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Ah, yes, the fall season. It's my absolute favorite time of year. Right before Thanksgiving, my husband and I attend a lovely Friendsgiving, and I typically bake a dessert that's apple or pumpkin based. The star flavors of the fall. I've made a million different versions of apple and pumpkin flavored things - pies, crisps, tarts, cakes, cupcakes - you name it! So this year, I wanted to make something different. Don't get me wrong, it's wonderful to have those classic apple and pumpkin flavors in many dishes that are served this time of year. But, I wanted to mix it up a bit!
I went to my go-to baking blog, Sally's Baking Addiction (it's the best for step-by-step directions and creative recipes), and found this beautiful Chai Cinnamon Swirl Bundt Cake. The flavors of chai with warm cinnamon and vanilla are amazing for the cozy fall season, and this cake does a beautiful job highlighting all of them. This cake is unique, pretty simple to make, and it's SO delicious.
The cake is a light, fluffy, and moist vanilla-based cake. In the center, you incorporate a layer of chai swirl - which is a mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and allspice. It's truly magical. The best part of this cake is when you cut into it and you see that beautiful chai swirl in the center. The chai spice layer with the vanilla cake is an amazing combination of flavor.
I made this cake ahead of time by baking the entire cake, then cooling it, and leaving it covered at room temperature overnight. The next day, I made the Browned Butter Icing that's recommended within the recipe and actually pulled from a different recipe on Sally's website. The sweet browned butter icing balances really nicely with the spice flavor, but she also suggests a vanilla icing, brown sugar icing, and a few others. Right before leaving for our Friendsgiving, I used a piping bag to smother the entire cake with this icing. It also ends up looking beautiful on the outside!
I highly recommend this cake for any time of year, but especially in fall! It's a cozy dessert filled with flavors of vanilla, cinnamon, chai, and topped with a sweet icing. Enjoy!