Go Back

Brown Butter Dirty Chai Cupcakes

Brown Butter Dirty Chai Cupcakes with a tender espresso-chai crumb and silky brown-butter chai frosting. Brown the butter for deep nutty flavor, then bake until just set and finish with a dusting of espresso powder and chai spice.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 18 cupcakes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 340
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For dirty chai cupcakes
  • 1.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp chai spice blend
  • 1 tsp espresso powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.75 cup unsalted butter brown and cool
  • 1 cup brown sugar packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.33 cup strongly brewed espresso cooled
  • 0.5 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
For brown butter chai frosting
  • 0.75 cup butter browned
  • 3 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 1 tsp espresso powder
  • 1 tsp chai spice

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Brown butter & prep
  1. Brown 3/4 cup unsalted butter and set aside to cool; then brown the remaining butter for the frosting and cool it as well.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350F and line cupcake tins with liners.
Make dirty chai cupcake batter
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, chai spice blend, espresso powder, and salt in a bowl.
  2. Beat the cooled browned butter and packed brown sugar until smooth, then beat in eggs, strongly brewed espresso, buttermilk, and vanilla.
  3. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients just until no dry streaks remain.
  4. Divide batter into liners, filling each about 2/3 full.
  5. Bake at 350F for 18-20 minutes, until the tops spring back and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  6. Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.
Make frosting & finish
  1. Beat the browned butter chai frosting base until fluffy.
  2. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes, then dust with espresso powder and chai spice.

Notes

Pro tip: cool browned butter until it’s no longer warm to prevent scrambled egg batter. Store cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; the frosting will firm slightly. Freeze unfrosted cupcakes up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and frost. For a gluten-free option, use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend in the cupcake batter.