Chai Chocolate Chunk Loaf Cake (Vegan Gluten-Free)
This Chai Chocolate Chunk Loaf Cake is moist, tender and so soft. Packed with chai spices, chocolate chunks and topped with a dairy-free yoghurt frosting and more chocolate, it’s a cosy, vegan and gluten-free bake for autumn.
I love all things chai spiced and don’t have it often enough. And now I have even excuse in the form of this luscious loaf cake. It’s super moist and fluffy, made with simple, everyday ingredients and has notes of cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and orange, too. The spices pair so well with the dark chocolate, which makes this cosy spiced loaf even better. I love to top this with yoghurt, or you can use a buttercream or dairy-free whipping cream, too. It’s the perfect cake for the season.
Why will I love this cake?
This cake is delicious:
- Moist, tender and so soft
- Made with everyday ingredients
- Packed with a homemade chai spice blend
- With orange inside for zestiness
- Packed with chunks of dark chocolate
- Ideal for autumn and the cosy months
- Smells amazing as it bakes
- Great for all the family and friends to enjoy
- Easy to make in one bowl
- Topped with either yoghurt, buttercream or whipping cream
- Naturally plant-based, egg-free and dairy-free
- Easily gluten-free and nut-free
- Will keep well so ideal for making ahead of time
If you already love the sound of this cake, then skip ahead to the recipe card below. Or, first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.
What ingredients do I need?
You can see the ingredients with weights in the recipe card, and see my favourites and recommended products in the “shop the recipe” section.
For the chai spice blend:
- Cinnamon
- Ground cardamom
- Ground ginger
- Ground nutmeg
To make the cake:
- Plant-based milk and apple cider vinegar: when mixed, these form a buttermilk. Any dairy-free milk is great like oat, almond, soya or coconut (from the carton).
- Golden granulated sugar: for sweetness. You can try using coconut sugar, but the loaf will be slightly denser.
- Light olive oil: or you can use avocado oil or melted and cooled coconut oil.
- Orange juice: this is great for adding a lovely orange zesty flavour.
- Vanilla extract: for flavour.
- Plain or GF plain flour: to make the sponge light and moist, plain flour is best. If making this cake gluten-free, use your preferred GF flour (and add ½ tsp xanthan gum if it doesn’t already have it in).
- Baking powder: for the rise.
- Salt: for flavour.
- Dark chocolate: I love the pink Himalayan salt from Divine Chocolate here, and I chop the bar up into chunks. Or, you can use chocolate chips or buttons.
And to frost, either:
- Dairy-free whipping cream: either soya, coconut or oat-based creams are great for whipping so have a look in your local supermarket and choose your favourite. My go-to’s are Oalty, Emlea Plant-Based or Natures Charm coconut whipping cream.
- Thick coconut yoghurt and protein powder: when mixed together, thee make the simplest, healthiest and most delicious frosting. I use Cocos organic natural or vanilla yoghurt with Form vanilla protein powder.
- Buttercream: see some of my favourite recipes like vanilla buttercream, or cinnamon buttercream.
Is this gluten-free and nut-free?
This is easily gluten-free, as long as you use GF plain flour (adding ½ xanthan gum if needed). To keep this nut-free, check that your yoghurt, milk and cream/yoghurt/buttercream do not contain nuts.
How do I make this?
This cake is ready to go in a few steps:
- Combine the spices: to make the spice blend.
- Stir the milk and vinegar together: and leave for 5 minutes to curdle.
- Combine all of the wet ingredients: until smooth.
- Sift in the flour and spices: and whisk to a smooth batter.
- Fold in the chocolate chunks: and pour into the tin.
- Smooth over the top and bake: for 50 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin: and then lift out to cool fully.
- Prepare the frosting: whichever one you choose.
- Spread the frosting all over the cake: and decorate with extra chocolate and spices or cinnamon.
How long will it last?
This cake will keep for 3-5 days, in a sealed container in the fridge overnight, but best enjoyed at room temperature. You can also freeze the loaf, unfrosted, wrapped well for 1 month. Then, allow to defrost before decorating.
What other recipes can I try?
For more baking ideas:
- Plum and Hazelnut Crumble Cake
- Apple Crumble Banana Bread
- Caramel Latte Banana Bread
- Chocolate Chunk Streusel Cake
- Apple Cinnamon Streusel Blondies
Chai Chocolate Chunk Loaf Cake (Vegan Gluten-Free)
This Chai Chocolate Chunk Loaf Cake is moist, tender and so soft. Packed with chai spices, chocolate chunks and topped with a dairy-free yoghurt frosting and more chocolate, it’s a cosy, vegan and gluten-free bake for autumn.
Ingredients
For the Spices:
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
For the Cake:
- 180ml plant-based milk
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 160g golden granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp chai spice blend
- 120ml light olive oil
- 60ml orange juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 300g plain or GF plain flour
- 2 ½ tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 60g dark chocolate, chopped into chunks
For the Frosting:
- 200ml dairy-free whipping cream
- OR 160g thick coconut yoghurt + 30g vegan vanilla protein powder
To Serve:
- 30g dark chocolate, chopped small
- Cinnamon, to dust
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160Fan/180ºC and line a 9x5-inch loaf tin with parchment paper. Combine all the spices together in a small bowl.
- In a measuring jug, combine the milk and vinegar, whisk and leave for 5 minutes to curdle.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and the chai latte mix. Now add in the milky mix, olive oil, orange juice and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder and spice blend and add the salt. Whisk until really smooth and no lumps remain. Fold in the chocolate.
- Pour into the tin, smooth over the top and bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes, covering with foil for the final 5 minutes if it’s browning too much.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes then carefully lift out of the tin and allow to cool fully on a wire rack,
- For the frosting, either whip the cream until fluffy or whisk together the yoghurt and protein powder until smooth.
- Spread the frosting over the cake and decorate with chopped chocolate and cinnamon.
- Slice thickly and serve or keep in a sealed container for 3-5 days, in the fridge overnight although bets enjoyed at room temperature. You can freeze the unfrosted loaf for 1 month and allow to defrost before decorating.
Shop the recipe
Stay in touch
I look forward to hearing what you think of this Chai Chocolate Chunk Loaf Cake so please let me know in the comments below and leave a star review above. If you do make this cake, I’d love to see so please tag me, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest – please say hello!
With chai love x
p.s. this recipe was first made with Divine Chocolate, but this blog post is not sponsored, and all opinions are my own.
Skip to Recipe