We are now officially, in full Christmas mode at my house! The day after Thanksgiving, my family spent the day putting our Christmas lights up on our house. Every year it’s a race to see if we can improve on last year’s time.

This is a serious deal guys, my dad even drew out a map for how the Christmas lights go up on the house each year, to help streamline the process!

Unfortunately, this year they didn’t beat last years time, because they bought new Christmas light clips, and the clips slowed down the process. The good news is though, the lights still made it up on the house by the end of the day — and when my family finished putting up the lights, I had a fresh batch of Masala Chai Cupcakes ready for them. The perfect finishing touch to a festive day.

I love these cupcakes, because they have just the right balance of chai. Plus they’re finished with a delectable cream cheese frosting. What makes these cupcakes so spectacular is the chai itself. These aren’t just any run-of-the-mill chai cupcakes. They’re Masala Chai cupcakes — I used my favorite, Masala Chai concentrate, from Aditi Chai. It’s real authentic Masala Chai, so every bite of the cupcake has the real chai flavor. Then pair these cupcakes with the bright, cinnamon, cream cheese frosting, and all the flavors work together in perfect harmony.

There’s one other trick that I use for these cupcakes, to make them extra spectacular — vinegar. As odd as it may sound to use vinegar, it’s the key to making these cupcakes light and fluffy. The vinegar activates the baking soda, helping the cupcakes to rise beautifully while they bake, resulting in soft and airy cupcakes.

I’m not kidding when I say, “These Masala Chai Cupcakes are the real deal!”

How to make Masala Chai Cupcakes

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1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon.
3. In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the Aditi’s Masala Chai for one minute, until it’s warm.
4. In another microwave safe bowl, microwave the butter, until melted.
5. Combine the chai and butter. Add in the sugar, and stir until dissolved.
6. Then add in the egg and vanilla extract. Stir together until combined.
7. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir together, then add in the vinegar. Stir until combined.
8. Line the cupcake tins with cupcake liners.
9. Spoon the cupcake batter into the cupcake tins about 3/4 of the way full.
10. Bake for 19 minutes.
11. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before frosting.
12. While the cupcakes are cooling, in a mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, cream together the cream cheese, and powdered sugar. Add in the lemon juice and vanilla extract. Mix it together, then add in the cinnamon. Cream the frosting together until smooth.
13. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag, and pipe onto the cooled cupcakes.
14. Enjoy!