Spicy Vanilla Chai Latte Cupcakes

Last weekend I offered to bake a birthday dessert for our dear friend Nicole, who turned the ripe age of 25 (Happy Birthday!). I've baked a cake for her the past two years, and decided to finally stray from my usual layered cake dripping in ganache. Cupcakes tend to be easier to manage at parties (no one has to take the job of "cake cutter"), and I stumbled across this awesome Spicy Vanilla Chai Latte cupcakes recipe on the What Megan's Making blog. I figured it's all in the name, so this must be a winning recipe. Us girls love our chai tea lattes at brunch, and these taste just like the real thing. My girlfriends were impressed, and I even got a "these could be sold at Georgetown Cupcakes!" Makes my heart melt. Aren't girlfriends the best?

Considering these cupcakes taste like a latte, I'd suggest bringing them to a late brunch. They also have that "holiday spice and everything nice" thing going for them and would be an impressive dessert to serve at your next Christmas party.

Recipe after the jump!

Spicy Vanilla Chai Tea Latte Cupcakes
Recipe from What Megan's Making

Ingredients

Cupcakes:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 quantity chai spice mix (recipe to follow)
1 1/4 cups plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Chai Spice Mix:
1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 ts cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Vanilla Chai Buttercream:

2 sticks (1 cup) butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 quantity chai spice mix

1-2 tbs cold milk, if needed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a cupcake tin or line with cupcake wrappers. Mix spices together in small bowl and set aside.

2. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla and beat in one egg at a time. Stir in half the quantity of chai spice mix. Sift together the flour and salt into a separate bow. Fold in the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately and stir until combined. Be careful not to over mix. Mix together the baking soda and vinegar and stir into the batter.

3. Spoon into prepared cupcake tin until 3/4 full and bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in a center cupcake comes out clean.

4. While your cupcakes are baking, make the frosting. In a stand mixer, beat the butter until it is creamy. On low, mix in the vanilla and the rest of the chai spice mix. Carefully beat in the icing sugar about ½ cup at a time. If the buttercream is too thick add 1-2 tablespoons of cold milk until the desired consistency is reached.Then pipe onto cooled cupcakes with your favorite frosting tip (or use a frosting knife like I did).