Chai Cupcakes!

So there has been tons of stuff happening this summer. Wedding showers, baby showers, slip and slides, gardens, baking, re-organizing, and of course working TONS.  Sean moved to nights at the restaurant, I've been working close to full time thanks to summer schedules, plus a new weekend gig. Needless to say, we've been keeping super busy!  However, it being me, I have found lots of time for baking and knitting.  A couple of weeks ago I concocted what might be one of my new favorite desserts. Chai cupcakes.  And since it was demanded of me, I shall now share:

Cupcakes:
2 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp chai spice mix (following)
1/2 c butter at room temp
1 1/4 c sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 c milk steeped with chai tea

Chai Mix:
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cloves
1 1/2 tsp cardamom
pinch of nutmeg (optional, I put it in because I mistakenly pulled it off the spice rack and felt like it)

Pre-heat your oven to 350. Heat up your milk and steep with chai teabags (I just microwaved it and threw in 2 tea bags, but do whatever floats your boat.) Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla. Alternate blending in wet/dry ingredients.  If you feel like it makes it a difference, you can sift all the dry stuff together first, but I never do. I throw it in a bowl and whisk/mix with a fork and call it a day. Again, whatever you feel like doing will work.  Bake for 15-20 minutes. I found mine usually required the 20 side of things, but I think I have a lazy oven.

In terms of frosting, I did one batch with Honey Cinnamon, and one Honey Cardamom, both with a cream cheese base. I used 8 oz of cream cheese, a couple of tbps of milk, a stick of softened butter, and 1/4 c honey.  Blended all this together and get it good and fluffy, then mix in either some of the spice mix leftover from the cake, cardamom (cardamom and some lemon juice was GOOOOOD), or cinnamon. Again, whatever you feel like.  Now a note on cream cheese frosting. Most recipes use some god awful quantity of powdered sugar, like 4 cups, or an entire bag, or whatever. Um, yeah. I usually start with something like 1/2 a cup, and I usually stay there. I don't like super sweet frosting, so this is about right for me. Especially when I used the honey, I started light with the sugar and tasted as I went. This had nothing to do with my intense love of cream cheese frosting and my desire to lick the beater the whole time. Nothing at all. If you like it sweet, go ahead and throw in as much sugar as your heart desires.

The spice mix is also good mixed with a can of sweetened condensed milk and used to make chai tea, or in a glass of milk to make a chai latte.  Thanks for that one Jess!