Chai Cupcakes from 500 Cupcakes
I’ve never had a cupcake ruin my day. While yesterday’s doughy travesty didn’t become the first, it got very, very close. To explain, I’ll start at the beginning and work my way up…
As local readers know, the weather here has been very strange. Sleet, snow and rain on one day, then lovely beaming sunshine on the next. On the cold days, I’ve really been on a chai kick. The tea’s signature spices of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves are a delicious combination. Mix them with warm sweetened milk and it’s my favorite cold morning treat.
Inspired by my current chai routine, I decided to bake some chai cupcakes from the book 500 Cupcakes: The Only Cupcake Compendium You’ll Ever Need by Fergal Connolly. The combination sounded like a natural winner to me because it’s a blend of two of my favorite things.
Well unfortunately, what resulted was a disaster. The cupcakes turned out rubbery and chewy and the chai flavor (despite there being actual chai tea in the recipe) was very lacking.
I baked them for some friends of mine and (despite my already very negative feelings) served them. The following are their responses (in approximately three words):
Anna: Rubbery, doughy, bulky
Matt: Gumball gone bad
Robert: Painfully chewy and just damn gross
As you can see, the feeling was mutual all around. I’m primarily concerned because this is the first recipe I’ve baked out of this book. It’s so cute and loaded with wonderful sounding possibilities. However, if future results are anything like this one, I’m going to be extremely disappointed. I will chalk this one up to a faulty recipe or user error and make another one from the book soon. Be warned though, 500 Cupcakes, I am very wary of you right now.
(On one positive note, the icing was delicious! Creamy, lemony, and awesome—how could it not be with all that cream cheese and sugar? I will definitely hold on to the batch I made and use it to frost something else—another cupcake perhaps?)
Chai Cupcakes from 500 Cupcakes
For the cupcakes:
2 c. self-rising flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp. chai tea powder
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) sweet butter, softened
3/4 c. packed light brown sugar
2 egg whites
2/3 c. buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place 12 baking cups in a muffin pan. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt and chai powder. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the egg whites slowly, beating well. Slowly add the flour mixture and finally, the buttermilk. Mix until combined. Spoon the batter into the cups. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the cupcakes and cool on a rack.
For the Frosting:
1 c. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c. confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
To make the frosting, mix the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar together in a medium bowl and beat until soft and light. Add the lemon and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Spoon the frosting over the cupcakes.
Store cupcakes unfrosted in an airtight container for up to three days or freeze for three months.
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Hi,
Well even though I was not there to try out your cupcakes, chai is one of my favorites too! I will just have to try making them myself and let you know how mine turn out. I can taste the frosting right now, it sounds delicious.
Happy Baking
hl
At least they look like they taste good.
Ina Garten has an incredible coconut cupcake recipe, if you don’t like coconut…omit and just add chai spices x 2 or x 3. I’d also refrain from using any pre-ground chai spice and use freshly ground cinnamon, cardamom, clove with freshly grated ginger which should significantly amp up the chai flavor.
Nice website, I sure miss Dallas!
thank you! keep your eye out for a review of that coconut cupcake, because I am definitely going to make it. I love coconut!
also, thanks for the tip about the spices. I used actual chai tea which might have been part of the problem
Awww, I’m so sorry to hear bout the cupcakes! I don’t really trust many cupcake books that are out there…….
What I suggest is to find a good chocolate cupcake base and a good vanilla cupcake base, and then utilize the ideas in the book
D
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