Vegan Vanilla Chai Olive Oil Cake
Equipment
- 6-cup Bundt pan
- Medium mixing bowl
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Silicone spatula
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
Dry:
- 1 ¾ cups 220 g all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper optional but lovely
Wet:
- ¾ cup 180 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- ¾ cup 150 g organic cane sugar
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract or seeds of 1 vanilla bean
- 1 cup 240 ml unsweetened plant milk (almond, oat, or soy)
- 3 Tbsp chia seeds
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
Optional topping:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- Pinch of cinnamon or chai spice for dusting Optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Grease your Bundt pan generously with olive oil or baking spray and lightly dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
- In a small bowl, whisk together chia seeds and plant milk. Let sit for 10–15 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until it thickens into a gel.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all the spices until evenly blended.
- In a large bowl, whisk olive oil, sugar, vanilla, and vinegar until smooth. Add the chia-milk gel and whisk until uniform.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet in two additions, whisking gently just until no dry streaks remain. The batter will be thick and glossy—don’t overmix.
- Pour batter into the prepared Bundt pan and smooth the top. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the top springs back and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cake cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then carefully invert onto a wire rack. Cool completely before topping.
- Dust powdered sugar lightly over cake, adding in cinnamon or chai spice if preferred.
Notes
The chai spice blend can be adjusted to your taste; add a little more cardamom for brightness or extra cinnamon for warmth.
The chia seeds act as both binder and moisture keeper, so the crumb stays soft even on day three.
For a stronger tea note, you can infuse your plant milk with a chai tea bag while it warms, then cool before mixing.
Pairs beautifully with black tea or an oat-milk latte.