There are several spices used in Chai Latte, but for me, the key spices are ginger and cinnamon. As for the tea, any black tea like Assam, Darjeeling or Ceylon is fine. Brewing Chai Latte is actually very easy, I just heat up fresh milk, add the spices and tea bags, let it simmer for a few minutes, sweeten with maple syrup, honey or sugar, that's it.
Anyways, I was once again very blessed to participate in a collaboration by Singapore Home Cooks and Gingen Ginger Tea. #GingenGingerTea #singaporehomecooks
While I make Chai Latte occasionally, it's been a long while since I bake any cakes incorporating tea and spices. The first thing that came to my mind was a Chai Spice Cupcake with Chai Latte Buttercream frosting using Gingen Ginger Tea.
I already have ground cinnamon and ground allspice powder at home. Usually if I want to bake, I would buy ground ginger located at the spice racks of supermarkets, but I hardly buy it as I don't use it often (when I cook, I use fresh ginger).
Gingen Ginger Tea is definitely a more viable and convenient choice, since it's in powder form and I can drink it as tea or use it in my baking! I'm also pleased to learn that Gingen Ginger Tea is made from pure ginger; 10kg of fresh ginger is used to make 1kg of ginger extract! In addition, it contains no preservatives or artificial colourings. That said, Ginger Tea is also a must-drink tea for me during that time of the month. I usually brew red date with fresh ginger and red sugar. Now that there's Gingen Ginger Tea, I don't have to go into the trouble anymore! And I'm definitely gonna use this for my baking as well, no need to grate fresh ginger anymore! I digress :p
When I was mulling over the baking method, I couldn't decide between an infused butter method or infused milk butter to incorporate the tea and spices. In the end, I did both. LOL!
As for the buttercream, I wanted to practise the Italian-Korean buttercream again since this method uses less sugar, is more stable and easier to pipe and gives a slight glossy finish.
During the baking, the whole house was filled with the soothing aroma of the spices and I find myself in such a calming and happy mood :)
Chai Spice Cupcake (Recipe I - tea & spice infused butter)
(makes 6-8 cupcakes)
Tea & Spice Infused Butter
- 65g unsalted butter
- 1 teabag (I use Ceylon, open up tea bag for the tea powder)
- 1/4 tsp Gingen ginger powder
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground allspice
- 60g all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- 1 large egg (I use 65-68g egg with shell)
- 75g caster sugar
- 25g whipping cream
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 65g tea & spice infused butter
- Tea & Spice Infused Butter: Melt unsalted butter in a pot, add tea powder, ginger powder, ground cinnamon and ground allspice. Stir till well-mixed and let the mixture infused and cool down completely before using.
- Preheat oven to 180 degree celsius, fan mode. Line muffin pan with cupcake cases.
- Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl, set aside.
- In a mixing bowl set in an electric mixer, add egg and caster sugar, beat the mixture till pale and fluffy, about 4-5 mins.
- Add cream and vanilla, beat till well-mixed.
- Add flour mixture in 3 additions, each time scrapping sides of bowl and beat till just mixed.
- Shift the mixing speed to lowest and add the infused butter drip by drip into the batter, make sure to scrap in the residue spice and tea powder as well. After incorporating the butter, shift to medium speed and beat for 1-2 mins.
- Using an ice-cream scoop or spoon, scoop the batter into the prepared cupcake cases, filling to slightly less than 2/3 full. Gently tap the pan on the countertop before sending the pan into the oven.
- Bake at 180 degree celsius, fan mode for about 15-16 mins. To test doneness, insert a toothpick into the centre of the cupcake, the toothpick should emerge clean.
- Cool the cupcakes on a wire rack completely before frosting.
- Trim the top of the cupcake (for a flat surface) and frost with buttercream.
Chai Spice cupcake (Recipe II - tea & spice infused milk)
(makes about 10-11 cupcakes)
Tea & Spice Infused Milk
- 250g fresh milk
- 2 tea bags (I use Ceylon)
- 2 tsp Gingen ginger powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 75g cake flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 80g caster sugar
- 60g unsalted butter
- 1 large egg (I use 65-68g egg with shell)
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 65g tea & spice infused milk
- Tea & Spice Infused Milk: In a pot, add fresh milk, tea bags, ginger powder, ground cinnamon and ground allspice, bring the mixture to a simmer. Stir till well-mixed and let the mixture infused and cool down completely before using. Measure 65g of infused milk and set aside. Keep the remaining for Chai Latte Buttercream Frosting.
- Preheat oven to 180 degree celsius, fan mode. Line muffin pan with cupcake cases.
- Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl, set aside.
- In a mixing bowl set in an electric mixer, add caster sugar and unsalted butter, beat the mixture till pale and fluffy, about 4-5 mins.
- Add egg and vanilla, beat till well-mixed.
- Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the infused milk in 2 additions, each time scrapping sides of bowl and beat till just mixed.
- Using an ice-cream scoop or spoon, scoop the batter into the prepared cupcake cases, filling to slightly less than 2/3 full. Gently tap the pan on the countertop before sending the pan into the oven.
- Bake at 180 degree celsius, fan mode for about 15-16 mins. To test doneness, insert a toothpick into the centre of the cupcake, the toothpick should emerge clean.
- Cool the cupcakes on a wire rack completely before frosting.
- Trim the top of the cupcake (for a flat surface) and frost with buttercream.
Chai Latte Buttercream Frosting
(makes slightly more than enough buttercream to frost all the cupcakes)
- 80g caster sugar
- 20g water
- 75g egg whites (about 2 egg whites)
- 200g unsalted butter, cubed and store in fridge
- 3 tbsp tea & spice infused milk (see recipe above)
- Add sugar and water into a heavy bottom pot, bring to boil to 118 degree celsius (measure using a candy thermometer).
- When the sugar mixture reaches 100 degree celsius, start whipping the egg whites on medium high speed. *if the egg whites already reaches soft peak and sugar mixture has not reached 118 degree celsius, shift the speed to low and let it continue whipping)
- Once the sugar mixture reaches 118 degree celsius, bring the pot to the mixer, add the sugar syrup very slowly into the egg white. Switch mixer to high speed and whip the mixture till it cools down completely.
- Place the entire mixing bowl into the fridge for a few hours (till temperature reaches less than 10 degree celsius).
- Place the mixing bowl back to the electric mixer, add the cold cubed butter piece by piece and beat at medium high speed, till mixture turns into buttercream and no more liquid.
- Add infused milk into the buttercream and whisk till well-incorporated.
- Buttercream frosting is ready to be used. Fit piping bag with star nozzle (I use Wilton 1M), fill buttercream into bag and pipe onto the cupcakes.
So what's the difference between infused butter and infused milk methods? I find the cupcakes with infused butter slightly denser with tighter crumbs, with more buttery undertone. For the infused milk method, the cupcakes turned out slightly more tender, a tad sweeter and creamier undertone. Well actually both are very very similar to one another.
Most surprisingly, my kiddo actually liked the cupcake! He's a picky one who claims that he hates spices like ginger and cinnamon but surprise surprise he says this cupcake is very yummy and he ate one immediately after lunch and another for tea break!
These recipes are certainly a keeper for me and I'll indulge in them whenever I need something uplifting!
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