Nuzzolese
07-19-2011, 09:37 AM
Make the frosting first, then let it come to room temperature while you bake the cupcakes. Then chill the frosting in the fridge while the cupcakes cool. Once cooled, pipe the frosting on the cupcakes in little dollops. It is a very rich frosting so don't layer it on too thick.
Chai Spice Mixture is 1 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, and ground cardamom. Combine in a small bowl.
Cupcakes:
1 ½ cups cake flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chai spice mixture
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg plus 2 egg whites or the equivalent of 2 egg whites made from powdered eggwhite + water
½ cup whole milk or a mixture of skim milk and cream ( I made my mixture with 3/4 cup milk and ¼ cup cream)
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl and stir in the chai spice mixture.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer with paddle attachment on medium speed until soft and creamy and no longer very grainy. This takes 3 - 5 minutes.
Add in egg and egg whites, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition to combine before adding the next.
Stir the vanilla into the milk or milk/cream mixture
Add the flour mixture and the milk mixture into the butter/sugar mixture in three alternating additions, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Beat just to combine each addition before adding the next. (The alternating is important!)
Using an ice cream scoop or a spoon, fill each cupcake liner about ¾ full with batter. Bake in oven for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the cupcakes comes out clean.
For the Chocolate Cinnamon frosting:
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped. (If you prefer more bitter chocolate, like me, replace 1 ounce with unsweetened.)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
(1/4 c. sugar if sweeter frosting is desired)
Place chocolate into a medium heatproof bowl.
Combine cream and cinnamon in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. If you prefer sweeter chocolate, add 1/4 c. sugar to the pan. Heat just until it comes to a simmer, swirling the pan to stir it and to dissolve the cinnamon (and the sugar, if using)
Pour cream over chocolate and let sit for a minute before stirring to combine. Stir until chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is smooth.
Let this come to room tempurature as you make the cupcakes
Pour into a container, cover and chill in refrigerator for 30 mins. - 1 hour until the cupcakes are cool.
Place frosting in a stand mixer and whip with whisk attachment until it is light and fluffy. This will take several minutes because it will be cold and stiff at first, but do not overwhip or it will become dry and crumbly. If it does become dry, carefully warm it up in a bowl over simmering water until it is smooth again, then cool and chill again and repeat the process.
Once it is at the right consistency, stuff it into a pastry bag and pipe it onto the cupcakes or just spread it on. It's very rich.
Chai Spice Mixture is 1 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, and ground cardamom. Combine in a small bowl.
Cupcakes:
1 ½ cups cake flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chai spice mixture
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg plus 2 egg whites or the equivalent of 2 egg whites made from powdered eggwhite + water
½ cup whole milk or a mixture of skim milk and cream ( I made my mixture with 3/4 cup milk and ¼ cup cream)
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl and stir in the chai spice mixture.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer with paddle attachment on medium speed until soft and creamy and no longer very grainy. This takes 3 - 5 minutes.
Add in egg and egg whites, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition to combine before adding the next.
Stir the vanilla into the milk or milk/cream mixture
Add the flour mixture and the milk mixture into the butter/sugar mixture in three alternating additions, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Beat just to combine each addition before adding the next. (The alternating is important!)
Using an ice cream scoop or a spoon, fill each cupcake liner about ¾ full with batter. Bake in oven for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the cupcakes comes out clean.
For the Chocolate Cinnamon frosting:
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped. (If you prefer more bitter chocolate, like me, replace 1 ounce with unsweetened.)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
(1/4 c. sugar if sweeter frosting is desired)
Place chocolate into a medium heatproof bowl.
Combine cream and cinnamon in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. If you prefer sweeter chocolate, add 1/4 c. sugar to the pan. Heat just until it comes to a simmer, swirling the pan to stir it and to dissolve the cinnamon (and the sugar, if using)
Pour cream over chocolate and let sit for a minute before stirring to combine. Stir until chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is smooth.
Let this come to room tempurature as you make the cupcakes
Pour into a container, cover and chill in refrigerator for 30 mins. - 1 hour until the cupcakes are cool.
Place frosting in a stand mixer and whip with whisk attachment until it is light and fluffy. This will take several minutes because it will be cold and stiff at first, but do not overwhip or it will become dry and crumbly. If it does become dry, carefully warm it up in a bowl over simmering water until it is smooth again, then cool and chill again and repeat the process.
Once it is at the right consistency, stuff it into a pastry bag and pipe it onto the cupcakes or just spread it on. It's very rich.