Chocolate Chai Cupcake

recipe from bakingdom

4 dozen cupcakes

1 3/4 cup strong brewed coffee, hot
147 g cocoa powder
1 3/4 hot milk
4 chai tea bags

669 g all-purpose flour
3.5 tsp baking soda
3/4 + 1/8  tsp baking powder
1.75 tsp salt
3.5 tsp cinnamon
2.5 tsp cardamom
1.75 tsp ginger
1.75 tsp nutmeg
1.75 tsp cloves
396 g unsalted butter, room temperature
3.5 cups sugar
7 eggs, room temperature
3.5 tsp vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, warm the milk until it just simmers. Remove from heat and add the tea bags. Steep for 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags and set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir the coffee and cocoa powder together until dissolved. Stir in the steeped milk. Set aside until cooled to room temperature, or place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Once the cocoa/coffee mixture has cooled, preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves; set aside.

In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined; stir in the vanilla. Sprinkle 1/3 of the flour mixture over the bowl and mix until just combined. Add 1/2 of the chocolate mixture, mixing again until just combined. Repeat with remaining flour and chocolate mixtures, ending with flour. Mix only until flour is just incorporated. Do not over mix.


Bake for 21 minutes. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Chai Pudding

2 cups heavy cream
2 chai tea bags
1 star anise
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tbsp cornstarch
cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, pepper (about a 1/4 tsp each)

This makes enough for 4 dozen cupcakes. 

In a medium sauce pan bring the cream and star anise soft boil, take off the heat and steep the tea bags for 7 min. Once steeped squeeze all the extra liquid out of the tea bags (try not to bust them.

While the tea is steeping, in a small bowl combine the cornstarch, salt,  sugar & spices. Whisk to remove any and all lumps.

Bring the cream back up to a soft boil, add the dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Boil gently for 1 minute to thicken.  Taste to see if flavorful enough; add more of the spices if needed.

Pour into a bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours.

Frosting

10 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
20 oz cream cheese, room temperature
13 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 heaping tbsp ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
milk as needed
1 tbsp vanilla extract