Chai Latte Cupcakes

Who knew a spice loaded cupcake would make you feel like Christmas any time of the day!

I am not sure why and how but I got into a habit of drink Chai Latte instead of normal latte when I first moved to Melbourne, Australia. Oh I know why, because I love everything sweet. Yes, putting sugar in the coffee when I stepped out with my colleagues, would always make me feel that I was not respecting the Melbourne coffee culture enough. And so came Chai Latte to my rescue.

And once when I was meeting someone over coffee and I ordered Chai Latte, I remember they said Chai Latte was like Christmas in your mouth- and that stuck with me. It indeed is! So aptly described with such few words.

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Ingredients

Vanilla Chai Latte Cupcakes

1 ½ Cup Flour

 ½ tsp Baking soda

 ½ tsp Salt

 ¾ Cup Caster Sugar

 2 Eggs, medium

12 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

 3 tsp Vanilla Extract

 ½ Cup Infused Milk

Infused Milk

½ Cup + 2 tbsp Whole Milk

¼ tsp Cinnamon powder

¼ tsp Cardamom powder

¼ tsp Nutmeg powder

Chai Latte Buttercream

Vanilla Buttercream frosting

2 tbsp Infused Milk

Directions

Infused Milk

1. Pour the milk in a saucepan and add in all the spices. Boil the milk on a low heat. Once the milk starts to boil, remove it from the heat and strain it. Place it aside for 5-10 mins so it cools down.

Vanilla Chai Latte Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (356F) or 160C (320F) for a fan forced oven. Line the Cupcake pan with liners.

2. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt and sugar into a mixer bowl. Mix them at a low speed until well combined.

3. Add in the softened butter and mix for 3-4 mins.

4. Mix eggs, infused milk and vanilla essence in a small bowl. Add this mixture to the dry mixture in the mixer bowl.

5. Continue to mix on medium speed until no dry mixture is visible.

6. Divide the batter equally into the Cupcake pan. Fill till ¾ of the liner.

7. Bake for 20-22 mins or until the inserted toothpick comes out clean from the centre of the cupcakes.

8. Allow the cupcakes to be cooled completely before frosting them.

Chai Latte Buttercream

1. Mix the Vanilla Buttercream frosting with the infused milk. Combine the mixture gently and completely.

Assemble

1. Use 6B tip at the end of your piping bag and pipe in the center of the cupcake in one press. Dust the Cupcake with Cinnamon powder.

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