Vegan Chocolate Chai Cake

Enjoy this rich and decadent Vegan Chocolate Chai Cake made with cocoa, real chai tea, and added spices for both flavor and health. This cake is so moist and it’s topped with dark chocolate frosting that will make this easy vegan cake recipe a family favorite for years to come. You’ll love this easy-to-make cake!

A slice of chocolate chai cake sits on a stack of 3 white plates with 3 forks sitting beside it.

I am seriously into this chai thing right now. It can’t be denied. But then again, why would we want to? Because having a piece of this Chocolate Chai Cake is more than just indulgent, those spices have some serious benefits too.

More about that in a minute. If you’re into cake as much as I am, you might want to try my Vegan Chocolate Wacky Cake too. For a real change in pace, try this Peanut Butter Cake. It’s made with peanut butter frosting too!

This year has felt like a whirlwind. A cold, snowy, blustery whirlwind. Of course, maybe that’s what whirly kinds of winds are all about. Hmm.

So when life gets so busy like this, every now and then you’ve got to Command+T and open a new tab. You know what I mean? Change the scenery. Have a cup of tea. Slow down and taste the chocolate cake!

How to Make Chocolate Chai Cake

You’ll start with the dry ingredients, including all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cloves, and nutmeg.

Stir those together in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients, including plant-based milk, one cup of hot water seeped with your favorite chai tea, ground flax seeds, cornstarch, apple cider vinegar, and vegetable oil.

A white bowl sits on a white counter and has liquid in it, the beginnings of the cake batter.

Next, create a well in the middle of the flour and pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and then stir to combine.

Be sure not to overmix the batter. Just give it a good stir and you’re ready to pour it into your prepared pan.

Chai Chocolate Cake batter is in a white bowl with a grey and red spatula.

I prefer to bake this cake in a 9×13 baking dish. However, you can also bake it in two round cake pans and make it into a layered cake.

A 9X13 glass pan holds the freshly iced chocolate chai cake.

Once the cake is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely before topping it with the frosting. Here are the ingredients to make the frosting: vegan butter, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, vanilla, plant-based milk.

Combine the vegan butter, cocoa powder and powdered sugar in a bowl and stir to combine. Then add the vanilla followed by the plant-based milk. That’s it!

What I Love About This Chai Cake Recipe

You don’t always expect chai flavorings to be combined with chocolate. That makes this cake like me, a little unusual. Don’t you like being a little unusual too? You know, like everybody else?

You would never guess this cake is vegan, because it’s flavorful, rich, and…did I say flavorful? Oh well, it’s worth repeating.

You’ll also love the dark chocolate frosting, combined with the spiced cake. One bite leads to another!

Do you love chocolate vegan dessert recipes? Be sure and try my vegan chocolate cheesecake. It’s creamy and delicious! Or make a batch of my vegan chocolate chip cookies. It’s everything you expect from a chocolate chip cook and yet, somehow it’s vegan. And there’s also my vegan chocolate chip caramel bars.

A slice of chocolate chai cake sits on a stack of 3 white plates with 3 forks sitting beside it.

Chocolate Chai Cake

Enjoy this rich and decadent Chocolate Chai Cake made with cocoa, real chai tea, and added spices for both flavor and health.
5 from 3 votes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 16
Calories: 349kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup whole wheat flour
  • cups granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup cocoa
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 cups plant-based milk almond, soy, etc
  • 1 cup chai tea your favorite chai tea seeped in 1 cup of hot water
  • 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cup oil

Dark Chocolate Frosting

  • ½ cup (1 stick) vegan butter , softened
  • ½ cup dark chocolate cocoa (or regular cocoa)
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1-2 tablespoons plant-based milk

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13 cake pan with vegetable spray.
  • In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cloves, and nutmeg. Stir until well combined.
  • Create a well in the middle of the flour and pour in the plant-based milk, chai tea, ground flax seeds, corn starch, apple cider vinegar, and oil. Stir to combine. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture into the milk mixture and continue stirring until well-combined.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. When the cake is done, remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely before frosting.
  • While you're waiting for the cake to cool, prepare the frosting by combining the softened vegan butter, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar in a bowl. Stir to combine. It should form a thick mixture. Add the vanilla and one tablespoon of plant-based milk at a time until you reach a desired, spreadable consistency. Spread this evenly across the top of the cooled cake.
  • Cover the cake and store at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to 7 days, or cut individual slices and freeze them for up to 2 months. To serve, cook individual slices in the microwave in 10 to 15-second intervals until warmed through.

(The products above contain sponsored links to products we use and recommend)

Calories: 349kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 208mg | Potassium: 229mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 65IU | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 2mg

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

If you’re into spicy chocolate cake, check these tasty recipes out:

Whatever chocolate cake your chowing, enjoy!

5 Responses to Vegan Chocolate Chai Cake

  1. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyNC Reply

    5 stars
    Threw it together for a birthday, using his favorite version of chai: dirty chai (with espresso in it). It was perfect.
    I also added cardamom and cinnamon since those are the flavors I NEED in my chai.

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      I discovered that I love cardamom as well. It’s so flavorful! So glad you loved this cake! ❤️

  2. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyAnnie Reply

    5 stars
    This cake was amazing! I brought it into the office and everyone loved it. Had to send the link to the recipe around after because everyone wanted to make it at home.

    SO soft and chocolatey. Could never tell it was vegan!

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      Hi Annie! I’m so glad you and others at your office liked this cake so much. That’s one of my favorite thing too – when a dish is so good no one can tell it’s vegan! I brought one of my dips to a party with friends and one of the guys there said it was unfortunate my husband and I had to miss out on delicious food because we’re vegan…and he pointed to MY dip! He was shocked!!!

  3. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyLeona Mcmillen Reply

    5 stars
    All those spices look delicious!!

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