Real chai spice is more cardamom than cinnamon, which is where most recipes go wrong. Steeping the tea in warm milk first gives you the tannic, slightly bitter backbone that makes these taste like a cup of masala chai rather than a pumpkin spice cupcake.
Everything you need
- ½ cup (120 g) milk, warm
- 2 black tea bags
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (165 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ cups (188 g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¾ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- ¾ cup (170 g) cream cheese, cold
- ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter, for the frosting
- 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp (42 g) honey
Weigh, don't scoop. Measuring flour by cups can overpack it and dry out your bake. Tap any ingredient to open its converter.
Method
0 of 6 done-
Steep the tea bags in the warm milk for 10 minutes, then squeeze them out and discard. You want the milk strongly flavoured and slightly beige.
For this step
- ½ cup (120 g) milk
- 2 black tea bags
-
Heat the oven to 175°C / 350°F and line a 12-hole tin. Beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes, then beat in the eggs one at a time.
For this step
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter
- ¾ cup (165 g) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter
- 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar
-
Whisk the flour, baking powder, all four spices and the salt together. Add to the butter mixture alternately with the tea milk, mixing only until smooth.
For this step
- ½ cup (120 g) milk
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter
- 1½ cups (188 g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter
-
Divide between the cases and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the tops spring back. Cool completely before frosting, or the cream cheese will slide off.
For this step
- ¾ cup (170 g) cream cheese
-
Beat the butter for the frosting until smooth, add the cold cream cheese and beat just 30 seconds. Overbeating cream cheese frosting makes it runny.
For this step
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter
- ¾ cup (170 g) cream cheese
- ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter
-
Sift in the powdered sugar, add the honey, and beat on low until thick and spreadable. Swirl onto the cooled cupcakes and dust with a little extra cinnamon.
For this step
- ¾ cup (165 g) light brown sugar
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp (42 g) honey
Tap a step to check it off. Your place is saved on this device.
Worth knowing
- Buy cardamom ground in small jars or grind the pods yourself. Old ground cardamom loses its perfume within months and is the difference between chai and generic spice.
- Cream cheese frosting must start with cold cream cheese and softened butter, never the other way round.
Make it your own
- Add ¼ tsp finely ground black pepper for a proper masala chai kick.
- Fold ½ cup chopped pistachios into the batter and scatter more on top.
Storing & freezing
Store frosted cupcakes in the fridge for 4 days and bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before eating. Unfrosted sponges freeze for 3 months.
Frequently asked
How many grams is a cup of cream cheese?
About 226 g per US cup, so the ¾ cup here is roughly 170 g. Use full-fat block cream cheese, not the soft spreadable tub, which is too wet for frosting.
Can I use a chai tea bag instead of black tea and spices?
You can steep chai tea bags in the milk, but keep the ground spices in the batter too. The tea alone isn't strong enough once it's diluted through the flour.
Cooking in a different unit? Use the cups ↔ grams converter or the recipe scaler to halve or double this recipe.
More to cook
A note on cooking safely. Recipes are provided for informational purposes only and are not medical or nutritional advice. Cooking times, temperatures and quantities are suggestions: use your own judgement, and check that meat, poultry, fish and eggs are properly cooked before serving.
Consult a qualified healthcare professional before making dietary changes, particularly if you have allergies, a medical condition or specific nutritional requirements.