Vegan Chai Spice Cake

Name: Vegan Chai Spice Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 165 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves; 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice; 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1 tablespoon white vinegar; 1 cup almond milk (minus 1 tablespoon); 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed; 1/3 cup olive oil; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 4 ounces plant-based cream cheese (room temperature); 1/4 cup unsalted plant-based butter (room temperature); 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar ((plus more, if necessary)); 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves; 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice; 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

Last Updated: Sep 6, 2026 by Leanne Combden

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This Vegan Chai Spice Cake is soft and tender, filled with warming chai spices and topped with a spiced cream cheese frosting. It's an easy, single layer cake, with no eggs and no dairy. Oil and vegan buttermilk keep this cake moist and fluffy, and the frosting is made from plant-based butter and cream cheese.

If you're looking for other vegan spice cakes, you'll also want to try my orange spice cake and apple spice cake recipes!

A piece of chai cake on a plate with a forkful removed and other pieces on plates in the background.

Quick Look: Vegan Chai Spice Cake

⏱ Prep Time: 20 minutes
👩🏻‍🍳 Bake Time: 25 minutes
🆒 Cooling Time: 2 hours
⏳ Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
🧁 Servings: 16 pieces
⚡ Calories: 217 per slice
🍽 Diet: vegan, egg-free, dairy-free
🔥 Flavor/texture: soft and tender with creamy frosting; warming chai spice flavor.
👌 Difficulty: easy
❤️ Why you'll love: mostly pantry ingredients; perfect dessert for fall holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.

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Reasons to love this recipe

Pantry friendly ingredients: Aside from almond milk and plant-based butter and cream cheese for the frosting, everything you need is likely already sitting in your kitchen cupboards.
Perfect rise without eggs: You don't need eggs or egg substitutes. A simple combination of baking powder, baking soda and vinegar work to lift this cake. (I use the same combination of ingredients for my eggless banana cake).
Cozy chai spice blend: An aromatic mix of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and cardamom adds the most amazing, warm flavor to both the cake and the frosting.

Table of Contents

Quick Look: Vegan Chai Spice Cake
Reasons to love this recipe
Updated recipe
Ingredient notes
Measuring ingredients
How to make vegan chai cake with spiced cream cheese frosting
Storage and freezing
Experts tips
Vegan chai spice cake FAQs
More fall dessert recipes
📖 Recipe

Updated recipe

I first published this chai cake recipe in November 2018, and updated it in October 2019. I've made some changes to this recipe over the years to address some reader comments and to use more common baking ingredients instead of specialty items. So, in 2025, I thought it was time for another update. If you prefer the older recipe, please reach out and I can email you a copy!

Ingredient notes

Ingredients to make a chai spice cake arranged in individual bowls and labeled.

Ingredients to make chai spice cream cheese frosting arranged individually and labeled.

Flour - I used to make this cake with whole wheat flour, but switched to all-purpose flour so the cake would be soft and fluffy and less dense. (I still have plenty of desserts on the blog that are made with whole wheat flour, like this whole wheat pumpkin bread).
Sugar - The recipe calls for light brown sugar. I've also used coconut sugar, cane sugar and granulated sugar with success. I haven't tested this recipe with any liquid sweeteners.
Chai spice - This is a blend of spices that includes ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg and cloves. Some chai spice mix recipes use more cardamom than cinnamon or vice versa, or others are heavier on ginger. For this recipe, I like to go heavier on the ginger. (I use the same chai spice blend in my chocolate oat bars).
Vegan buttermilk - This is just a mix of dairy-free milk and white vinegar. I normally use almond milk, but for a nut-free version, oat milk works too. (I also do this when I make my buttermilk plum cake).
Plant-based cream cheese - Some brands can make frosting a bit runny, so just make sure the brand you're using has a similar texture to regular brick cream cheese.
Plant-based butter - I like to use a plant-based butter that says on the label it works like regular butter in baking. I recommend using sticks of butter and not the spreadable kind.

Measuring ingredients

For convenience, US cup measurements are included in the recipe card for this recipe. To ensure greater accuracy, however, weight and volume measurements are also provided. So, if you see grams (g), you'll want to use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients, and if you see milliliters (ml), you'll want to use a liquid measuring cup. Smaller quantities of ingredients are provided in teaspoons and tablespoons.

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How to make vegan chai cake with spiced cream cheese frosting

Dry cake ingredients whisked together in a glass bowl.

Step 1: Whisk together the flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Almond milk and vinegar mixed together with a whisk in a glass measuring cup.

Step 2: Make the buttermilk. To a 1 cup measuring cup, add a tablespoon of vinegar and fill the remainder of the cup with almond milk. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes.

Wet ingredients whisked together in a glass bowl with dry ingredients off to the side.

Step 3: Add the buttermilk, brown sugar, oil and vanilla to a large bowl and whisk until well combined.

Batter mixed together in a glass bowl with a whisk.

Step 4: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and gently whisk until just combined. Don't over mix. It's okay if there are a few lumps in the batter.

Batter spread out in the prepared square cake pan.

Step 5: Pour the batter into a greased and parchment lined 8-inch square pan. Gently tap the pan on the counter to release some of the air bubbles.

Step 6: Bake on 350F for 23-25 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack.

Frosting whipped together in a glass bowl with beaters in the frame.

Step 7: Cream together the cream cheese and butter. Add the powdered sugar and spices and beat until smooth and creamy.

Frosting spread out on top of the cake in the pan.

Step 8: Spread the frosting onto the cooled cake.

Storage and freezing

Room temperature: The unfrosted cake can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for 4-5 days. (It's actually quite delicious on it's own like this)!
Refrigerate: If the cake is frosted, you'll want to store it in an airtight container in the fridge where it will last for 5-7 days.
Freeze: Wrap the cooled and unfrosted cake in a few layers of plastic wrap and place it in a resealable bag before freezing. It will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it thaw at room temperature before frosting.

Experts tips

Don't over mix the batter. If you over mix, the batter will be thin and will bake up dense with a slight doughy texture. You want to mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just incorporated. Avoid mixing vigorously. The batter should still have a few little lumps in it.
Grease and line the cake pan with overhanging parchment paper. This prevents the cake from sticking but also makes it easier to lift the cake out of the pan. I also find parchment paper prevents the sides of the cake from over browning and stops the batter from climbing the sides of the pan.

Side view of a piece of chai cake on a plate with pieces in the background.

Vegan chai spice cake FAQs

Can this chai cake be baked in a different size pan?

I like the height of the cake in an 8-inch square pan. You can also use a 9-inch round cake pan with similar results. If you only have a 9-inch square pan, just note that the cake will bake quicker and will not be as high.

Can I make this vegan chai cake with a different type of flour?

I've tested this recipe with both all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. Both work, but the all-purpose results in a lighter and fluffier texture. A gluten-free 1:1 baking flour may also work, but I haven't tested it. Other gluten-free flours such as coconut, oat or almond flour will not work without adjustments to the quantity of the other ingredients used.

Why did my chai cake sink in the middle?

The biggest reason is likely over mixing the batter, or if the cake is under baked, it will start to sink as it cools. Another reason is loss of heat in the oven. If you open the oven door too early to check on the cake, it could deflate a little in the middle.

What other types of frosting go well with a chai spice cake?

If you're looking for something different from the chai spice cream cheese frosting and want to keep this cake vegan, my avocado chocolate frosting would work well!