Chocolate Chai Cupcakes With Buttercream Frosting Food

CHOCOLATE CHAI CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Put nonfat milk powder in a measuring cup; stir in enough black tea to make 1 cup. Stir until milk is dissolved. Set aside to cool.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Combine cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and black pepper together in a small bowl.
• Sift spice mixture, flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together into a large bowl. Stir cooled tea mixture, oil, and egg into flour mixture until batter is just combined; fold in ginger. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each 3/4-full.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool cupcakes on wire racks.

CHOCOLATE CHAI CUPCAKES WITH BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F Place paper baking cups into muffin pan cups; set aside.
• Combine all filling ingredients in medium bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy; set aside.
• Combine boiling water and tea bags in glass measuring cup, let stand 5 minutes. Remove tea bags, squeezing out excess liquid. Add enough water, if necessary, to equal 1 1/2 cups.
• Reserve 3 tablespoons prepared tea; set aside. Place remaining prepared tea in large bowl; add cake mix, melted butter and eggs. Beat at low speed 30 seconds. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy.
• Spoon about 2 tablespoons cake batter into each prepared muffin cup. Top each with 1 tablespoon filling. Spoon additional cake batter over filling until cups are about 2/3 full. (DO NOT OVERFILL.) (Batter does not have to cover filling completely.) Bake for 19 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely.
• Combine 3 tablespoons reserved prepared tea and milk in 2-quart saucepan. Add flour and cocoa; whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and just comes to a boil (4 to 6 minutes). Remove from heat; cool about 15 minutes.
• Combine 1 cup butter, 1 cup sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl. Beat at high speed until creamy. Continue beating, gradually adding cocoa mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, until light and creamy and sugar is dissolved. Frost or pipe cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired. Store refrigerated.

CHOCOLATE CHAI SPICE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• With a small food processor, grind up the whole fennel and cloves.
• Transfer to a small bowl and add remaining spices. Mix to combine.
• Chop chocolate and transfer into the bowl of a standing mixer.
• Add butter to the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until chocolate melts and butter is combined.
• Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Let mixture cool for 10 minutes.
• Beat in an electric mixer for 3 minutes.
• Add one egg at a time, mixing for 30 seconds between each.
• Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, chai spice mix, and a pinch of salt into the mixture and mix until blended.
• Scoop into cupcake cups and bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Beat butter until creamy, scrape bowl.
• Add 4 cups of sifted powdered sugar, milk, spice mix, and ginger. Beat until combined.
• Add more powdered sugar as needed to get piping consistency.
• Assemble cooled cupcakes.

CHOCOLATE-CHERRY CUPCAKES WITH CREAM CHEESE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
• Strain maraschino cherries over a large measuring cup. Count out 24 cherries with their stems intact and set aside on paper towels. Remove stems from the remaining cherries and place one in the bottom of each lined muffin cup.
• Stir cherry-flavored brandy into the cherry juice. Add more brandy or water to total 1 1/4 cups liquid. Pour liquid into a bowl.
• Add eggs and oil; beat with an electric mixer on low speed until just combined. Add cake mix and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Evenly divide batter among the muffin cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 17 minutes. Cool in the tins for about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 50 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting. Combine cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed until blended, about 1 minute. Add vanilla extract and salt; beat for 1 minute more. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating after each addition. Add additional powdered sugar if frosting is too thin.
• Frost each cupcake and garnish with the reserved cherries.