Chocolate Chai Spice Cupcake Recipes

CHOCOLATE CHAI CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Put nonfat milk powder in a measuring cup; stir in enough black tea to make 1 cup. Stir until milk is dissolved. Set aside to cool.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Combine cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and black pepper together in a small bowl.
• Sift spice mixture, flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together into a large bowl. Stir cooled tea mixture, oil, and egg into flour mixture until batter is just combined; fold in ginger. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each 3/4-full.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool cupcakes on wire racks.

CHAI CUPCAKES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and pepper; set aside., In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and 1-1/2 teaspoons spice mixture. Gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition., Fill 12 paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 24-28 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a large bowl, beat butter until fluffy; beat in the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and remaining spice mixture until smooth. Add enough milk to reach desired consistency. Pipe frosting over cupcakes.

CHAI LATTE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Mix all of the chai spices together. You'll have 5 and 1/2 teaspoons to use between the cupcake batter, buttercream, and garnish.
• Bring milk to a boil or heat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. Pour over tea bag and steep for 20-30 minutes. This chai milk is the milk you'll use in the cupcake batter. This can be done the day before and refrigerated overnight. Make sure the chai milk is room temperature before adding to the cupcake batter.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Line a second pan with 2-3 liners - this recipe makes 14-15 cupcakes. Set aside.
• Whisk the cake flour, 3 and 1/2 teaspoons of chai spice mix, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
• Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamed, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the egg whites on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just incorporated. With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour and mix in the chai milk *just* until combined. Do not overmix. Batter will be slightly thick and smell incredible!
• Pour/spoon the batter into the liners. Fill only 2/3 full to avoid baking over the sides. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For around 35 mini cupcakes, bake for about 11-13 minutes, same oven temperature. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
• With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and add 5 and 1/2 cups (660g) confectioners' sugar, the heavy cream, 1 and 3/4 teaspoons chai spice mix, the vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. If frosting looks curdled or greasy, it's best to beat in more confectioners' sugar to smooth it out. Beat in up to 1/2 cup (60g) more confectioners' sugar to smooth out if needed. If frosting seems too thick to pipe or spread, beat in another Tablespoon (15ml) of cream. Taste and beat in another pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.
• Frost cooled cupcakes and serve. I used Wilton 8B piping tip, stuck a cinnamon stick in some of them, and sprinkled with a mix of the remaining chai spice mix and a pinch of granulated sugar.
• Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

GROWNUP CHAI CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line a muffin tin with 10 paper liners.
• Melt butter and chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Open tea bags and pour the chai mixture into a spice grinder; grind into a fine powder, 5 to 10 seconds.
• Mix flour, sugar, and chai powder together in a large bowl; add eggs, one at a time, whisking until batter is smooth after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract. Pour chocolate mixture into batter, stirring until just combined. Pour batter into the prepared muffin cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean and the tops are glossy and slightly cracked, about 25 minutes. Remove muffins immediately from tin and cool on a wire rack.

VANILLA CHAI CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a cupcake pan with liners.
• In a small bowl or plastic bag, combine the chai spice mix ingredients. Set aside.
• Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla and beat in one egg at a time. Stir in 2 teaspoons of the chai spice mix. Fold in the flour and buttermilk alternately and stir until combined, don't over mix. Mix together the baking soda and vinegar in a separate bowl, then add it to the batter and mix until combined.
• Spoon into prepared cupcake tins until 3/4 full and bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• In a stand mixer, beat the butter until it is creamy. On low, mix in the vanilla and the rest of the chai spice mix. Carefully beat in the powdered sugar about ½ cup at a time. If the buttercream is too thick add 1-2 tbs of cold milk until the desired consistency is reached. Then pipe onto cooled cupcakes with your favorite frosting tip. (I used a 1M Wilton tip.)

VEGAN CHAI CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Start by making your flax egg. In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons of ground flax seeds with 6 tablespoons of room temperature water. Set aside to let it thicken.
• Heat 1/2 cup of oat milk. I heat it in the microwave for 1 minute in a glass measuring cup. Add the chai tea bag to the warm milk and let it steep for 20 minutes or until it gets to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, mix all the chai spices together.
• Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix your flour, 3 1/2 teaspoons of chai spice mix, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• Using a stand mixer of hand mixer, beat the sugar and 1/2 cup of vegan butter together until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the flax egg, vegan yogurt, chai milk and vanilla extract. Whisk together until creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides as needed.
• With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Don't over or under mix.
• Scoop the batter into the prepared cupcake liners. It should make 12 cupcakes, filling each liner *almost* to the top (see photos).
• Bake for 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let them cool completely before frosting.

CHOCOLATE CHAI SPICE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• With a small food processor, grind up the whole fennel and cloves.
• Transfer to a small bowl and add remaining spices. Mix to combine.
• Chop chocolate and transfer into the bowl of a standing mixer.
• Add butter to the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until chocolate melts and butter is combined.
• Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Let mixture cool for 10 minutes.
• Beat in an electric mixer for 3 minutes.
• Add one egg at a time, mixing for 30 seconds between each.
• Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, chai spice mix, and a pinch of salt into the mixture and mix until blended.
• Scoop into cupcake cups and bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Beat butter until creamy, scrape bowl.
• Add 4 cups of sifted powdered sugar, milk, spice mix, and ginger. Beat until combined.
• Add more powdered sugar as needed to get piping consistency.
• Assemble cooled cupcakes.

CHOCOLATE CHAI CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350F and line your cupcake pan with liners.
• In a large bowl, combine the cardamom, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift together or thoroughly mix with a whisk.
• In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and vanilla.
• In an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add the egg to the butter and sugar and mix to fully incorporate.
• On low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and sour cream in five additions ending with the flour.
• Slowly add the coffee and mix until the batter is smooth.
• Using a mini scoop, place a scant scoop of batter into each cupcake liner.
• Bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely before frosting
• Heat the milk in the microwave or stove top to just boiling. Remove and steep the loose tea in it for at least 15 minutes. Strain the milk and set aside.
• In an electric mixer, paddle the butter until smooth, like ice cream.
• Add half of the sugar and then the milk while slowly mixing. Allow it to incorporate.
• Add the rest of the sugar and spices.
• Beat until fluffy. You may need to add a little more milk or sugar to adjust the consistency.