Chai Cupcakes Recipe

INGREDIENTS

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-count cupcake tin with paper liners. Set aside.
Place the milk and chai tea bags in a small saucepan set over medium heat. When the milk starts to steam, remove it from the heat and set it aside to steep for 5 minutes.½ cup whole milk,2 chai tea bags
While the tea steeps, in a large bowl, whisk the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and chai spice together. Set aside.1½ cups all-purpose flour,1 cup brown sugar,1 teaspoon baking powder,2 teaspoons chai spice
In another bowl, stir together the chai milk (make sure to remove the tea bags first), vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla.½ cup vegetable oil,2 large eggs,1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk just until no large lumps of flour remain.
Divide the mixture between the cupcake wells, filling about ⅔ full, and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove the cupcakes to a wire rack and cool completely before icing.

Add the butter and cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the mixer as needed.½ cup unsalted butter,4 ounces cream cheese
With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla followed by the powdered sugar.1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract,2½ cups powdered sugar
Once all of the powdered sugar has been incorporated, turn the mixer to high speed and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your choice of tip.
Frost the cupcakes as desired and top with a sprinkle of chai spice, if desired.

You can use any type of tea in this recipe, although I recommend using black tea. Try Assam, English breakfast, or Earl Gray.
I used light brown sugar in these cupcakes, but you could also use dark brown sugar for a deeper flavor or granulated sugar for a lighter flavor.
If you choose to use another variety of tea, you could change up the flavor by using 3-4 tea bags, omitting the chai spice, and adding lemon or orange zest to the batter to bump up the flavor.
To make these cupcakes gluten free, use your favorite brand of gluten free 1:1 flour.
These cupcakes look great on their own, but I think adding a star anise pod (pictured) really makes them pop.
You could also decorate with cinnamon sticks or dust the cupcakes with ground cinnamon or chai spice for a simpler design.

Storage: Store chai cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.