Name: Masala Chai Loaf Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 1 loaf (10 slices)
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1.5 cups (190g) all-purpose flour (maida); 1 cup (200g) caster sugar; 2 eggs (or 2 flax eggs for vegan); 1/2 cup (120ml) brewed masala chai, cooled and strong; 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil or melted butter; 1/2 cup (120ml) full-fat yoghurt or sour cream; 1.5 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda; 1 teaspoon ground cardamom; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/4 teaspoon ground clove; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; Pinch of salt; Optional glaze: 3 tablespoons icing sugar + 1 tablespoon strong chai

This cake is a bridge between two great Indian tea rituals — the making of masala chai and the sharing of sweets. It is technically a Western-style loaf cake, but its flavour is unmistakably chai: that specific blend of warming spice that is cardamom-forward, gently gingery, and finished with the ghost of clove and black pepper.

The secret is the brewed chai in the batter. Not chai spice powder (though those are in there too), but actual liquid chai — steeped, strained, cooled, and folded into the mix. It adds both flavour depth and a subtle tannic complexity that dry spices alone cannot produce.

Method

Step 1. Brew a very strong cup of masala chai — double your usual tea quantity, simmer for 7-8 minutes. Strain and leave to cool completely. You need 120ml for the batter.

Step 2. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease a 900g (2lb) loaf tin and line with parchment paper.

Step 3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, clove, black pepper, and salt.

Step 4. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs (or flax eggs) with the oil, yoghurt, and cooled chai until smooth.

Step 5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold until just combined — a few streaks of flour are fine. Do not overmix or the cake will be dense and tough.

Step 6. Pour into the prepared tin. Bake for 45-55 minutes. The cake is done when a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean and the top has a firm, slightly cracked golden crust.

Step 7. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out. For the glaze: mix icing sugar with cold brewed chai to a pourable consistency and drizzle over the cooled loaf.

💡

The glaze is optional but it adds a concentrated chai hit on top of the cake that makes each slice noticeably more aromatic. Make it strong — more tea, less sugar — for maximum effect.

Notes

Vegan version: Replace eggs with 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flaxseed + 6 tablespoons water, rest for 5 minutes). Replace yoghurt with coconut yoghurt. The texture is slightly denser but still excellent.
Spice level: These quantities produce a moderately spiced cake. Increase cardamom to 1.5 teaspoons and ginger to 1 teaspoon for a more assertive flavour.
This cake keeps well — sealed at room temperature for 4 days, refrigerated for a week. The spice flavour deepens on day 2 and 3.
Serve in thick slices with a cup of masala chai. The repetition is intentional.

A slice of chai cake with a cup of masala chai is not redundant. It is emphasis.