Making Cupcakes With LOLA: Masala Chai Cupcakes
November 28, 2011 I've been baking a lot during the Thanksgiving holiday and my skinny jeans don't like me very much. Nevertheless, I'm gonna bake up a storm for the next several weeks. To find some inspiration I've been perusing the lovely recipes from Making Cupcakes With LOLA. Written by the founders of LOLA's, the popular London bakery has a cult following for their fashionable cupcakes.
With flavors like Chocolate Matcha and Gingerbread Latte, how can one resist? To tempt your sweet tooth, the recipe for Masala Chai Tea cupcakes is provided below to satiate your baking curiosity. Enjoy, and have a happy holiday season!
Masala Chai Tea Cupcakes
175 ml/3⁄4 cup milk
2 bags of chai tea
250 g/2 cups plain/all-purpose flour
1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄4 teaspoon bicarbonate of/baking soda
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger
a pinch of ground cloves
110 g/71⁄2 tablespoons butter, cubed and soft
200 g/1 cup (caster) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
hot chocolate powder, to dust
CHAI BUTTERCREAM
110 g/71⁄2 tablespoons butter, cubed and soft
260 g/2 cups icing/ confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
about 1 teaspoon milk
muffin pan lined with 12 muffin cases
Makes 12
Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F/Gas 4.
To make chai tea, put the milk in a small saucepan and heat gently. Drop in the tea bags and let infuse while you start making the cupcake mixture.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of/baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and cloves in a bowl.
Put the butter, sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until pale and fluffy. Stop occasionally to scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Discard the tea bags from the chai-infused milk. Pour one third of the sifted dry ingredients into the mixture and beat on low speed. Add half the chai-infused milk and beat well. Repeat this process, then finish with the last third of the dry ingredients.
Divide the mixture between the muffin cases. Bake in the preheated oven for 23–25 minutes or until well risen and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on
a wire rack before decorating.
Chai Buttercream
While the cupcakes are cooling down, make the chai buttercream. Put the butter in a bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until very soft and smooth. Sift half the sugar into the bowl, beating until incorporated. Add the second half of the sugar and beat on low speed. Add the vanilla, ground cinnamon and ginger. Beat for 3–5 minutes on a higher speed. Add a little milk, if necessary, to loosen. Spread the frosting over the cold cupcakes using a spatula. Dust the tops with hot chocolate powder, using a heart-shape stencil if you have one.
NOTE
Chai tea bags are available through the Tazo and Dragonfly brands, among others. If you cannot find these, then substitute 4 teaspoons powdered instant chai latte, which is widely available, and whisk it directly into the warm milk.
Recipe and images posted with permission from Making Cupcakes with LOLA by Romy Lewis & Victoria Jossel. Published by Ryland Peters & Small. Photography by Kate Whitaker. $24.95, available at www.amazon.com.
For editorial consideration, a review book copy was provided for this post.
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