Chocolate Chai Cupcakes with Cinnamon Almond Frosting

 

I had the good fortune of getting a long weekend due to snow in my area, so I decided to try another recipe, meeting my two recipe a month goal for January. I absolutely love Starbuck's Chai Tea Lattes, and these cupcakes were inspired by that beverage. There are myriad recipes out there for various types of chai cakes, but I ended up using one of my own creation. This is the first time I have ventured out into the realm of crafting my own recipe, and I was quite pleased when the kitchen did not explode or the cupcakes catch on fire. 

Candace's Chocolate Chai Cupcakes

Makes about 28 cupcakes

2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature 

1/2 c. cocoa powder

1/4 c. powdered sugar

1 3/4 c. granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract  

4 medium eggs 

1 c. chai tea concentrate 

2 1/4 c. all purpose flour

1 tbs.  baking soda 

 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbs. honey 

1 tbs. cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare your cupcake pan. 

In your mixer bowl, cream together the butter, cocoa, powdered sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla. Mix until the butter appears incorporated into the sugars. Add the eggs and mix until the batter is the consistency of wet sand. 

Add the chai tea concentrate, honey, and cinnamon, mixing on medium speed. I used the Tazo tea brand concentrate because that's what they use at Starbucks. Your mixture will now be runny. Gradually add in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Do this in stages, adding a bit and then mixing. This will prevent the flour from getting everywhere. Mix until the batter is thick, almost a fudgey consistency. 

Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Be careful not to overfill the liners as this batter tends to rise a great deal. Bake for about 20 minutes, testing with a toothpick to ensure they are baked all the way through. 

Cool cupcakes on a wire rack and then frost. 

Just a quick note. I made these cupcakes during the middle of a very damp snow. The moisture in the air might have contributed to the way the cupcakes rose in the oven. You may want to experiment with the amounts of batter you put in the liners. I found that I needed less batter to end up with a perfectly sized cake. 

Cinnamon Almond Frosting

1 stick butter at room temperature

8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature

3 tbs. chai tea concentrate

1-2 tbs. milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. almond extract 

32oz bag confectioner's sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

In your mixer bowl combine the butter, cream cheese, chai tea, milk, vanilla and almond extracts. Gradually add the confectioner's sugar, mixing on medium speed. If mixture appears too thick, add either more milk or tea depending on how strong you want the chai flavor. Increase mixer speed and mix until icing is smooth. Add cinnamon to taste, mixing in on low. 

Prepare a pastry bag using a medium round tip. Fill the bag with icing and ice the cooled cupcakes beginning on the outer edge and swirling inward.

 

These cupcakes were incredibly tasty with a subtle hint of spicy chai. I would have preferred a stronger chai flavor because I really enjoy the spicy sensation of the drink. Next time I make them, I will use more chai mix and additional spices like cardamon and cinnamon.