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    HOME » Dessert

    Dated: March 30, 2021 Last Modified: November 30, 2021 by Laura This post may contain affiliate links.

    Chai Latte Cupcakes

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    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, cardamon, 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

    chai cupcakes rest on a wood board with a glass of chai in the background and cinnamon sticks and star anise pods around them

    Why You'll Love Them

    Easy to Make: These cupcakes come together pretty quickly and have three main components to them: Making 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

    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!

    many ground spices are on a small white plate surrounded by cinnamon sticks

    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.

    ingredients for cake are shown in various bowls on the kitchen countertop

    Instructions

    1. 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. 
    2. Prepare the Vanilla Cake. Using your favorite vanilla cake recipe, add a teaspoon of your spice blend when you add in 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. 
    3. 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! 
    4. 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.

    chai cupcakes on a wood board

    Want more Cake recipes? Check these out! 

     

    • Peach Cobbler Cupcakes
    • Copycat Hostess Cupcakes (gf + v)
    • Easy Vegan Marshmallow Frosting
    • Ultimate Gluten-Free + Vegan Chocolate Cake - 10 Ingredients!

    If you try these out, please leave a comment below! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers. And if you want more delicious, dietary friendly recipes you can subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!

    chai cupcakes rest on a wood board in the kitchen surrounded by cinnamon sticks and star anise

    Chai Latte Cupcakes

    Delicately spiced chai latte cupcakes that are gluten free! Easy to make cake infused with chai flavors and topped in a spiced buttercream frosting.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Baked Goods
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
    Keyword: allergy friendly, cake, celery free, coconut free, dairy free, dessert, easy, gluten free, nightshade free, nut free, sesame free, soy free, tomato free, wheat free
    Yield: 12 cupcakes
    Author: Laura // Living Beyond Allergies

    Equipment

    • measuring cups
    • measuring spoons
    • mixing bowls
    • mixing spoons
    • hand mixer or stand mixer
    • piping tips & bags
    • cupcake baking tray

    Ingredients

    Chai Spice Mix

    • 2 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
    • ¾ teaspoon cardamon
    • ½ teaspoon allspice

    Chai Cupcakes

    • ½ cup butter of choice
    • ½ cup white sugar
    • ½ cup brown sugar
    • 3 eggs
    • ½ cup milk of choice
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 ¾ cup gluten free flour
    • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ tsp salt
    • 2 teaspoon chai spice mix

    Chai Buttercream Frosting

    • 1 cup butter of your choice
    • 3 cups powdered sugar
    • 1 teaspoon chai spice mix
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Instructions

    Make Spice Mix

    • In a small bowl, combine spices for spice blend. Give a quick mix and set aside.

    Make Cake

    • Preheat the oven to 350F. Line cupcake tray with 15-18 liners, depending on how full you want the final cupcakes to be. Or, spray 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 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 remaining flour and remaining milk slowly, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
    • Pour batter into prepared pans and bake 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 teaspoon 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

    To make dairy free, replace butter with your preferred butter substitute. I like Earth Balance Soy Free in this recipe. Also replace milk with your milk of choice. I have great success with unflavored Rice Milk. 
     
    LivingBeyondAllergies.com

    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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    Comments

    1. Kelly Ashton says

      December 16, 2022 at 2:48 pm

      Can you make this recipe a layered cake recipe in 6 inch pans?

      Reply
      • Laura says

        December 16, 2022 at 7:16 pm

        Yes, you can! A 6-inch pan is equal to about 6 cupcakes so this recipe would make a 2 layer 6-inch cake. I would bake the cakes for about 27-30 minutes. You can check for doneness using the toothpick technique of if one inserted in the cake comes out clean, it's done! If you try this in a cake let me know I'd love to see it!

        Reply
        • Kelly Ashton says

          December 16, 2022 at 9:03 pm

          Okay awesome thank you! I’ll try it this weekend

          Reply
    2. Kerry says

      November 24, 2021 at 1:52 pm

      Hi!! Just so you know the actual recipe doesn’t tell you how many eggs to use. I’m gonna go with three like in the picture and hope for the best lol

      Reply
      • Laura says

        November 28, 2021 at 11:37 am

        Oh my gosh you are right! I'm sorry about that. I'm going to fix it right now. Yes, 3 eggs! I hope that the recipe turned out delicious for you 🙂

        Reply

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    Hi, I’m Laura! Welcome to Living Beyond Allergies, a mix of healthy + indulgent allergy free recipes, plus a sprinkle of health resources. All eaters welcome! To learn more about me, click here!

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