Sweet Potato Chai Bread
The first time I tried my friend Ruchi of Chai High Tea, Chai Simple Syrup, I knew I had to create a recipe with it. It has a complex flavor, for simple syrup, without being too sweet. My first thought was to make a chai cheesecake, but I changed my mind when I started dreaming of fall flavors.
Chai Simple Syrup sold by Chai High Tea
My favorite time of year for ingredients is the fall. It’s a time for comfort foods, warm and cozy spices, and low and slow cooking. I’m obsessed! You’ll notice a common theme with fall flavors within my cookbook, Staples +5: 100 Simple Recipes to Make the Most of Your Pantry, and in the recipe section on this website. My favorite fall ingredients are bourbon, brown sugar, nutmeg, and sweet potato!
Sweet potato feels like the forgotten cousin this time of year, but I am here to tell you that it is far superior to anything pumpkin or pumpkin spice! The main reason is that pumpkin itself is not tasty, and sweet potato is fantastic as a standalone side and incorporated into many different r recipes. I consider sweet potato a year-round ingredient because it’s so versatile, but there’s nothing like pairing sweet potato with warm spices—especially the spice used in chai blends.
Chai Masala Blend by Chai High Tea
Ruchi’s chai blends are not your average chai latte. Ruchi makes traditional chai while honoring her culture’s history and chai-making practices. I’ve learned so much from her, especially attending her Chai High Tea events! We collaborated a while back, and she was kind enough to share a chai recipe! Check out Ruchi’s Ginger Cardamom Chai.
Sweet Potato Chai Bread starts with roasted sweet potatoes. I prefer boiled sweet potatoes for dessert recipes, but roasting them for this bread provided a caramelized nutty flavor that accommodates the other ingredients perfectly! My husband is a massive fan of ginger. (And one of Ruchi’s biggest fans. I usually have to double my order of chai products from Ruchi because my husband will use them all faster than I can keep up.) I added a bit of ground ginger and cardamom to this recipe to ramp up the warm tingly feel of this bread. I don’t know Ruchi’s recipe for chai simple syrup, but I have a feeling it has ginger in it, so these additions compliment her work well.
It’s important to note that Ruchi does not make her chai simple syrup year-round. It will be available during the December holidays, and you’ll have to sign up for her newsletter to find out when she offers it. Still, you can easily make your simple syrup using her masala chai blend, which is available for purchase at any time! Just take one part water and one part sugar and steep a tablespoon or two over the stove until the sugar has dissolved. Be sure to strain the mixture into an airtight container.
No matter how you get your chair flavor into this bread, it will turn out moist and delicious. It is a warm, comforting hug you will want to make for yourself, friends, and family. The chai cream cheese frosting is optional, but I strongly recommend you indulge in the tanginess of cream cheese frosting with the warmth of chai spices.
Other sweet potato recipes you will love: Apple Bacon Sweet Potato Crostini, Duck Fat Grilled Sweet Potatoes, Sweet Potato Hummus, Sweet Potato Pancakes
Chai Sweet Potato Bread
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato, roasted (about 1 1/4 cup)
- 3 tbsp Chai High Tea Chai Simple Syrup
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ cup butter, melted +1 tbsp softened
- ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour + 1 tbsp
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- 2 tbsp Chai High Tea Simple Syrup
- 1 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°. Prick 1 large sweet potato on all sides with a fork. Place the sweet potato on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until fork tender. Let cool, then scoop the flesh of the sweet potato into a large bowl.
- Once the sweet potato is cooked, reduce the oven temperature to 350°. Prepare a loaf pan using 1 tbsp of softened butter to grease the pan.
- Follow the butter with 1 tbsp of all-purpose flour to dust the pan. Be sure to cover the entire loaf pan with butter, then flour. Set aside.
- Combine the cooled sweet potato with Chai High Tea Simple Syrup salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and ginger, using a handheld mixer. Add butter, oil, and vanilla extract and mix until ingredients are fully incorporated. Set aside.
- Whisk together baking powder, soda, and flour in a medium bowl. Combine the flour, eggs, and sweet potato mixture by adding flour and eggs, alternating one at a time. Mix flour or eggs into the batter entirely before adding the alternating ingredient. You should end with flour and only mix until incorporated and there are no more streaks of flour. Be careful not to over-mix.
- Pour the bread batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 55 to 65 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick is inserted in the center of the loaf and comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Rest the sweet potato chai bread on a cooling rack until cooled completely.
- To prepare the frosting, combine the softened cream cheese and butter in a large bowl using a handheld mixer. Once combined, add Chai High Tea Simple Syrup, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Spread the frosting over the top of the bread once it has been inverted out of the loaf pan.
- Slice the cake to serve.
Notes
Store the leftover bread in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
This bread will bake the most evenly by allowing the eggs to come to room temperature before preparing the batter. The cream cheese and butter will create lumps in the frosting if not made when room temperature.
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