Chai Spice Cupcakes

Any chai tea lovers in the house? If you’re a chai-fanatic like myself, you’ll fall in love with these Chai Spice Cupcakes! Moist, tender cupcakes flavored with authentic chai spices and topped with a brown sugary chai buttercream.

If you couldn’t tell with the barrage of fall-inspired recipes coming out of this blog as of late, let me just make one thing crystal clear for you: I am so ready for fall.

Summer ain’t my jam and frankly it’s overstayed its welcome. YES, I know it’s still technically August. YES, I know that fall won’t officially start for another 20-something days. YES, I know that the temperature will still be in the 90s through October. But it still doesn’t mean I can’t wistfully eat my pumpkin desserts and cradle my flannel longingly until then.

ANYHOO, I recently re-discovered a local coffee shop nearby and now it takes every fiber of my being not to come up with an excuse to go there and get all the coffees and teas.

It’s not super close to anything I frequently drive by, so going there is kind of out of the way, but I cannot help myself. Their coffees and teas are the best! And half of my town also thinks so, because their lines are ridic.

It’s even gotten to the point where I’ll be so wrought with indecision that when it’s finally my turn, I’ll blurt out that I want an iced coffee and an iced tea. So I double-fisted coffee and tea that morning because they were both so good and because I am incapable of making small decisions.

Anyway, one of my favorite things to order at coffee shops are iced chai tea lattes. There’s something so utterly delicious about chai. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s a Middle Eastern tea that’s packed with lots of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, and even black pepper. It’s really spicy, aromatic and warm, and when it’s iced, it’s even better (in my opinion). I love drinking my iced chais with coconut milk, and during the Christmas holiday, I always order a gingerbread chai from Starbucks because it literally tastes like a liquefied gingerbread cookie. #DEAD

And these Chai Spice Cupcakes taste just like my favorite tea except in a plush, fluffy cupcake. Is there anything better?

Print Recipe

4.50 from 2 votes

Chai Spice Cupcakes

These Chai Spice Cupcakes are incredible! Warm, aromatic chai spices fill these tender, moist white cupcakes. A must-make if you're a chai fan!

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time18 minutes mins

Total Time48 minutes mins

Course: Cakes/Cupcakes, Dessert

Cuisine: American, Dessert

Servings: 20

Author: Hayley Parker, The Domestic Rebel

Ingredients

• 1 box white cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 (3.4 oz pkg) dry instant French vanilla pudding mix (you may substitute vanilla if French vanilla isn't available)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• FOR CHAI BUTTERCREAM:
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 cup heavy cream or milk
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• Ginger cookies for decorating optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 20 muffin cups with muffin liners. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, milk, oil, dry pudding mix and spices with a handheld electric mixer for about 2 minutes or until combined. Portion the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling about 3/4 full. Bake for approx. 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with moist, not wet, crumbs. Cool completely.
• To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar and vanilla until creamy, about 1 minute. Add in the spices and gradually add in the powdered sugar, about one cup at a time, until frosting is light and fluffy. Use the heavy cream to stream into the frosting to thin it out if it's too thick. You may not use all of the cream.
• Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and garnish with a ginger cookie piece, if using.

These cupcakes are so fabulous and taste just like chai tea lattes! Moist, fluffy, tender cupcakes flavored with those warm, aromatic spices… these cupcakes will usher in those warm and fuzzy fall feelings as soon as you make them!

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley