Delicately spiced chai latte cupcakes that are gluten-free! Easy to make cake infused with chai flavors and topped in a spiced buttercream frosting.
All your favorite chai latte flavors wrapped up into a light and fluffy cupcake? YES PLEASE!
These easy-to-make and delicious chai latte cupcakes are spiced with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and allspice to make a soft and fluffy cupcake perfect for tea time! Topped with a chai-infused buttercream, this gluten-free recipe is a sweet treat.
Free from: wheat, gluten, dairy (optional), casein (optional), fish, shellfish, soy, sesame, peanuts, tree nuts, coconut, corn, celery, and more
Why You’ll Love Them
Easy to Make: These cupcakes come together pretty quickly and have three main components: The chai spice blend, the light and fluffy cupcakes, and the spiced buttercream frosting.
Flavor: Chai is one of my favorite things to drink all year long. I can’t start my day without a big mug of this tea! Infused with deep and warm notes, it’s a cozy way to start the day. In a cupcake, these flavors are perfect all year long.
Time: Depending on your favorite vanilla cake, this recipe can come together in as little as 10 minutes or less! The buttercream can be mixed up while the cupcakes are in the oven so as soon as they are cool, you can frost and start enjoying them.
Spice Mix Ingredients
The homemade chai spice blend is actually really easy to make and you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry! This recipe makes enough for the cake and the frosting with just a little bit left over. Try mixing some in your black tea for your own homemade chai beverage!
Cake Ingredients
You’ll also need ingredients for the cake and buttercream frosting. We are making a simple sweet vanilla cake and adding the spice mix blend to it for a chai cupcake.
Instructions
- Make the Chai Mix. This blend of simple spices from the pantry gives these cupcakes their name. Cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and allspice are blended together to go into the cupcake, the frosting, and to be sprinkled on top.
- Prepare the Vanilla Cake. Using your favorite vanilla cake recipe, add a teaspoon of your spice blend when you add the baking powder. If you are using a boxed mix, add the spices directly to your dry mix. Make according to directions and let the cupcakes cool while you make the frosting.
- Mix up the Chai Buttercream Frosting. Starting with my favorite buttercream frosting recipe, we add more spices to this. I like to decorate all my cupcakes with a 1M Wilton tip, but you can really use any frosting technique you like, including just a big dollop on top with a spoon!
- Final touches. A sprinkle of extra cinnamon, a drizzle of caramel sauce, or nothing at all. It’s up to you!
Top cupcake tips
What I love best about this recipe is how easy it is to mix up! Here are some tips to make sure you get the best chai latte cupcakes possible.
Use high-quality spices. Since this recipe is all about the spices, you want to make sure your spices are fresh and the best you can find. I personally love Saigon Cinnamon for the extra spicy kick it gives!
Don’t open the oven before 20 minutes. Cupcakes need that steam in the oven to help them rise, especially in allergy-free baking. No matter how tempting it is, don’t peak until at least 20 minutes have passed!
Use a good baking pan. Gluten-free baked goods need a little extra support when being baked in the oven. That’s why I love using a dark metal pan like this one. It traps the heat better so that it is distributed evenly through the cupcake.
Equipment
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- mixing bowls
- mixing spoons
- hand mixer or stand mixer
- piping tips & bags
- cupcake baking tray
- GET YOUR COOKBOOK
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Ingredients
Chai Spice Mix
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 3/4 tsp cardamon
- 1/2 tsp allspice
Chai Cupcakes
- 1/2 cup butter of choice
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk of choice
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cup gluten-free flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp chai spice mix
Chai Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup butter of your choice
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp chai spice mix
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Make Spice Mix
- In a small bowl, combine spices for a spice blend. Give a quick mix and set aside.
Make Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line the cupcake tray with 15-18 liners, depending on how full you want the final cupcakes to be. Or, spray the cupcake tray with neutral oil. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and spice mix blend. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the room temperature butter of choice with both white and brown sugar. Whisk on medium-high until very light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, making sure that eggs are fully incorporated before adding the next egg.
- Add vanilla extract and salt. Mix well.
- Turn the mixer to low speed and begin to add the flour mix and milk in alternating steps. Star by adding half of the flour. Let mix well and add half of the milk. Mix again. Add the remaining flour and remaining milk slowly, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 23-25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick pulls out clean. Let cool completely before decorating.
Make Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, or in a stand mixer, whip the butter and sugar together. Add 1 tsp of spice mix with vanilla extract. Mix on medium-high until frosting is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Frost cupcakes and decorate as desired.
Notes
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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