Easy Chai Buttercream Frosting Recipe

This easy chai buttercream frosting recipe is the only buttercream you need for fall. Full of warming spices (with an easy twist), this would be a great buttercream frosting for spice cake, for butter pecan cake, or any cake you want, really.

I love chai with my whole heart. The feeling of warmth and coziness that I get when I drink chai is just unmatched my anything else (even coffee). There’s just something about it. I look for chai wherever I go.

I really love making my own chai at home – I feel like most coffee shops make it too sweet – I want the spiciness, not the sweetness when it comes to chai.

My two favorite methods are either Tazo chai (this is what Starbucks uses) or Trader Joe’s Chai Concentrate, which just so happens to be my secret ingredient in this recipe.

Shopping List for Easy Chai Buttercream Frosting

Unsalted Butter

Powdered Sugar

Chai Concentrate (Tazo or Trader Joe’s)

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Vanilla

Salt

Pepper

Red and Green food coloring (optional)

Let’s Talk about Chai Frosting

Flavor: the frosting has a pretty distinct chai flavor. It’s sweet (because, duh – there’s two cups of sugar) but the spices help balance out the sweetness.

Texture: the secret to a super smooth buttercream frosting is to just mix the heck out of it. I let my mixer run for a total of about 10 minutes, and the resulting frosting is the creamiest, most decadent frosting you’ve ever had as a result.

Ease: this is an incredibly easy recipe – you mostly just have to throw things into a stand mixer and you’re good to go. You can make this with a hand mixer too, but I would up the mixing time by 1.5 to get the same results. Ex: instead of mixing for 10 minutes, you would go for 15 minutes.

Recipe Highlights

Chai flavors

Easy to make

Perfect for fall

Like your favorite coffeehouse drink in frosting form

FAQ’s

Why use chai concentrate AND chai spices? You could definitely use one or the other, but I found the best flavor came from the combination of both. If you don’t have access to chai concentrate (TAZO is sold pretty much everywhere, including Amazon), you could just double the spices in the frosting instead, and add 3 tablespoons of milk or cream.

Do I have to actually mix the frosting for so long? You don’t HAVE to, but if you want to get the lightest, fluffiest frosting that will wow your friends and family – it’s worth it to spend the time.

Where do I get the chai concentrate? Amazon will ship it right to you!

How do I store leftover frosting? Store leftover frosting in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To use after freezing – let it sit at room temperature for a few hours, then re-mix in the stand mixer until light and fluffy again.

How much does this recipe make? Enough to very generously frost 12 cupcakes.

Tips and Tricks

Don’t have room temperature butter? Follow these steps:

1. Boil a pot of water and place a wrapped stick of butter on a plate, standing up on its end.
2. Once the water is boiling, pour some of it in a water glass, and let the glass sit for 3 minutes to get really hot.
3. Pour the water out, and place the glass over the stick of butter, and let it sit for 5 minutes.
4. Repeat until the butter is fully softened. This will get you pretty softened butter in about 20 minutes total.

For the pepper: use it sparingly – if you have a pepper grinder 1 or 2 turns should do it. If you have pre-ground pepper (don’t do this, it’s so much better to grind your own!) just a tiny pinch will do it. You want just a hint of pepper.

Food coloring: to get a creamy dreamy brown color use 10 drops each of red and green food coloring. This is completely optional and is for looks only. I haven’t personally experimented with natural food colorings, so I cant recommend any good options for that.Flavor: the frosting has a pretty distinct chai flavor. It’s sweet (because, duh – there’s two cups of sugar) but the spices help balance out the sweetness.