Merry Christmas Chai

Happy Holidays!  Well, as promised, I've been doing a little baking over the past few weeks.  Taking a break from cookies (though pics and recipes will be posted in future posts) I came across a recipe for chai cupcakes topped with a chai spiced buttercream.  Now..I LOVE a good chai tea.  So does my husband.  Silly me...I thought EVERYONE loved chai.  However, I recently made these yummy little cupcakes and realized...NOT everyone loves chai.  Hmmmm....go figure.

Chai is actually a spice mix of ground ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves.  The mix is incredibly aromatic and completely charges the palate. To me...it also screams the holiday season.  Think a light spice cake.  In this recipe half of the spice mix goes into the cake batter and half goes into the buttercream.  Here is a pic of the end result:

 

 

 

 

Here are the recipes for the both the cupcakes and the buttercream: 

 

Chai Cupcakes w/Chai Buttercream Frosting 

Ingredients:

2 ½ c cake flour, sifted

1 Tbsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 c whole milk, at room temp

2 large egg whites, at room temp

1 whole egg, at room temp

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 ½ c granulated sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temp

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp ground cloves

12 Tbsp butter, softened

6 c confectioner’s sugar

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

8 Tbsp 2% milk

Ground cinnamon

For the cupcakes:

Place the ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves into a bowl; mix and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and center the oven rack. Line 2 muffin/cupcake pans with standard-size cupcake liners, and put the first cupcake pan on a baking sheet. (You will place the second cupcake pan on the same sheet in the oven once the first tray is baked.)

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and half of the spice mixture into a medium-sized bowl. Whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla extract 1/2 in a medium bowl or large glass measuring cup.

In an electric mixer fitted with the whisk or paddle attachment (I used the whisk), cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until very pale and creamy, about 5 minutes.

With the mixer still on medium speed, alternate additions of the flour mixture and milk-egg mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture (3 dry additions, 2 wet), beating after each addition until incorporated. Continue mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Divide batter evenly among your cupcake liners–about 2/3 full–and bake until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs only, about 16 minutes.

Carefully remove the cupcakes from the pan and let cool on wire racks. Repeat with second tray.

Buttercream:

Beat butter until fluffy; beat in confectioner’s sugar, vanilla and remaining spice mixture until smooth.   Add milk to reach desired consistency.  Pipe frosting over cupcakes and sprinkle with cinnamon.

 Hope you all enjoy this very unique and seasonal cupcake.   Please keep an eye out for upcoming posts that will feature a variety of my favorite Christmas cookies.  As always, please feel free to post comments as well as any baking questions that you may have.  Happy Baking!!