"Don't spit on my cupcake and tell me it's frosting." -Judge Harm to Bart Simpson, The Simpsons
Cupcakes are the ultimate blank canvas for baking artistry. While they may feature sophisticated and complex flavors, they always deliver in an unpretentious, familiar package. The fact that they are miniature only heightens their cheekiness, aptly seducing even the most disciplined dieter to indulge in their tiny offerings. While the hip factor of these treats may come and go with Paris Hilton being featured in US Weekly with one, the general bad ass nature of the cupcake is well revered within Pink Rickshaw. So, it was only fitting the Foodie Corner has decided to feature a Cupcake of the Week series.
The first selection is the deliciously spicy vegan chai latte cupcake, originally inspired by the now defunct food blog, http://lreinmann.wordpress.com. I featured these cupcakes during a wine tasting party and they were the perfect sophisticated dessert to end the evening with. These cupcakes can be topped with a simple sugar or cinnamon topping, or for the icing lover (I fit the latter category) topped with a butter cream icing. As the food blog is no longer available, here's the recipe. Note: These normally moist cupcakes should not be refrigerated or they may dry out.
Prep time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 20 minutes; Makes 12
For the cupcakes:
1 cup soy or rice milk
4 black teabags or 2 tablespoons loose black tea
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup plain or vanilla soy yogurt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
pinch of ground white or black pepper
For the sugar topping option:
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg or ground mace
For butter cream icing option:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste
1 box (16 oz) confectioner's sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons milk or soymilk
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners or silicone liners. In a small saucepan, heat soy milk till almost boiling, add tea bags, cover and remove from heat. Let sit for 10 minutes. When ready to use, stir teabags and thoroughly squeeze to insure as much tea is dissolved in milk as possible.
In a large bowl whisk together oil, yogurt, sugar, vanilla and tea mixture until all yogurt lumps disappear. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and pepper into wet ingredients. Mix until large lumps disappear; some small lumps are okay. Fill muffin tins full and bake about 20-22 minutes until a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Make sure cupcakes are completely cooled before adding topping.
Sugar topping option: Sift confectioner's sugar over cooled cupcakes first, then mix cocoa, cinnamon, and nutmeg together and sift onto each cupcake.
Butter cream icing option: Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and milk; mix well. Gradually beat in confectioner's sugar, beating until well blended after each addition, frequently scraping sides and bottom of bowl.
Image source: http://lreinmann.wordpress.com (site no longer available)
-RW
