Chai Spiced Apple Cupcakes
Tender chai spiced apple cupcakes frosted with maple spice buttercream. These are a simple treat bursting with fall flavor and a variety of textures.
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I’m going to be honest: I’m beat. Like, so, so tired. It’s the end of the quarter, and even though I’ve had the house to myself this week (thanks to my husband and daughter going to Hawaii without me—because teacher’s can’t take that kind of time off), I’m still behind on grading.
For some reason, I chose to tackle all the projects I’ve been meaning to do while I had the house to myself. It’s made reorganizing my daughter’s room super easy, but it’s also exhausting.
And I know this all sounds random, but it’s related to these cupcakes! These cupcakes are so easy to make. And with how busy and tired I’ve been during my “week of freedom”, easy is my favorite thing right now.
As much as I love my apple pie cake and apple pie cupcakes, they are a lot of work. You have to make the filling ahead of time, and it’s easier to make the frosting ahead, too. Plus, it’s a butter cake, requiring a stand mixer and lots of time carefully blending and adding in just the right way.
Not this recipe.
These cupcakes are so simple. You just whisk the wet ingredients then stir in the dry then fold in the apples. I’d say the most boring part is peeling and chopping the apples, but even that doesn’t take too long.
And the best part? They are SO delicious. Moist yet fluffy. Super flavorful. A subtle crunch from the apples.
Why this recipe works
I’ve had more requests for this recipe than most others. I’m assuming that’s partly due to the unique flavors of apple, chai spices, and maple. It’s heartwarming and perfectly sweet and spicy. Plus, it’s a very, very moist cake! Which is hard to achieve in cupcakes, since they can dry out easily due to a lack of frosting “sealing” in the cake.
Plus, it’s EASY to make. Seriously. If I can make it while also caring for a toddler and actually come out saying it’s easy, you know it’s easy.
In fact, I highly suggest trying it out for a holiday gathering! Those lovely, obligatory holiday parties that always fall on a weeknight when you have to rush home, find something to bring, and then wonder how early you can get away with leaving? Yeah, those parties call for this cake.
Key ingredients
Apples. Use any kind you like, or a combination of varieties. I like Pink Lady for this recipe.
Sugar. Use granulated sugar. Brown sugar can be substituted, but it has more moisture and will alter the consistency and bake time.
Oil. I prefer avocado or grape seed oil, but you can use vegetable or canola.
Eggs. Use fresh, room temperature eggs.
Vanilla. Use pure extract, not imitation.
Flour. Be sure to spoon then level your flour so you don’t pack it in.
Baking soda. Be sure to use fresh baking soda that is kept sealed and that hasn’t been open longer than 6 months (regardless of the “expiration” date).
Salt. Use sea salt, if possible.
Chai. I used cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg. You can use your favorite chai spices, if you’d like.
Butter. Use European butter for a better, creamier frosting.
Powdered sugar. Also called confectioner’s or icing sugar. Be sure to sift if it’s clumpy or if you live in high humidity.
Maple extract. This is optional, but it goes so well in the frosting! Such a winning combo!
How to make chai spiced apple cupcakes
1. Peel, core, and chop apples. You can sprinkle them with some lemon juice so they don’t brown as you work, just discard it before adding them to the cupcake batter.
2. Sift and whisk dry ingredients. Sifting is key to getting a soft, fluffy cupcake.
3. Whisk wet ingredients. You want the sugar to begin dissolving, so whisk about 30-60 seconds.
4. Stir in apples. You could theoretically peel and chop them at this point, but I think it’s easier to have everything ready to go once you start mixing.
5. Fold in dry ingredients. You don’t want any dry clumps of flour, but don’t worry about some lumps—you don’t want to over mix the batter.
6. Bake. Bake until a toothpick comes out with just moist crumbs (not fully clean—that’s over baked).
7. Make maple spice buttercream. While the cupcakes cool, make the frosting. You can also make this ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to use—just let it soften on the counter while you make the cupcakes so it’s easier to spread or pipe.
8. Frost and enjoy! I used a 1M piping tip, but you can frost however you’d like to.
Tips and FAQ’s for this recipe
Can I make this without the chai flavor?
Yes! You can sub one tablespoon (8g) of pumpkin pie spice (plus a teaspoon (3g) more of cinnamon, if desired) to create a simple apple cupcake. I just really love chai, so I decided to try my hand at the pairing. You could also simply omit the cardamom and increase the other spices until you have about a tablespoon (8g) total spices. It’s entirely up to you!
What kind of apples should I use?
Any kind will do. Jonagold and Pink Lady are probably my favorites for baking, but they’re not always available at a lot of stores (I usually only find Jonagold/Jonathan apples when we go apple picking). Using a combination of tart and sweet apples is ideal, like Granny Smith and Gala or Honeycrisp. I just don’t recommend Fuji for baking—they turn mushy pretty quickly.
Can I use a different frosting?
Always! I’ve paired these with a maple cream cheese frosting (in my apple cake version), and it’s delicious but has to be refrigerated (due to the cream cheese). I wanted a frosting that could be left on the counter so the cupcakes wouldn’t dry out as fast, so I omitted the cream cheese here. Some other great options are: vanilla buttercream, cinnamon vanilla bean buttercream, salted Caramel Buttercream, or my new fall favorite, browned butter buttercream.
Do I have to sift the flour?
Yes! Sifting is key in baking, particularly in anything cake-y. It helps it mix into the wet ingredients more easily, preventing clumps as well as circumventing the urge to over-stir and create a tough, rubbery texture.
Spoon then level your flour
Don’t scoop your flour! I never knew this until I started blogging, but it seriously makes a big difference. You will end up with roughly 25% more flour than the recipe called for if you just doonk (official baking term right there) your measuring spoon into the flour container and scoop. Gently spoon your flour into your measuring cup then level it off with the back of a knife. Trust me! It makes a difference.
Try adding raisins!
I’ve made these with and without chopped raisins. And I didn’t really notice a difference. I like including them when I can, for health, because they bake into the cake. I usually chop mine so the texture isn’t impacted by large chunks of raisins, but it’s up to you. If you do add them, use about a half cup to full cup of chopped raisins of any kind.
Don’t let the apples brown
In my recipe I recommend stirring in lemon juice if it’s taking awhile to chop the apples. But I’m pretty sure the first time I made this I actually mixed the wet ingredients then added my apples to that as I went. It’s just very important not to let them brown more than that slight tinge you’ll get after about 0.5 seconds.
My tools
Here are my must-have tools I use for making this cake. Affiliate links provided.
Mesh sieve (because sifting is KEY for a fluffy cake)
All-rubber spatula (this makes scraping the bowl easier so the batter and frosting doesn’t get all over a wooden handle!)
Cupcake pans (I’ve used many over the years and these are the most consistently successful)
Vegetable peeler and apple slicer and corer
Or, use this apple peeler, corer, and slicer
Chai Spiced Apple Cupcakes
- prep time: 20-25 minutes (includes making the frosting)
- bake time: 15-18 minutes
- total time: about 1 hour, plus cooling time
servings: 24 cupcakes
Ingredients:
- 3 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon (3g) ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon (2g) ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon (1g) ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon (1g) ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon (1g) ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon (1g) ground cloves
- 4 cups chopped apple (4 - 5 medium apples)
- 1.5 cups sugar
- 1 1/4 cup avocado or grapeseed oil (melted and slightly cooled butter could work, too, but will have a denser texture)
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- one batch maple spiced buttercream (or your favorite fall buttercream)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 325F/165C. Line two cupcake pans by with cupcake liners.
- Using a large fine mesh sieve, sift and whisk flour, salt, baking soda, and spices in a bowl. Set aside.
- Peel, core, and chop the apples. I was lazy and didn’t peel them very well. And I diced them into about ¼ inch pieces. If it’s taking you awhile to do this (small apples, distractions, etc. can make this process take awhile!), squeeze some lemon juice on the apples to keep them from browning.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla until well combined and sugar granules begin to dissolve (not fully, just not as large as you started with--about 30-60 seconds of whisking).
- Stir in apples to the wet mixture, discarding any lemon juice used or any juices that gathered at the bottom of the bowl.
- Gently fold in flour mixture until no dry bits of flour remain (don’t worry if you see some lumps, those will bake out).
- Divide evenly between cupcake pans, filling each liner about ⅔ to ¾ full. Bake on middle rack for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Set the pan on a baking rack to cool.
- While the cake is cooling, make frosting.
- Frost completely cooled cupcakes, using a piping tip or offset spatula.
Enjoy!
Store in an airtight container. Cupcakes will last 3-5 days at room temperature.
