Cheaper Chai Cupcakes

 The chocolate cupcakes are a different variety...I'll write up that recipe later.

When I was 18, my friend Tommy and I made vegan chai cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World.  They tasted a bit more like muffins, though, and the problem with vegan baking is that if you're not normally a vegan, the ingredients are pretty expensive to buy just to make a batch of cupcakes.  Especially when you're a college freshman.

So, inspired by the fall flavors of chai, I scoured the internet to find the perfect non-vegan recipe.  The closest I found was this...but it calls for all sorts of expensive spices that I don't have.  So I altered it a bit using a steeping technique from the vegan recipe, and I was pleased with the result.  It's not a strong flavor, but it's definitely present.

Here's what you need!

Cupcakes:

1/2 c. light cream or buttermilk
4 vanilla or spiced chai teabags (I recommend Bigelow Vanilla Chai)
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar (1/2 tsp. if you are using buttermilk)
1 tsp. baking soda (1/2 tsp. if you are using buttermilk)
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. cinnamon
dash of nutmeg

Frosting:

1 c. butter
1-2 tsp. vanilla
2-4 c. powdered sugar, depending on how thick you want your frosting
a few tablespoons of chai cream mixture

Preheat oven to 325 F and line a cupcake pan with papers.

Heat light cream on the stove on LOW until very warm (don't boil it), then steep 4 chai teabags in it. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Remove teabags and squeeze excess cream out. Let cool slightly so it doesn't melt all the butter in the next step.  Set aside a few tablespoons of this for the frosting, and put that portion in the fridge.

Cream butter and sugar (if you don't know what this means, mush them together into a nice, slightly grainy paste using a mixer or by hand if you're feeling strong) and add 2 tsp. vanilla. Throw in cinnamon and nutmeg. Add chai cream mixture and flour to the bowl, alternating between the two and adding in increments.  Mix until just stirred--do not overmix.

In a separate bowl, mix baking soda and  apple cider vinegar.  Let them do their cool volcano-y thing, dump into batter and mix.

Pour cupcakes into cupcake pan until each is about 3/4 full. Put in oven for about 20 minutes. Take out, stick a toothpick or knife in the center and if it comes out clean, they're done.

Let cupcakes cool. In the meantime, make the frosting! Blend butter with vanilla, and add powdered sugar in increments.  Add chilled chai cream mixture.  Keep mixing until fluffy and frosting-like.  Toss in some cinnamon, if you want some extra kick.

Once the cupcakes are cool, mush the frosting into a sandwich bag, cut open a corner, and pipe it onto the cupcakes. If you have a fancy frosting kit, use that. You can also use a knife and put on the frosting the old fashioned way, but using the bag is more fun, and it gives you an excuse to lick globs of frosting off your fingers.  One thing--you will have a lot of leftover frosting, so you may need to make another batch of cupcakes (oh, darn).

Garnish with a puff of cinnamon.

 Yum.

This recipe makes 12, however, if you eat 7 after you make them, your friends need never know.