Grain-free Chai Spice Cake
gluten-free | grain-free | dairy-free | tree nut free | refined sugar free
by Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | Dec. 23, 2024
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Imagine a slice of moist, fluffy cake topped with pillows of sweet frosting and bursting with warm holiday flavors. Well, that’s what you will get when you make this grain-free chai spice cake! Despite being grain-free and dairy-free, this cake has the perfect texture and just the right amount of holiday flavor. You can make this cake with simple ingredients you probably already have stocked in the homestead pantry. Chai spice cake makes the perfect homemade holiday dessert for snow day snacks, Christmas Eve dessert, or allergy-friendly option to bring to Christmas gatherings!
Modern Pioneer Recipe
This grain-free chai spice cake is a modern pioneer recipe. Baking with gluten-free and grain-free flours was one challenge that the early pioneers didn’t have to deal with. However, as modern pioneers, we have to work with ingredients that fit our dietary restrictions, which can make home-baking challenging. But… making a grain-free and dairy-free cake has never been easier than with this chai cake recipe! Here’s why you’ll love this modern pioneer recipe:
Single Flour– This cake can be made with just one grain-free flour: cassava flour. I like to keep a variety of gluten-free and grain-free flours stocked in my pantry, but I do know that single-flour recipes are simple and easier for pioneers who are just getting into grain-free baking. Cassava flour is my go-to all-purpose grain-free flour. It is more absorbent and dense than traditional all-purpose flour, but a few recipe tweaks can make cassava flour work in place of all-purpose flour in most recipes.
For another single-flour cake, check out my grain-free gingerbread cake!
Allergy-Friendly– This chai spice cake is a dessert that caters to many different dietary restrictions! It is the perfect dessert to make when you need an allergy-friendly option that looks pretty, tastes delicious, and mimics a traditional cake. This chai cake is:
- gluten-free
- grain-free
- dairy-free
- nut free
- refined sugar free
- corn free
Simple & Easy– No layering, crumb coatings, or sunken cakes with this recipe! This chai spice cake is super easy to both make and decorate. The recipe is a one-bowl recipe and it does not require any special equipment like a stand-mixer, beaters, or blender. It takes just minutes to throw all the ingredients together and get the cake in the oven. The most time consuming part is waiting for the cake to bake and cool before you can frost or decorate it! To frost the cake, you can leave it in the baking pan or take it out and place it on a cake stand. Either way, dolloping spoonful’s of frosting on top of this cake is simple but somehow still elegant when it comes to decorating this single-layer cake!
Want something a little fancier? Check out my grain-free moist chocolate cake recipe!
How to Make Homemade Frosting
I’ll be honest, I have yet to be satisfied with any of my homemade frosting recipes. Sure, they’re still super delicious and look pretty on my homemade desserts. But my biggest problem is with the frosting becoming stiff after it has set up. It could just be because my house is a little on the cool side and the butter hardens more than normal, but I’d still like to work out a few kinks with my frosting recipes.
However, I am going to share with you my basic formula for a homemade buttercream frosting in case you are looking to make a completely from-scratch dessert this holiday season. Topping my homemade chai cake with homemade buttercream frosting makes me feel like a real pioneer!
Here’s the basic recipe for a buttercream frosting that I use for cakes and cupcakes:
Homemade Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup butter, softened (not melted, but a little softer than room temperature)
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar (coconut sugar or cane sugar)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. nutmeg (optional)
- pinch of sea salt
Place the butter in a mixing bowl and beat it with handheld beaters until it is smooth and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, nutmeg, and salt. Slowly add the powdered sugar while beating on low. After all the sugar has been added, continue to whip the frosting until it is smooth and fluffy.
One of my biggest challenges with this recipe is making it allergy-friendly. Despite having a dairy intolerance, I can still have grass-fed organic butter, which is what I use in most of my recipes. I have not tried make a homemade dairy-free frosting. Instead, I take a shortcut and buy Miss Jones Bakes dairy-free vanilla frosting.
Another challenge I face with this recipe is making it free from refined sugar. I do use organic powdered cane sugar in my frosting, but I would like to create a frosting that uses more natural sugars, like maple sugar, honey, or coconut sugar. You could use powdered coconut sugar in this frosting recipe, however, the frosting will be more brown in color.
Recipe Tips for Chai Cake
Are there any substitutes for the yogurt in this recipe?
I like to use dairy-free coconut milk yogurt when baking with grain-free flours. You can also use dairy-free oat milk yogurt, cashew milk yogurt, or almond milk yogurt. The thicker the yogurt is, like a dairy-free Greek-style yogurt, the thicker your batter will be. However, the yogurt will thin down the batter as it bakes so you don’t need to worry too much about what style of yogurt you use.
The best alternative to yogurt in this recipe is to use applesauce. Applesauce will provide moisture and a mild sweetness to the cake without affecting the texture of the cake. You could also experiment with pumpkin or sweet potato puree, but those ingredients may alter the flavor of the cake.
Can I make this chai cake egg free?
I have not tried making this chai cake egg free. The eggs add moisture and structure to the cake, allowing it to be light and fluffy without being crumbly. The protein in the eggs helps with the structure and rise of the cake since grain-free flours are naturally low in protein.
Are there any substitutes for the oil or cassava flour in this cake?
You can use coconut oil or olive oil in place of the avocado oil in this recipe, however, both coconut oil and olive oil may alter the flavor of the cake slightly. When using coconut oil, make sure it is completely melted and in a liquid-state.
I have not tested this cake recipe with any other gluten-free or grain-free flour. The ratio of cassava flour to yogurt, oil, and eggs is perfectly formulated to yield a moist, light cake. Using a different flour will affect the batter consistency and texture of the cake.
Options for chai flavor:
This grain-free cake highlights the warm, spicy flavors of chai! To add chai flavor to your cake, there are several options that I have tried. You can use the following blend of chai spice or you can simply add 2 chai tea bags to the cake batter!
- 1 T. ground cinnamon
- 2.5 tsp. cardamom
- 1/2 T. ground ginger
- 3/4 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp. black pepper, ground
When using chai tea bags, pay attention to what type of chai tea you are using. I like to use red tea since it has a mild flavor, but you could also use black tea or even green tea.
Looking for more delicious chai recipes? You have to make the chai cookies which can be found in The Pioneer Chicks Cookie Cookbook (with over 40 other gluten-free cookies perfect for the holiday season!).
This grain-free chai spice cake is perfectly soft, fluffy, moist and bursting with warm holiday flavors! Topped with swirls of vanilla frosting… every bite will leave you craving more. It is an easy dessert to make from scratch in the homestead kitchen!
Grain-free Chai Spice Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cassava flour
- 1 cup maple sugar
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 3/4 cup avocado oil
- 2 large pasture-raised, organic eggs room temp.
- 3/4 cup dairy-free yogurt
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 2 red chai tea bags
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly oil the sides of an 8" cake pan with coconut oil. Trace the bottom of the pan onto a piece of unbleached parchment paper and cut out the circle. Place the circle in the bottom of the cake pan.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add the oil, eggs, and yogurt. Stir until a smooth batter forms. Fold in the spices.
- Spread the batter into the cake pan. Smooth out the top if necessary. Bake for 45-55 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean and the edges should bounce back when gently pressed. The center of the cake should be set and lightly cracked.
- Place the cake on a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely before frosting the cake. The cake will have risen nicely when baked, but it will settle down as it cools. This is normal for grain-free cakes.
- Store leftovers in airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days.
Where to Find the Ingredients:
- Anthony’s premium cassava flour
- A&A maple sugar
- Chosen Foods avocado oil
- Simply Organic cinnamon
- Simply Organic nutmeg
- Organic chai tea
- Otto’s Naturals baking powder
- Miss Jones Bakes dairy-free vanilla frosting
- Supplies: unbleached parchment paper, 8″ cake pan
Head to your homestead kitchen and whip up this grain-free chai spice cake! It is the perfect dessert for modern pioneers with dietary restrictions, and it doesn’t sacrifice any flavor or texture despite being grain-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free. The soft, moist texture of the cake paired with the warm chai flavors and swirls of sweet frosting are what make this cake so special! Modern pioneers of all ages will love this grain-free cake…. and it will quickly disappear from your homestead kitchen if you leave it unattended!
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