Chai Spiced Cupcakes
Peel the wrapper back on these delicious chai spiced cupcakes! All you need is a comfy sweater, a tea, and a big blanket to curl up with while you enjoy this spiced treat
Ingredients
Chai cupcakes
- 2 chai tea bags
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 1/4 cup cake flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/2 cup butter unsalted room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup veggitable oil
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 4 egg whites room temperature
- 1/2 tsp salt
Vanilla spiced frosting
- 1 1/2 cup butter unsalted room temperature
- 5 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream room temperature
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Chai spiced cupcakes
- This recipe will yield a dozen medium cupcakes, more or fewer depending on the size of liner you use.
- Microwave milk for 1-2 mins until hot. Remove from microwave and place tea bags in milk. Let steep for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare cupcake tin by placing a few grains (20 ish) of rice at the bottom of each cupcake holder. Next, place cupcake liners in each holder.
- Sift together flour, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, black pepper, and allspice, then set aside.
- In a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and 1 cup sugar (set other half aside for later) on high speed for 5-6 mins scraping down sides occasionally.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, reduce speed to low and add vanilla and oil. Slowly increase speed as ingredients start to incorporate, then increase speed. Note: if ingredients will not combine do not worry they will come together in the next step, temperature is a huge factor here.
- Squeeze and remove tea bags from milk.
- Reduce speed of mixer, and alternate adding the dry ingredients and wet, ending on dry. When the last streak of flour is gone turn off the mixer.
- In a separate bowl with a hand mixer, or in a cleaned mixer bowl and with whisk attachment on a stand mixer, add egg whites.
- Whisk together whites on medium speed, as soon as they start to foam add salt and increase speed to high. Once the egg whites start to become glossy and form soft peaks (unable to hold form), slowly start adding sugar. Be careful not to deflate the whites.
- Once the sugar is completely added reduce speed to medium. Just before the meringue reaches stiff peaks stop mixing. To test, stop beaters and dip the beater in meringue, a peak should form but curl at the end or slightly flop over. NOTE: If you are using a hand mixer be sure to hold the beaters completely perpendicular to the bowl. This technique will eliminate large bubbles in the cake.
- With a spatula, dish ⅓ of the batter into the egg whites. With the spatula, fold ingredients together by circling the spatula along the outer rim of the whites and through the center rotating the bowl a quarter turn each pass.
- Once incorporated, add to the larger bowl of batter and follow the same technique.
- Once completely combined, add two small cookie scoops (2 tbsp or fill cupcake liner half full) of batter to each liner.
- Place in oven to bake 15-20min, until a skewer can be removed from the center clean.
- Let cool in the tin for 5 mins, then remove to cool on a wire baking rack. The cupcakes must be completely cool before frosting.
Vanilla spiced frosting
- In a stand mixer (or hand, but preferably stand) cream butter for 5 mins on high speed, occasionally scraping down sides.
- Reduce speed to low and add a cup of powdered sugar every 2 mins. Once all the sugar is added continue to mix for another 3 mins on low.
- Very, very slowly add milk trying not to let it become wet or to separate (if the milk is added too quickly it will separate, but don’t worry it will come back together!). Note: By keeping the mixer at a low speed we are minimizing air bubbles and creating a very smooth icing.
- Next, add in vanilla and all spices.
- Once all mixed together add your desired gel food coloring. Mix for another 5 mins on low scraping down sides to ensure the color has been fully incorporated.
Assembly
- For these cupcakes use a Wilton 1M tip. You will also need a piping bag, a knife or small spatula.
- Take the piping bag and cut the tip off enough so the piping tip can come through. Fill the piping bag up with frosting. Fold the top ⅓ of the piping bag over your hand (This ensures the icing doesn’t get out the top).
- To make the swirl you will be creating circle motions with your hand. The first circle is large, second one is medium, and do the last one on top small (3 part swirl). To start piping, place pressure on the piping bag to make the buttercream come out and stop the pressure to end the swirl.
- Repeat this process on all cupcakes, and finish with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
- Enjoy!