These Chai Latte Cupcakes are super fluffy and packed with tons of chai spice flavour from both the sponge and the buttercream. The cupcakes are dark, spiced and deliciously warming, which makes them just the thing for cosy indoor baking in autumn or winter.
Pair one with a hot drink, perhaps a chai latte, and it is a match made in heaven.
Chai Latte Cupcakes With Spiced Buttercream And Baking Tips 39
The recipe makes 12 cupcakes, with 45 minutes of prep, 20 minutes of baking and a total time of 1 hour 5 minutes. It is adapted from the original chai cupcakes with spiced buttercream recipe, and everything below covers the ingredients, the step by step method, swaps, storage and troubleshooting.
Before you start baking, bring all of the ingredients to room temperature. The butter and eggs matter most. Soft butter creams smoothly with the sugar, and room temperature eggs mix into the batter without making it look curdled.
A few ingredient notes I really recommend following:
Light brown soft sugar is the sugar to reach for here. It gives the cupcakes a lovely caramel flavour. Golden caster sugar or regular caster sugar (superfine sugar in the US) can be used instead if that is what you keep in the cupboard.
Baking spread and butter do different jobs. The cupcakes use a baking spread, while the buttercream uses unsalted butter. Keep the two separate when you shop.
Spices: if you would rather not measure out five individual spices, use the same amount of mixed spice instead. Make sure it is mixed spice and not allspice, because they are not the same thing at all.
Milk: whole milk or semi skimmed milk both work for the chai tea infused milk.
On measuring, weighing your ingredients with digital kitchen scales is the most accurate way and the surest route to the best results. Digital scales are very low cost, around 12 pounds or about 16.50 dollars, and they take the guesswork out of baking.
For teaspoon and tablespoon amounts, use measuring spoons rather than the spoons you eat with. It is a small habit that makes a real difference.
Make sure you check the recipe card for the full ingredient list and amounts before you begin, and read through the tips here first. Both together give you the smoothest bake.
How to make Chai Latte Cupcakes
Here are the ingredients by group, followed by the step by step method. Nothing needs to be done in advance beyond bringing the butter and eggs to room temperature.
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Component
Ingredients
Chai tea infused milk
150 ml milk (whole or semi skimmed) and 4 chai tea bags
Cupcake sponge
90 ml chai tea infused milk, 135 g butter or baking spread (softened, unsalted), 135 g light brown soft sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 200 g self raising flour, 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 1/4 tsp ground cardamom, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tbsp demerara sugar and a generous pinch of cinnamon (about 1/16 tsp)
Now the method:
Chai Latte Cupcakes With Spiced Buttercream And Baking Tips 44Chai Latte Cupcakes With Spiced Buttercream And Baking Tips 45Chai Latte Cupcakes With Spiced Buttercream And Baking Tips 46
To make the chai tea infused milk, warm the milk until it is hot but not boiling, take it off the heat and add the chai spiced tea bags. Leave to brew for 10 to 15 minutes. Before removing them, squeeze the bags out as much as possible.
Pre heat your oven to 160C Fan, 180C, 350F, Gas Mark 4 and line a 12 hole cupcake tin with cupcake cases.
In a mixing bowl, mix together the butter and sugar, ideally using an electric mixer, until smooth.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk them in.
Add the self raising flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cardamom and nutmeg, and whisk together gently.
Then mix in 90 ml of the infused milk.
Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until they are golden on top and a thin skewer inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Let them cool completely on a wire rack.
Make the icing by mixing together the butter, icing sugar, cinnamon, ground cloves, cardamom and tea infused milk. For best results use an electric whisk. If the buttercream is too stiff, you can add a little more milk.
Pipe the buttercream onto each cupcake using a piping bag fitted with your chosen nozzle, or spread it on with a spoon.
Store in an airtight container in a cool place, and eat leftovers within 3 days.
Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before you pipe or spread the buttercream, and stir the demerara sugar together with the cinnamon if you are finishing them with cinnamon sugar.
Chai Latte Cupcakes With Spiced Buttercream And Baking Tips 47
How long do the cupcakes last for and can they be frozen?
The cupcakes last for 2 to 3 days in an airtight container in a cool place. Both the cupcakes and the buttercream can be frozen, but the cinnamon sticks and star anise used for decorating should not be frozen.
To freeze them separately: wrap the cupcakes well in cling film or put them in an airtight container, and freeze the buttercream in a sealed tub.
To freeze them decorated: freeze the cupcakes on a plate until they are frozen solid, then carefully wrap them in cling film.
Remove the cling film when the cupcakes come out of the freezer to defrost, because defrosting with it still on could damage the buttercream.
Can you make the cupcakes with plain/all purpose flour?
Self raising flour is very commonly used in the UK, and it already contains a raising agent and a little salt. To swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you need to add extra baking powder and, if you like, a little salt.
Adding salt is optional and it will not affect the bake. Some people add salt to cake recipes and some do not.
The general advice is 2 teaspoons of baking powder, measured with a measuring teaspoon, for every 200 g of plain or all purpose flour. This recipe would need 2 teaspoons.
One thing to keep in mind: the original recipe has not tested this version with plain or all purpose flour, so treat it as an informed swap rather than a tested one, and keep an eye on the cupcakes as they bake.
Can the cupcakes be made gluten or dairy free?
Yes, both versions are possible.
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Gluten free: replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, add baking powder at 2 teaspoons per 200 g of flour, so 2 teaspoons here. You may also add 1/4 tsp xanthan gum for better texture.
Dairy free: use a dairy free baking spread for the cupcakes and the buttercream, and a dairy free milk for the tea infused milk.
If you are serving someone with an allergy or intolerance, check the labels of everything you use, including the chai tea bags, the sugars and the icing sugar.
What is a chai latte?
A chai latte is a tea based drink infused with spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and ginger, with frothy milk added to create a creamy drink. Even though lattes are usually associated with coffee, a chai latte does not contain coffee at all.
The drink comes from India, where it is commonly enjoyed without milk and known as masala chai, which translates to mixed spice tea. One more fun language note: chai means tea, so saying chai tea literally says tea tea.
Can these cupcakes be made into a larger cake?
Yes. The cupcakes can be made into a larger cake by following a chai latte cake recipe instead. If you love this flavour profile in other desserts, the Chai Latte Pumpkin Pie brings the same warm spices to a different slice of the table.
More tips for making the Chai Latte Cupcakes:
A Wilton 1M nozzle was used to pipe the buttercream, but any nozzle works. If piping is not your thing, spread the buttercream on with a spoon instead.
The star anise and cinnamon stick decorations are optional. They are technically edible, but they are not something you would want to eat, so decorating with cinnamon sugar only is a lovely alternative.
Keep the finished cupcakes in a cool place rather than somewhere warm, and check the recipe card for the exact amounts every time you bake.
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Troubleshooting
The top tip for the best results is to read the whole page of tips and recommendations before you start, then follow the recipe exactly. Baking rewards precision, especially with raising agents, spices and oven temperature.
Skewer test: if the skewer comes out with wet batter on it, give the cupcakes a couple more minutes and test again.
Stiff buttercream: add a little more chai tea infused milk, a teaspoon at a time, until it pipes smoothly.
Flavour check: chai spice fades if the cupcakes sit too long, which is one more reason to enjoy them within 2 to 3 days.
If you have a question about the recipe or something did not go to plan, leave a comment below and I will help where I can.
Recommended equipment & ingredients
For this bake you will want:
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A 12 hole cupcake tin
Mixing bowls
A cooling rack
Kitchen scales
An electric hand mixer
Piping bags and a Wilton 1M piping nozzle
White cupcake cases
Chai tea bags
Nutrition per serving, based on the source recipe and 12 servings: 454 kcal, 58 g carbohydrates, 4 g protein, 24 g fat, 15 g saturated fat, 89 mg cholesterol, 243 mg sodium, 1 g fibre and 45 g sugar.
If you like this, check out more of my Cupcake recipes!
The sponge uses 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 1/4 tsp ground cardamom and 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, plus 4 chai tea bags steeped in 150 ml of milk. The spiced buttercream adds 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp ground cardamom and 1/8 tsp ground cloves to 200 g butter and 400 g icing sugar, which is confectioners sugar in the US. Ground spices fade over time, so smell them before baking.
How long do chai latte cupcakes take to bake, and how many does the recipe make?
Prep time is 45 minutes, cook time is 20 minutes and total time is 1 hour 5 minutes, and the recipe makes 12 cupcakes. Bake them at 350°F, which is 160°C fan or Gas Mark 4, for 20 to 25 minutes. They are done when they are golden on top and a thin skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let them cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Can I use all purpose flour instead of self raising flour for chai latte cupcakes?
Yes. All purpose flour contains no leavening, so add 2 tsp baking powder to the 200 g of flour in this recipe, and a pinch of salt if you like. For gluten free cupcakes, use a gluten free self raising flour blend, or a gluten free plain blend with 2 tsp baking powder and optionally 1/4 tsp xanthan gum. The all purpose version has not been tested, so check the cupcakes closely as they bake.
How do you store and freeze chai latte cupcakes?
Keep frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in a cool place and eat leftovers within 3 days. In warm or humid weather, refrigerate them and let them sit out for 20 to 30 minutes before serving. Cupcakes and buttercream both freeze well, so wrap cooled cupcakes tightly and freeze the buttercream in a sealed tub, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Do not freeze the cinnamon stick or star anise garnishes, and remove cling film before defrosting decorated cupcakes so the buttercream stays intact.
Chai Latte Cupcakes These Chai Latte Cupcakes are super fluffy and packed with tons of chai spice flavour from both the sponge and the buttercream. The cupcakes are dark, spiced and deliciously warming, which makes them just the thing for cosy indoor baking in autumn or winter.
Total Time:65 min
Yield:12 1x
Ingredients
Scale
For the chai tea infused milk 150 ml Milk, whole or semi-skimmed 4 Chai tea bags
For the cupcake sponge 90 ml Chai tea infused milk 135 g Butter or baking spread, softened, unsalted 135 g Light brown soft sugar 2 Eggs, large 1 tsp Vanilla extract 200 g Self raising flour 1/4 tsp Bicarbonate of soda 1/2 tsp Cinnamon 1/4 tsp Ground ginger 1/4 tsp Ground cloves 1/4 tsp Ground cardamom 1/4 tsp Ground nutmeg
For the buttercream 2 1/2 tbsp Chai tea infused milk 200 g Butter, softened, unsalted 400 g Icing sugar 1/4 tsp Cinnamon 1/8 tsp Ground cardamom 1/8 tsp Ground cloves
For the cinnamon sugar 1/2 tbsp Demerara sugar 1/16 tsp Cinnamon
Instructions
1-To make the chai tea infused milk,: To make the chai tea infused milk, warm up the milk until it is hot but not boiling, take it off the heat and add the chai spiced tea bags. Leave to brew for 10-15 minutes. Before removing them, squeeze them out as much as possible 2-Pre-heat your oven to 160C Fan/180C/350F/Gas Mark: Pre-heat your oven to 160C Fan/180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 and line a 12 hole cupcake tin with cupcake cases 3-In a mixing bowl mix together the: In a mixing bowl mix together the butter and sugar, ideally using an electric mixer, until smooth 4-Add the eggs and vanila extract, and: Add the eggs and vanila extract, and whisk them in 5-Add the self raising flour, bicarbonate of: Add the self raising flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cardamom and nutmeg, and whisk together gently 6-Then mix in 90ml of the infused: Then mix in 90ml of the infused milk 7-Divide the mixture the cupcake cases and: Divide the mixture the cupcake cases and bake for 20-25 minutes until they are golden on top and a thin skewer inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Let them cool completely on a wire rack 8-Make the icing by mixing together the: Make the icing by mixing together the butter, icing sugar, cinnamon, ground cloves, cardamom and tea infused milk. For best results use an electric whisk. If the buttercream is too stiff you can add a little more milk 9-Pipe the buttercream onto each cupcake using: Pipe the buttercream onto each cupcake using a piping bag fitted with your chosen nozzle. Or spread on with a spoon 10-Store in an airtight container in a: Store in an airtight container in a cool place, and eat leftovers within 3 days
Last Step:
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