Chai Tea Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Not only do I love chai tea (see previous entry), but I like adding it to anything going!

I recently had my parents to visit, and wanted to make a loaf cake for afternoon tea, but I didn't have enough eggs. Instead I scaled down the portion sizes and made 15 cupcakes instead.

Still delicious, and in handy bite-sized servings!

Chai cupcakes

150g self raising flour 
150g caster sugar
150g margarine or butter (room temperature)
2 eggs
3 tbsp milk
3 tbsp instant chai tea mix (OR 2 tbsp instant tea, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 tsp ground cardamom, 1/4 tsp nutmeg)

 Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees, add cupcake liners to cupcake tin or moulds.
2. Whisk eggs with caster sugar until creamed.
3. Add flour and  margarine and whisk together.
4. Add the spices and continue mixing, before adding the milk gradually to form a smooth batter.
5. Add a large dollop of batter mix into the cupcake liners (to fill around 2/3 of the cupcake liner).
6. Bake in the oven for around 20 to 25 minutes, until springy to the touch.

They're delicious as they are, but I decided to make a cream cheese frosting (I'm a sucker for that!)

Cream cheese frosting

200g butter (room temperature)
200g mascapone
150g icing sugar

Optional: 1 tbsp honey, 1 tsp grated root ginger, 1/2 tsp cinnamon.

Method:

1. Whisk all the ingredients until evenly blended.
2. Add the optional extras if you want an extra bit of zing.
3. Once the cupcakes have cooled, either pipe or use a palette knife to top the cupcakes.

Voila!