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Vanilla Chai Pumpkin Latte Cupcakes

Vanilla chai pumpkin latte cupcakes with tender pumpkin crumb and fragrant chai tea flavor baked into a 2/3-full cupcake. Topped with a vanilla chai frosting piped in a generous swirl and finished with cinnamon and cardamom dusting.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 18 cupcakes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For chai pumpkin cupcakes
  • 1.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp chai spice cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 0.33 cup strongly brewed chai tea cooled
  • 1 tsp vanilla
For vanilla chai frosting
  • 1 cup butter
  • 3 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp chai tea reduced
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the chai pumpkin cupcakes
  1. Brew chai tea strongly, then cool it completely and reserve 2 tablespoons for the frosting.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a cupcake tin with paper liners.
  3. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, chai spice, and salt in a bowl until evenly combined.
  4. Beat softened butter and brown sugar until fluffy, then add eggs one at a time.
  5. Add pumpkin puree, cooled strongly brewed chai tea, and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
  6. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients just until no dry streaks remain, then fill each liner about 2/3 full.
  7. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 350F, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, then cool completely.
Make and finish the vanilla chai frosting
  1. Beat the frosting base until smooth and fluffy, using 1 cup butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, reduced chai tea, vanilla, and cinnamon.
  2. Pipe a generous swirl of frosting onto each cooled cupcake.
  3. Dust the tops with cinnamon and cardamom for a spiced finish.

Notes

Pro tip: make sure the chai tea is fully cooled before mixing to prevent the batter from loosening. Store frosted cupcakes in the refrigerator up to 3 days; freeze unfrosted cupcakes up to 2 months and frost after thawing. For a lighter option, replace half the butter in the frosting with an equal amount of reduced-fat butter (texture will be slightly softer but still pipeable).