Every ingredient is stocked at any Charlotte grocer—butter, milk, and vanilla are pantry staples, and cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg are all available at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Kroger, and Walmart in the spice aisle. The real cost driver is butter, which dominates a frosting's ingredient list; at current prices, you're looking at roughly 40–50 cents per serving for this recipe. The five-minute claim is honest for mixing, though it assumes cardamom is pre-ground; if you're cracking pods and using a mortar and pestle, add ten minutes. This is a finicky, attention-light frosting that works for layer cakes, cupcakes, or cookies and reheats fine on room-temperature baked goods, making it practical for weeknight baking. Chai spicing is familiar enough in the South that it doesn't feel like an exotic gamble, though it's not a Southern staple the way vanilla is.