I think this Chai Coffee Cake officially confirmed that I’m completely obsessed with putting chai flavors into baked goods now. I already love regular coffee cake, but adding all those warm chai spices somehow makes it even better. The smell alone while this bakes is enough to make you suddenly want to clean your kitchen, make tea, and pretend you fully have your life together for the day lol.

What I really love about this recipe is that the chai flavor actually comes through properly instead of hiding in the background. You get cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and a little black pepper, which sounds dramatic but works so well together. Then there’s the buttery streusel layered through the middle and on top, which honestly might be my favorite part.

And if you already love recipes like Chai Sugar Cookies Recipe or Chai Pumpkin Scones this chai coffee cake fits right into that same warm spiced breakfast-dessert situation.

Why You Will Love This Chai Coffee Cake Recipe

This chai coffee cake has a soft, tender texture with just enough density to make it feel rich without being heavy. The sour cream keeps the cake moist, while the tea-infused milk adds a subtle chai flavor throughout the batter.

The streusel layer also makes a huge difference here because you get those buttery cinnamon-spice crumbs running through the center and across the top. It gives the cake texture without making it dry.

Another thing I like about this recipe is that it tastes even better after sitting for a few hours because the chai spices settle into the cake more. It’s one of those recipes that somehow tastes bakery-level without actually being difficult.

What You Will Need for this Chai Coffee Cake

A square 8×8 baking pan works best for this recipe because it helps the cake bake evenly without drying out around the edges.

Parchment paper is really helpful here since the streusel can stick slightly while baking. Lining the pan makes cleanup way easier too.

A hand mixer or stand mixer helps create that smooth batter texture without overworking everything.

A small saucepan is important for steeping the tea bags into the milk so the chai flavor comes through properly in the cake.

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup butter
• ⅔ cup sour cream
• 2 eggs
• ⅓ cup whole milk
• 2 black tea bags
• ⅓ cup oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Streusel

• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
• 1½ teaspoons ground cardamom
• 1½ teaspoons ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper

For the Glaze

• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½–1 tablespoon milk

How to Make Chai Coffee Cake

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper.

In a small saucepan, heat the milk with the tea bags until it just begins to boil.

Turn off the heat and let the tea steep while cooling slightly. Squeeze the tea bags gently before removing them. You should end up with about ¼ cup tea-infused milk.

For the streusel, combine the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and black pepper in a bowl.

Add the cold butter cubes and work them into the dry ingredients using your fingers until crumbly.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add the butter and oil, then mix until the mixture looks like damp sand.

In another bowl, whisk together the sour cream, eggs, vanilla extract, and cooled chai milk.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until smooth.

Spread half the batter into the prepared pan.

Sprinkle a little more than half of the streusel mixture evenly over the batter.

Carefully spoon the remaining batter over the streusel and gently spread it out.

Top with the remaining streusel.

Bake for about 60–65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out mostly clean.

Allow the cake to cool completely before glazing.

For the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar and milk until smooth and drizzle over the cooled cake.

Tips

Try not to overmix the batter once the wet ingredients go in because that can make the cake heavier.

Cold butter is important for the streusel so you get those crumbly little buttery pieces instead of a paste.

If the top starts browning too quickly while baking, loosely cover it with foil during the last part of baking.

This cake tastes really good with coffee, chai tea, or even warm milk late at night honestly.

Storage

Store the chai coffee cake covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.

You can also refrigerate it for up to 1 week.

The cake freezes well too, especially before adding the glaze.

More Coffee Cake Recipes

• Zucchini Coffee Cake
• Apple Sour Cream Coffee Cake
• Tasty Orange Coffee Cake
• Apple Pie Filling Coffee Cake
• Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake