Great for holidays, potlucks, or weekend baking.
Customizable: Use store-bought chai spice if you’re short on time.

Ingredients for Chai Coffee Cake

sugar
brown sugar
all purpose flour
chai spice blend
oil
salt
buttermilk
egg
baking powder
baking soda

How to Make Chai Spice Mix

There are a bunch of chai spice mix recipes out there. When I make my spiced chai latte at home I love to use Trader Joe’s Spiced Chai Concentrate that is a liquid. For this recipe I needed a spice powder blend. I found one online that looked delicious and it did not disappoint. Here is the Chai Spice Mix that I made up to include in my coffee cake recipe.

This Chai Spice Mix has cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. So I mixed up this delightful chai spice mix in a bowl and then got to work making this delicious coffee cake.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Chai Coffee Cake

Start with your sugars, flour, salt, and chai spice mix in a bowl. Mix them together until combined.

After they are combined, add the melted butter and stir until even.

Then you will remove 1 cup of this mixture and keep for later (this will be the streusel topping).

In a separate bowl combine the buttermilk, egg, baking soda, and baking powder. Whisk them together until smooth.

TIP: If you don’t have buttermilk you can combine milk with a little white vinegar. So for this recipe I measured just shy of 1 cup with milk. Then I added white vinegar till it reached the 1 cup line. Let it sit 5 minutes and you will have thick buttermilk consistency.

Add the buttermilk mixture to the bowl of the dry ingredients. Stir together until you have a smooth coffee cake batter.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan.

Then sprinkle that 1 cup of crumb topping that you saved earlier on top of the batter.

Bake in a preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few dry crumbs.

Chai Coffee Cake

Indulge in the perfect blend of warm spices with this moist and delicious chai coffee cake recipe. Made with warm chai spices, this cake is sure to be a hit with coffee lovers. Get the recipe here.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Serving Size 12 servings

Equipment

8"x10" pan

Ingredients

¾ cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar light or dark
2½ cups flour all purpose
1 tablespoon chai spice mix see link above for the recipe I used, or you can purchase it instore or online.
¾ cup butter melted, or you can use canola oil
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk You can use milk with a splash of white vinegar. Just let it sit for a few minutes to thicken up.
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350℉ degrees. Prep your pan with nonstick spray. I used a 8"x10" pan, but you can use a 9"x13", you will just cook it for a shorter amount of time.
In a large bowl, mix together the sugars, flour, chai spice mix, melted butter, and salt.
Once combined remove 1 cup of this mixture and set aside. This will become the streusel topping for the coffee cake.
In a separate container mix together the buttermilk, egg, baking powder, and baking soda.
Add the buttermilk mixture to the bowl with the flour/sugar mixture and mix until combined.
Pour this mixture into a baking dish. I used an 8″x 10″.
Sprinkle the 1 cup mixture you had set aside on top for the crumble.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Coffee cake can be reheated in the microwave.

Enjoy alone or with a cup of tea, coffee, or hot chocolate.

This Chai Coffee Cake is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert, and it’s sure to become a new favorite in your baking repertoire. The blend of warm spices, tender cake, crunchy streusel, and sweet glaze creates a symphony of flavors and textures that will have everyone coming back for seconds.