If you’ve been tempted to abandon your resolutions, these cupcakes will do it. One peek at the swirled vanilla-chai batter and resistance is gone.
The batter looks like something you want to scoop into a mug and drink. But please don’t—raw eggs and all that.
I keep typing “chair” instead of “chai.” My fingers are conditioned to add an R—old habits die hard.
These cupcakes are incredibly fluffy and loaded with warming spice. They remind me of a big mug of spiced tea made into cake—a hug in dessert form—topped with a cloud of buttercream and a crunchy sugar sprinkle. The flavor surprised me: I wasn’t especially into chai before, but one huge bite changed my mind.
The icing is made with brown butter, which adds a deep, nutty richness. I almost called it “brown buttercream,” but decided that might sound odd—though chocolate is brown, so who knows. Either way, the butter is browned, cooled, and whipped into a fluffy chai-spiced buttercream, then finished with a coarse raw sugar and spice sprinkle. That crunchy topping provides the best contrast to the soft frosting.
After making chewy chai snickerdoodles last fall, I found myself craving chai in everything—especially when it’s paired with sugar. These cupcakes are a perfect example: warm spices in the cake, brown-butter depth in the frosting, and a crunchy cinnamon-cardamom sugar on top.
Fun fact: this is the cupcake I teased recently on my “Tuesday Things” post. Many of you asked for the recipe, so here it is—straightened out and typed up into an accessible format.
There are plenty of reasons you might need a cupcake recipe right now: game day, Super Bowl parties, Fat Tuesday, a snowy Friday night, or simply because you want to be cozy at home. These cupcakes are an excellent choice for any of those occasions.
Chai Cupcakes with Brown Butter Chai Icing
12
cupcakes
1 hour
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Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 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 freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg white
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup whole milk
Frosting
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, browned and cooled to solid room temperature
- 3 to 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk, if needed
Crunchy Sugar Topping
- 1/4 cup raw sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with liners.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Set aside.
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In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat on high until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on medium until combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the oil and vanilla and beat on medium for another minute. With the mixer on low, add half the dry ingredients, then pour in the milk, then add the remaining dry ingredients and mix on medium until combined.
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Fill the liners about 3/4 full and bake until the tops are set, about 16 to 17 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
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Beat the browned butter in the bowl of an electric mixer on high until creamy. With the mixer on low, slowly add the powdered sugar. Add the ground ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and allspice, then the vanilla. Scrape the bowl as needed and beat on high for 2 to 3 minutes until fluffy. If the frosting is too thick, add 1 to 2 tablespoons milk and beat until combined.
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Frost the cooled cupcakes. For the crunchy sugar topping, stir the raw sugar with the cinnamon and cardamom and sprinkle over the frosting.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
I appreciate you so much!
Honestly—can you even resist these?