Vanilla Chai Cupcakes

To christen my new apartment, I'm having a few people over tonight. As ridiculous and backwards as it may sound, I just don't feel like an apartment is real until I've had people over. Of course, it also never hurts to break up the winter weather with a night of mulled wine and good company. There will be no shortage of savory finger foods, but I had to make at least one dessert. That dessert, in this case, is vanilla chai mini-cupcakes with cream cheese icing. People will never pick up a normal sized dessert at a party, but if you put out smaller versions of the same, you will soon have an empty plate on your hands.

I only made a half recipe this time because I don't need 24 full sized cupcakes. Also, I didn't feel like buying a huge thing of vanilla soy milk and wasting most of it (and the small ones weren't in the store), so I used regular milk and tossed some sugar and vanilla in with it. Turns out essentially the same. Mmmmmmmmmm. Susan (nanny) used to make me vanilla milk sometimes when I was a kid... magical stuff.

On to cupcakes!

Vanilla Chai Cupcakes
(makes 2 dozen)


1 1/4 cups Silk vanilla soy milk
3 tea bags Chai spice tea
1 1/2 sticks Unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cup White granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp Double strength vanilla
1/2 tsp Salt
2 1/2 tsp Baking powder
1 1/2 cups Cake flour (you may use entirely all purpose flour if you'd like)
1 cup All purpose flour
12-16 oz. Cream cheese frosting
Cinnamon (optional, for garnish)


1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin trays with paper liners.

2. Heat soy on a small sauce pan over medium heat until it begins to bubble (watch soy carefully as it scalds easily). Remove from heat, add loose tea or tea bags, cover and let sit for 10-12 minutes.

3. When tea is done steeping, either pour through a strainer or squeeze the milk out of the bags. Measure to be sure it still equals 1 1/4 cup of liquid. If needed, add more soy until it equals 1 1/4 cup. Set aside

4. Cream butter and sugar with electric mixer in a large bowl. Add eggs one at a time, vanilla, salt and baking powder. Begin to add soy and flour in three batches, alternating between the two, beginning with soy and ending with flour. Beat on low until all ingredients are incorporated evenly and mixture is smooth and shiny.

5. Divide mixture evenly among the 24 baking cups.

6. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

7. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack

8. Allow to cool completely before frosting with cream cheese frosting. Add a dash of cinnamon to the top of each frosted cupcake.