Chai Masala Cupcakes

These cupcakes taste like a cup of masala chai. Strong tea steeped in warm milk goes into the batter, and chai masala, with its ginger, cardamom and cinnamon, gives the spiced warmth. The crumb is soft and moist because we use curd and oil rather than eggs. A simple tea-flavoured buttercream finishes them. They are a lovely teatime bake and a good way to use the chai masala already sitting in your kitchen.

Method

1. Heat the milk with the tea leaves until it simmers, then switch off, cover and steep for 5 minutes. Strain and cool completely; keep 1 tbsp aside for the frosting.
2. Preheat the oven to 180 C. Line a muffin tray with 9 liners.
3. Sift the maida, baking powder, baking soda, chai masala and salt together.
4. Whisk the curd and powdered sugar until smooth. Add the oil and 1/2 cup of the cooled tea milk and whisk well.
5. Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined. The batter should be thick but pourable.
6. Fill each liner two-thirds full and bake for 18-20 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack.
7. For the frosting, beat the butter until pale and creamy, add the icing sugar in two parts, then the tea milk and chai masala; beat for 2-3 minutes until fluffy.
8. Pipe or spread the frosting on the cooled cupcakes and dust with a pinch of chai masala.

What to serve it with

Serve with a hot cup of tea or coffee for an afternoon snack.

Storage

Keep in an airtight box in the fridge for up to 3 days because of the butter frosting. Bring to room temperature before eating.

Variations

• Skip the frosting and dust with powdered sugar for plain chai tea cakes.
• Use a mix of ginger powder (1/2 tsp), cardamom (1/2 tsp) and cinnamon (1/4 tsp) if you have no chai masala.
• Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of crushed biscuit.

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Recipe by Chef Purna Shah. More videos on YouTube and Instagram.