My spiced vanilla chai cake is one of the most loved recipes on my site, and after reading so many comments from readers who have made it as cupcakes I thought I’d simplify things with a dedicated cupcakes recipe! These spiced chai cupcakes have incredible flavor, both from infusing the batter with chai tea and adding a homemade chai spice mix to the cupcake batter + the buttercream. They’re extra soft and moist and taste just like a cozy chai in cupcake form! Perfect for your Fall and Winter gatherings.
Perfectly Flavored Chai Cupcakes
There are two ways that I add the perfect amount of chai spice to these cupcakes: making chai milk for the liquid portion of the recipe and making a homemade chai spice blend to whisk into the dry ingredients. With both of these methods, these cupcakes are bursting with the ideal chai flavor and your whole kitchen will smell amazing while you bake them.
- Chai milk. To make the chai milk, I simmer some milk and then steep a chai tea bag in it for about 15 minutes before squeezing out the tea and removing the tea bag. This flavors the milk portion of the recipe with chai.
- Homemade chai spice. The chai spice blend gets added to the dry ingredients in the recipe and it consists of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, and cloves. Basically all the warm chai spices we love!
Delicious Spiced Chai Buttercream
The base for this silky smooth chai buttercream is my favorite vanilla buttercream that’s so easy to make with simple ingredients. To make it chai flavored, you’ll add some of the homemade chai spice to the powdered sugar portion of the recipe. It gets mixed in and creates the perfect spice-flecked chai buttercream! After frosting the cupcakes with it, the chai flavor is truly undeniable, yet balanced and delicious.
How to Make Chai Cupcakes
Step 1: Make the chai milk. Place a chai tea bag into a glass measuring cup or jar, then bring the milk to a simmer in a small saucepan. Pour the milk over the tea bag and steep for 10-15 minutes. Remove the tea bag (squeeze out all the tea first!) and set aside.
Step 2: Make the homemade chai spice. In a small container, whisk together the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, and cloves.
Step 3: Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and 2 teaspoons of the chai spice mix.
Step 4: Make the cupcake batter. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
Mix in the eggs one at a time, then add the sour cream and vanilla and beat on high speed for one minute.
Add the flour mixture all at once, then mix in the chai milk mixture.
Step 5: Bake the cupcakes. Scoop the cupcake batter into a lined cupcake pan and bake for 14-18 minutes at 350ºF (177ºC). Let them cool completely before adding frosting.
Step 6: Make the chai buttercream and assemble. Use the rest of the homemade chai spice mixture to make the buttercream following the instructions below. When the cupcakes are completely cool, frost them with the chai buttercream. I used Wilton Tip 4B to pipe a swirl on top of each cupcake, then sprinkled a little more homemade chai spice on top.
Chai Cupcakes FAQ
Can I bake these as a layer cake? Yes, but use this recipe instead!
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour? Yes, but the cupcakes will be slightly more dense. A better alternative is to make your own cake flour using all-purpose flour and cornstarch. Detailed instructions are in the notes section of the recipe card below.
Why does the layer cake version include baking soda but the cupcakes do not? I have tried this recipe both ways and the baking soda makes the cupcakes spread a little more and not have quite as much of a dome. To get a little more rise in the cupcakes, I like to use baking powder only.
Can I use chai concentrate instead of a chai tea bag? Technically yes (I have successfully done it with this recipe) but if your concentrate includes a lot of extra sugar your cupcakes might turn out extra sweet. That said, I recommend the tea bag method for the sake of perfectly balanced flavor and less margin for error. If you really want to use chai concentrate, add the milk into a glass jar or measuring cup (don’t simmer it) and add a few tablespoons of chai concentrate to it. Whisk together and bring to room temperature before adding it at the end of the recipe.
Can I use store bought chai spice mix? Yes, as long as it’s a spice mix and not a tea latte mix (which will have sugar and extra ingredients that may negatively affect the bake).
Similar Recipes You’ll Love
If you’re into chai-flavored bakes (and spiced bakes in general), here are some other recipes from my blog to add to your baking list:
- Spiced Vanilla Chai Layer Cake
- Spiced Chai Bundt Cake
- Pumpkin Cupcakes with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
- London Fog Cupcakes
- Spiced Chai Pumpkin Cake
I hope you love these spiced chai cupcakes as much as I do! Let me know if you make them in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me if you post a photo. I love to see what you create with my recipes!
Spiced Chai Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chai Spice Mix
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
Chai Cupcakes
- 1/2 Cup + 2 Tbsp (150ml) whole milk
- 1 chai tea bag
- 1 1/4 Cups (132g) sifted cake flour* DIY recipe in notes
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp chai spice mix (recipe above)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 /2 Cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 Cup (200g) granulated white sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg white, room temperature
- 1/4 Cup (60g) sour cream, room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Vanilla Chai Buttercream
- 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 1/2 Cups (420g) powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp chai spice mix (recipe above)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
- pinch of salt, or to taste
Instructions
Make The Chai Spice Mix
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, and cloves and set aside.
Make The Chai Cupcakes
- Place the chai tea bag into a mason jar. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the whole milk, stirring constantly, until it begins to boil. Pour the boiling milk over the chai tea bag in the mason jar and let steep for 15 minutes before removing the tea bag. Allow the mixture to cool completely to room temperature before moving on.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177ºC), then line a standard cupcake pan with paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, add the cake flour, baking powder, 2 teaspoons of the chai spice mix, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a handheld mixer and large bowl), cream the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Turn the mixer to low speed and mix in the egg and egg white until combined, then add vanilla and sour cream and mix for one minute on high speed, scraping down the bowl and paddle once more.
- Turn the mixer off and add in the dry ingredients all at once. Turn the mixer to low speed mix until the flour mixture just starts to combine, then add the (room temperature!) chai milk mixture slowly and mix until incorporated, about 30 seconds more. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs to make sure there are no lumps (without over-mixing). The batter will be slightly thick.
- Scoop the batter into the lined cupcake pan and fill each liner no more than 2/3 full, then bake for 14-18 minutes. They're done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
Make The Vanilla Chai Buttercream
- Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the chai spice mix into the powdered sugar and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer and large bowl), cream the butter on medium-high until it’s creamy and light (almost white) in color, about 7 minutes.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar mixture a few cups at a time, scraping down after each addition and making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next one.
- Add vanilla, milk, and salt and mix on medium-low for another two minutes until fully incorporated.
Assembly
- Once the chai cupcakes have cooled completely, frost with the chai buttercream. To create the look pictured, add the vanilla chai buttercream into a piping bag fitted with Wilton Tip 4B and pipe a swirl onto each cupcake, then add a pinch of the chai spice mix (you'll have a tiny bit left over) or cinnamon on top as a garnish.
Notes
- The chai milk mixture can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature before adding it to the cake batter.
- The cupcakes can be made ahead and stored at room temperature for up to two days. I like to store mine in the cupcake pan covered with plastic wrap. Alternatively, you can store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months before thawing and frosting.
- The buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip in your stand mixer to bring back to smooth buttercream consistency.
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