Sweetness and spice come together in these delicious chai spice cupcakes! They’re ideal for chai lovers and anyone looking for a unique twist on classic cupcakes.
If you love the warm, cozy flavors of chai tea, these chai spice cupcakes are just the treat for you. Infused with a fragrant blend of spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom, and topped with a rich chai-spiced frosting, these cupcakes bring all the comfort of your favorite tea in dessert form!
Why You’ll Love These Chai Spice Cupcakes
- Warm, cozy flavor. The perfectly balanced blend of chai spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger create a comforting flavor combination that’s irresistible.
- Moist and tender. Thanks to the steeped chai infused into the batter, the texture of these chai cupcakes is wonderfully soft.
- Versatile. While I especially love these cupcakes in the fall, they’re perfect for any season!
What You’ll Need
See the recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Spices – You’ll be making a spice blend to use in both the cupcakes and the frosting. The blend I like to use here contains cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg.
- Milk
- Black chai tea – You’ll need two standard-size tea bags. I think black tea gives the best flavor here, but feel free to experiment with one of your favorites.
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour – Measure by weight or use the spoon and sweep method for accuracy. Learn more: How to Measure Flour
- Baking powder – Not sure if yours is fresh? Here’s how to test baking powder for freshness.
- Salt
- Unsalted butter – Let this soften at room temperature so it will cream properly. Learn more: How to Soften Butter
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs – Let these come to room temperature for easier mixing and a fluffier texture. I recommend baking with large eggs.
- Heavy cream – Either heavy cream or heavy whipping cream will work here.
- Confectioners’ sugar – Also labeled as powdered sugar, 10X sugar, or icing sugar.
How to Make Chai Spice Cupcakes
- Make the spice blend. Thoroughly mix the spices together for using in the cupcakes and the frosting.
- Steep the tea. Heat the milk until steaming, and then steep the tea bags for 10 minutes. Stir in the vanilla, and set aside to cool.
- Prepare for baking. Heat the oven to 350°F and line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and part of the spice mixture.
- Begin mixing the wet ingredients. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in each egg.
- Finish mixing. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk mixture, mixing just until combined.
- Bake. Divide the batter into the muffin cups, and bake 18 to 20 minutes until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
- Make the frosting. Beat the butter until creamy, and then add most of the sugar along with more of the chai spice mix, cream, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed until blended, and then beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Add more of the remaining sugar if needed for taste and consistency.
- Frost the cupcakes. Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.
Tips for Success
- Check your spices. To do this, simply use your nose! The spices should have a strong, fragrant aroma. If they don’t, then it’s time to replace them.
- Maximize the chai flavor. Steep the tea bags in the milk for a bit longer (up to 15 minutes) for a stronger chai flavor.
- Temperature matters. Be sure to let your tea mixture cool until it’s warm, not hot. Also let your butter soften almost to room temperature and bring your eggs to room temperature for easier mixing and a better cake texture.
- Don’t over-mix. When mixing the dry and wet ingredients together, do so just until combined. Too much mixing can lead to a dense, tough texture.
- Pipe like a pro. For a bakery-style look, use a large star tip for piping the frosting. It creates beautiful swirls on top of the cupcakes and makes them look extra special.
Variations and Serving Suggestions
- Vary the spice mixture. I like this blend of spices for these cupcakes, but feel free to change it if you like. Cinnamon is the primary flavor, but the other spices can be altered or omitted. For instance, if you prefer a spicier cupcake, increase the amount of ginger or cloves for extra warmth. You can also use a store-bought chai spice blend for convenience or a pumpkin pie spice for more of a fall flavor.
- Add nuts. Mix about 1/2 cup of chopped nuts to the finished cake batter. Pecans, walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts would all be good choices. (Bonus points if you toast them!) Sprinkle a few more on top of the cupcakes for serving.
- Bump up the vanilla. Replace the chai spice in the frosting with an additional teaspoon or two of vanilla extract for a more mellow, vanilla-forward chai flavor.
- Add chocolate chips. Stir 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips into the batter before baking. For a deeper chocolate flavor, you can also drizzle melted dark chocolate over the frosted cupcakes.
- Serve with caramel. Drizzle homemade caramel sauce over the frosting and sprinkle a little sea salt on top for a chai spice caramel combo.
How to Store
- Room temperature: Store in an airtight container up to 2 days. If your kitchen is warm, I recommend refrigerating as described below.
- Refrigerator: Place the container in the refrigerator and store up to a week. Make extra sure the container is airtight or the cupcakes can become dry. Bring to room temperature for serving.
- Freezer: For the best results, freeze unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight, freezer-safe container up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature. If you want to freeze frosted cupcakes, first place them on a rimmed baking sheet and place in the freezer until the frosting is frozen solid (1-2 hours). Then wrap them individually and place in an airtight container or freezer bag. Unwrap and thaw at room temperature.
More Chai-Flavored Recipes
Get the Recipe:
Chai Spice Cupcakes
Yield
24 cupcakes
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Total Time
50 minutes
These chai spice cupcakes, topped with a creamy chai-spiced frosting, are bursting with warm, cozy flavors. Perfect for tea lovers or anyone craving a comforting, sweet indulgence!
Ingredients
For the chai spice blend:
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the cupcakes:
- 1 cup (236ml) whole milk
- 2 black chai tea bags
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 & 1/2 cups (300g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons chai spice blend (from the recipe above)
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 & 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs
For the frosting:
- 1 & 1/2 cups (339g) unsalted butter, softened
- 6 cups (660g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon chai spice blend (from the recipe above)
- 1/4 cup (59ml) heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
To make the chai spice blend:
- Combine the spices in a medium bowl. Set aside.
To make the cupcakes:
- Heat the milk in a small saucepan until steaming. Place the teabags in the milk and allow to steep for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Set aside to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 24 standard muffin cups with paper liners.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and 2 tablespoons of the chai spice blend in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- With the mixer on low speed, add about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed until just combined. Then add half the milk mixture, mixing until just combined. Repeat with remaining flour and milk mixtures, taking care not to over-mix.
- Divide the batter among the prepared 24 cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full (a scant 3-tablespoons each). Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting:
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Stop the mixer and add 5 & 1/2 cups of the confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream, 1 tablespoon of the chai spice blend, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on low speed until combined (about 30 seconds), then increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. If necessary, add more of the remaining confectioners' sugar to get the desired consistency and sweetness.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag, and pipe onto the cooled cupcakes.
Notes
For tips, step-by-step photos, and extra details, be sure to read the full post above before starting. It’s packed with helpful info to answer common questions!
Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days or in the refrigerator up to a week. If your kitchen is warm, keep them refrigerated.
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