These chai spice cupcakes consist of a moist and fluffy spiced cake base and topped with a chai spiced buttercream for the perfect Fall baking treat.
I always feel a little guilty when I start looking forward to the Fall season. Summer in Canada is such a rarity before we go back to 8 months of Winter so I shouldn’t ever really want summer to end and I never want to jinx it. But let’s be real – Fall baking and flavours are probably my favourites of all time. I couldn’t help myself and make these chai spice cupcakes a teensy bit early.
Chai tea flavoured things are on my mind all year round. And I’m not talking about a hint of chai spice. I don’t know about everyone else but when I make tea flavoured things, I really want that strong tea flavour to come through. I drink tea with like three tea bags to one cup of water… just me? I made sure to spice these chai spice cupcakes up so that every bite is pure chai flavour.
Super moist and fluffy chai spice cupcakes
The cake part of these chai spice cupcakes is my favourite part. It’s super soft and moist and doesn’t even need cake flour to achieve its fluffiness. I could honestly do without the icing and just eat the cake part by itself as a loaf or a naked cupcake (I guess that would be a muffin?). Remind me to use this for a cake recipe!
I’m actually so looking forward to Fall, minus the rain (although our BC wildfires this year are definitely breathing a sigh of relief at the first sight of this rain!). I just want to cozy up in sweaters (I wore a sweater all this week!!! And had to turn on the heat in my car in the morning!) and have an excuse to look like a potato every day. Let me know what you’re most excited for!
Other Fall baking recipes
- Pumpkin Crepe Cake
- Spiced Apple Cake with Salted Maple Caramel
- Apple Frangipane Tart
- Earl Grey Almond Croissants
How to make chai spice cupcakes
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Chai Spice Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 45 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 mins
- Yield: 12 cupcakes 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Recipe for fluffy and moist chai spice cupcakes with chai buttercream frosting and a sprinkling of cinnamon that are perfect for Fall
Ingredients
Chai Spice Cupcakes
- 215g all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon chai/black tea leaves, finely ground
- 60g cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 220g granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup milk
Chai Spice Buttercream Frosting
- 230 g (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 400 g powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon chai/black tea leaves, finely ground
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1–2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Chai Spice Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, spices, tea leaves, and salt.
- In another mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until creamy.
- Add the sugar and beat on high speed until fluffy.
- Add vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time, mixing well on medium speed until combined.
- With the mixer on low speed, add in half the dry ingredients and the milk.
- Add in the other half of the dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until the batter is combined.
- Using two spoons, scoop about 1 heaping spoonful into each cupcake liner until about 3/4 full.
- Bake in preheated oven for about 18 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake should come out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely before frosting.
Chai Spice Buttercream Frosting
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on high speed until creamy.
- With the mixer on low speed, add in the sugar, spices, tea leaves, and vanilla extract, mixing until combined.
- Beat on high speed for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until fluffy and creamy.
- If the frosting seems too thick, mix in a tablespoon of milk at a time until a pipeable consistency is achieved.
- Transfer frosting to a piping bag with a French star piping tip.
- Pipe frosting onto the tops of the cupcakes.
- Sprinkle frosting with a bit of cinnamon, if desired.
Notes
You will have plenty of frosting left if you don’t go crazy with the piping. Freeze or store in an airtight container for something else!
Keywords: chai spice cupcakes, chai tea cupcakes, chai cupcakes, chai spice buttercream, fall baking recipe, fall dessert recipe
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Love your photography here. Looking forward to checking out your blog.
Thank you, Anna!! Nice to meet you!
Just made these today, they turned out amazing!
Yayyy!!! I’m so happy they worked out for you, Megan!! 🙂
Any substitution you can recommend for the eggs that doesn’t change the flavor ? Thank you.
Hi Gail, wonder if you could help me, can this recipe be made into a gluten free one? What could I substitute the flower for? Looking forward to your reply. Hope you have a nice day.
★★★★★
Hi Jessica! Unfortunately, I don’t do much gluten-free baking so I haven’t tried. But I would imagine you could substitute the flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour like the one from Bob’s Red Mill. Let me know if you try it!