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Thai Tea Cake (Cha Yen Cake)
Soft, moist, and unmistakably cha yen. This cake is built on a strong Thai tea concentrate - the same one you'd pour over ice - so the flavor reads as real Thai tea, not vague spice. A condensed-milk frosting ties it straight back to the drink.
The secret: a strong concentrate
The mistake most Thai tea cakes make is using weak tea, so the spice disappears under sugar and butter. The fix is a concentrate: steep a heavy dose of Thai tea mix in just one cup of water. That gives you intense color and flavor in a small volume of liquid - enough to flavor the batter without making it soggy.
Ingredients
- Concentrate: 1/4 cup Thai tea mix steeped in 1 cup hot water, then strained
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup neutral oil (or melted butter)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup Thai tea concentrate (from above)
- 1/4 cup milk · 1 tsp vanilla
- Frosting: 1/2 cup softened butter + 1/2 can condensed milk + 1 tbsp ground tea powder
Cha Yen Cake
Method
- Make the concentrate. Steep the tea mix in hot water 5 minutes, strain well, and cool. Reserve 1/2 cup for the batter.
- Dry mix. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
- Wet mix. In another bowl, whisk oil, eggs, the 1/2 cup concentrate, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
- Combine. Fold wet into dry just until no streaks remain - don't overmix.
- Bake. Pour into a lined 8-inch pan and bake at 175°C / 350°F for 30-35 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
- Frost. Cool completely. Beat the butter with condensed milk and tea powder until fluffy, then spread over the cake.
The mix that matters
A concentrated steep of this mix is what gives the cake its real cha yen color and flavor. Worth using the authentic blend here.
Check price on Amazon →FAQ
Can I use a boxed cake mix?
Yes - replace the water in any vanilla box mix with cooled Thai tea concentrate for a shortcut version. The crumb won't be quite as fragrant as scratch, but the flavor still comes through.
Cream cheese frosting instead?
Absolutely. A cream-cheese frosting with a spoon of tea powder is delicious and a little less sweet than the condensed-milk version.
Why is my cake pale, not orange?
Your concentrate wasn't strong enough. Use the full 1/4 cup of mix per cup of water, or add a tablespoon of reserved tea powder to the batter.
Keep reading
- Thai tea cookies for the cookie jar
- How to batch a Thai tea concentrate
- The authentic street-style cha yen
- Watch: Thai tea recipes on video
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