This vegan pumpkin chai bundt cake is the perfect dessert to whip up for fall. This moist vegan pumpkin chai bundt cake has a delicious pumpkin flavor, is filled with warm spices, and is topped with a drizzle of sweet glaze. Perfect to share with your friends and family - it's the perfect dessert for fall.
I'm not gonna lie, before I tried pumpkin spice, Chai was my ultimate favorite flavor during this time of year. Yes, I've made countless pumpkin-spiced desserts, so I wanted to switch it up a bit. I wanted to use something that still used spice and still gave us that warm fall feeling - Chai was the answer to that. But, if you would prefer using pumpkin spice, go for it! No pressure here.
Ingredient notes
- Chai spice - You can easily make your own chai masala spice mix, or you can buy premade chai spice. However, if you don't want to use chai, you can absolutely use pumpkin spice as well!
- Potato starch - Combining starches like this will help soften the proteins in the flour, resulting in a light and chewy dessert!
- Pumpkin puree - The best brand I’ve used for any pumpkin recipe is Libby’s Pumpkin Puree. However, do not mistake this for pumpkin pie filling, they are not the same. The ingredients should only be pure pumpkin.
How to make vegan pumpkin chai bundt cake
Preheat the oven. Depending on the color of your pan, the temperatures will differ.
Liberally grease the bundt pan with spray oil, and make sure you get in every crevice!
Combine the dairy-free milk, vinegar, and vanilla extract. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the milk to curdle.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, chai masala spice, and potato starch, and set aside.
Once your milk has curled, add in the oil and pumpkin puree and add in the brown and granulated sugar. Whisk until the sugars have dissolved.
Add in ⅓ of the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and using the electric hand mixer, mix on low until it comes together. Continue adding the remaining wet ingredients in batches, and mix until you have a smooth batter.
Pour the batter into the greased bundt pan and carefully tap the bottom of the pan on a work surface. This will ensure that the batter settles into the crevices of the pan.
Run a chopstick, skewer, or butter knife through the cake batter after you've poured it into the pan to release any air bubbles and to help further settle the cake into the pan.
Bake for about 50-55 minutes. The cake will be done when an inserted toothpick or skewer comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes.
Carefully turn out the cake onto a wire cooling rack, and allow it to cool completely.
Make your royal icing and pour it over the completely cooled cake, and serve!
Tips and tricks
- Measure your flour properly. My recipes are 100% tested in grams. A common reason baked goods fail is incorrectly measured flour. I always recommend using a scale for accuracy when baking. This greatly improves your chance for success and lessens room for error.
- If you’re measuring by cups, avoid scooping the measuring cup directly into the flour. This tends to pack the flour into the cup, resulting in too much flour and a very dense or gummy finished product. Instead, aerate your flour (fluff it with a fork or spoon) and then spoon it into your measuring cups, leveling it with your finger or the back of a butter knife. Keep in mind though, that this method is not guaranteed to be accurate.
- Mix dry and wet ingredients separately, then combine. By doing this, you give yourself the best chance of evenly distributing all the dry ingredients in the batter.
- Add the dry ingredients in batches. This will ensure that the batter is evenly mixed and as a result a smoother texture.
- Run a chopstick through the batter, and tap the bundt pan. Once your batter is in the bundt pan, you want to run a chopstick or something similar through the batter to release any air bubbles and to help settle the batter into the pan.
- Different colored pans, different bake times. If you are using a darker-colored pan you will want to bake your cake at a low temperature, for a longer time. If it's a lighter-colored pan, you'll bake it at a slightly higher temperature, for a shorter amount of time.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make this gluten-free?
Although I haven't tried it myself, I believe you can use a 1-to-1 gluten-free all-purpose flour. - How long does this pumpkin chai bundt cake?
This cake will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. I recommend getting an airtight bundt cake keeper for the best results. - Why did my bundt cake stick to the pan or break when I removed it?
The most common reason could be the pan or the non-stick spray you are using. You want to make sure you are using a vegetable oil-based spray, and liberally grease your pan, get into those crevices. - Do I need to use an electric hand mixer?
It's not necessary, but I find that I can get a smoother cake batter using it than when I whisk it by hand! - What if I have a smaller bundt pan?
That's easy, simply cut the recipe in half!
If you enjoyed this vegan pumpkin chai bundt cake recipe, check these out:
So, if you tried this recipe let me know in the comments below! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @flouredframe for more delicious recipes. While you’re at it, don’t forget to tag me whenever you recreate my recipes! Happy baking!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Chai Bundt Cake
Equipment
- Measuring spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Bundt pan 9-cup capacity
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
Chai Spice (Substitute for pumpkin spice)
- 2 ½ teaspoons Ground cinnnamon
- 1 ¼ teaspoons Ground ginger
- 1 ¼ teaspoons Ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon Ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon Ground clove
- Pinch of black pepper
Cake
- 240 grams Dairy-free milk (warm, I used soy)
- 1 teaspoon White vinegar
- 1 tablespooon Vanilla extract
- 350 grams All purpose flour (fluffed, spooned and leveled)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons Baking powder
- 2 tablespoons Potato starch (or cornstarch)
- 150 grams Vegetable oil (or any neutral oil)
- 1 can Pumpkin puree (15 oz, not pumpkin pie filling)
- 200 grams Light brown sugar (lightly packed)
- 100 grams Granulated sugar
Icing
- 130 grams Powdered sugar (sifted)
- 2-3 tablespoons Dairy-free milk (only use if needed)
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven. Depending on the color of your pan, the temperatures will differ. 325° Fahrenheit for a dark-colored bundt pan or 350° Fahrenheit for a light-colored bundt pan. Liberally grease the bundt pan with spray oil, and make sure you get in every crevice!
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the dairy-free milk, vinegar, and vanilla extract. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the milk to curdle. Next, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, chai spice, and potato starch. Set aside until ready to use.
- Once your milk has curled, add in the vegetable oil, pumpkin puree, and light brown and granulated sugar. Whisk until the sugars have dissolved and all the ingredients have fully combined. Add in ⅓ of the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and using the electric hand mixer, mix on low until it comes together.
- Continue adding the remaining wet ingredients in batches, and mix until you have a smooth batter. Small lumps of flour are okay, but if you notice bigger lumps, continue to mix until it is noticeably smaller. Use a rubber spatula to fold the batter to ensure that there are no pockets of dry flour left.
- Pour the batter into the greased bundt pan and carefully tap the bottom of the pan on a work surface. This will ensure that the batter settles into the crevices of the pan.Run a chopstick, skewer, or butter knife through the cake batter after you’ve poured it into the pan to release any air bubbles and to help further settle the cake into the pan.
- For a dark-colored pan, bake for 50-55 minutes or 45-50 minutes for a light-colored pan. The cake is done when an inserted skewer comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes. Carefully turn out the cake onto a wire cooling rack, and allow it to cool completely.
Royal Icing
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Add one tablespoon of dairy-free milk at a time and whisk until you get a pourable consistency, not too runny and not too thick. Cover and set aside until ready to use.
- Once the cake is completely cool, place it on a nice decorative plate and pour the icing over the top. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Measure your flour properly. My recipes are 100% tested in grams. A common reason baked goods fail is incorrectly measured flour. I always recommend using a scale for accuracy when baking. This greatly improves your chance for success and lessens room for error.
- If you’re measuring by cups, avoid scooping the measuring cup directly into the flour. This tends to pack the flour into the cup, resulting in too much flour and a very dense or gummy finished product. Instead, aerate your flour (fluff it with a fork or spoon) and then spoon it into your measuring cups, leveling it with your finger or the back of a butter knife. Keep in mind though, that this method is not guaranteed to be accurate.
- Mix dry and wet ingredients separately, then combine. By doing this, you give yourself the best chance of evenly distributing all the dry ingredients in the batter.
- Add the dry ingredients in batches. This will ensure that your batter is evenly mixed and as a result a smoother texture.
- Run a chopstick through the batter, and tap the bundt pan. Once your batter is in the bundt pan, you want to run a chopstick or something similar through the batter to release any air bubbles and to help settle the batter into the pan.
- Different colored pans, different bake times. If you are using a darker-colored pan you will want to bake your cake at a low temperature, for a longer time. If it’s a lighter-colored pan, you’ll bake it at a slightly higher temperature, for a shorter amount of time.
- Chai spice. You can easily make your own chai masala spice mix, or you can buy premade chai spice. However, if you don’t want to use chai, you can absolutely use pumpkin spice as well!
- Potato starch. Combining starches like this will help soften the proteins in the flour, resulting in a light and chewy dessert!
- Can I make this gluten-free? Although I haven’t tried it myself, I believe you can use a 1-to-1 gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- How long does this pumpkin chai bundt cake? This cake will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. I recommend getting an airtight bundt cake keeper for the best results.
- Why did my bundt cake stick to the pan or break when I remove it? The most common reason could be the pan or the non-stick spray you are using. You want to make sure you are using a vegetable oil-based spray, and liberally grease your pan, get into those crevices.
- Do I need to use an electric hand mixer? It’s not necessary, but I find that I can get a smoother cake batter using it than when I whisk it by hand!
- What if I have a smaller bundt pan? That’s easy, simply cut the recipe in half!
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