Description
Brown Butter Dirty Chai Cupcakes combine a tender chai-spiced brown butter cake with brewed espresso and fluffy brown butter chai buttercream. Warm cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice give every cupcake cozy coffeehouse flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
- Chai Spice Mix:
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- Cupcakes:
- 1/2 cup unsalted brown butter, melted
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups cake flour
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1 tablespoon chai spice mix
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup brewed espresso or coffee
- Chai Buttercream:
- 1 cup unsalted brown butter, room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons chai spice mix
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1–2 tablespoons milk, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- Whisk the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice together to make the chai spice mix.
- Whisk the cake flour, almond flour, 1 tablespoon chai spice mix, baking powder, and kosher salt together in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the melted brown butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla until combined.
- Stir about half of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, then stir in the brewed espresso or coffee.
- Add the remaining flour mixture and stir just until fully combined.
- Divide about 1/4 cup batter into each cupcake liner, filling each approximately halfway.
- Bake at 350°F for 18-22 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.
- For the buttercream, beat the room-temperature brown butter and powdered sugar until smooth.
- Add 2 teaspoons chai spice mix and vanilla extract and beat until creamy.
- Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the frosting reaches the desired consistency.
- Beat the buttercream on high speed for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Pipe or spread the buttercream over completely cooled cupcakes.
- Finish each cupcake with a light sprinkle of chai spice and serve.
Notes
- For easier frosting preparation, make the brown butter for the buttercream the night before and let it fully cool.
- To make brown butter, melt unsalted butter over medium heat while stirring frequently. Once brown flecks appear and the butter smells nutty, immediately transfer it to a bowl.
- Butter loses some weight from evaporation while browning, so account for roughly 1 tablespoon of loss for every 1/2 cup of butter.
- Cake flour can be replaced with all-purpose flour.
- Almond flour can be replaced with all-purpose flour.
- Whole milk can replace the espresso or coffee, although the cupcakes will lose their dirty chai coffee flavor.
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- For the best flavor and texture, bring refrigerated cupcakes to room temperature for about 1 hour before serving.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 430
- Sugar: 37
- Sodium: 135
- Fat: 26
- Saturated Fat: 15
- Unsaturated Fat: 10
- Trans Fat: 1
- Carbohydrates: 49
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 4
- Cholesterol: 93