Chai Spice Blend:

1. Add everything to a jar, cover and shake to combine.
2. Label jar and store in a cool dry place.

Poached Pears:

1. Add everything to a saucepan. Bring everything to a boil. Reduce to a low boil and cover. Cook until pears are fork tender, which will depend on how ripe they are to begin with. Anywhere from about 15-35 minutes.
2. Remove pears from poaching liquid with a slotted spoon and allow to slightly cool on a plate before using them in the cake recipe.

Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
2. Grease and line a 9"x5"x2.5" loaf pan with parchment paper, allowing a bit of overhang. This will make it easy to remove cake from pan when done.
3. Dust pears in some flour, either by gently rolling them into flour or brushing flour onto them with a pastry brush. This will help the batter to stick to the pears when baking.
4. Place floured pears into parchment lined loaf pan.
5. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and chai spice in a mixing bowl.
6. In a separate bowl or large liquid measuring cup whisk together coconut milk, maple syrup, oil, vinegar, orange juice and zest, and vanilla bean.
7. Stir wet mixture into dry mixture until just incorporated. Do not over-mix.
8. Pour batter into loaf pan smoothing it around the pears.
9. Bake cake at 350˚F on center rack for about 1 hour and 10 minutes until dark golden brown and when a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
10. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes then gently lift cake out of pan by pulling the parchment paper up. Transfer cake to a cooling rack and cool to room temperature. Do not cut into it until cake has cooled to room temperature, at least 1 hour. It's even better if you wait until the next day (if you have that kind of patience, I mean.)
11. Dust top of cake with powdered sugar before serving.