This is a simple and quick cupcake to make. I love a good extra treat like a wafer or biscuit (cookie) to sit on top of a cupcake but sometimes you need to make a quick batch that allows you to be in and out of the kitchen quickly but without sacrificing taste. If you have just gotten home from work and realise that you need to bake something to take to work or school the next day, this is perfect.
Delicately spiced, moist, light cake with a velvety soft American Meringue Buttercream with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on top. Is there anything more you could possibly need?
Chai Latte was not on my very long list of cupcake recipes that I want to create. I was cleaning out my pantry a couple of weeks ago and found a jar of vegan chai tea which I forgot was in there. I ditched the pantry cleanup and very quickly came up with a cupcake recipe, baked them, iced them and they were so yummy! I often need to tweak a recipe I have written once or twice before I am happy with it but this one was exactly as I wanted it the first time around.
The spices are the same as the ingredients in chai tea & I also added some of the chai tea mix but you can probably do without the tea mix if you don’t have it & just add a bit more of the spice. You can also add more spice if you want a stronger flavour.
I cannot take any credit for the spectacular icing. American Meringue Buttercream. I was going to work on creating my own recipe so I was having a look around at recipes to work out the basics as I had never made a Meringue Buttercream before and I came across a recipe from a website, www.cookingoncaffeine. This recipe is so simple and so delicious that I gave up on the idea of creating my own and Meggan from Cooking on Caffeine was kind enough to let me link to her recipe. For the amazing recipe, go to: https://www.cookingoncaffeine.com/american-meringue-buttercream/.
I add a tablespoon of the chai tea mix to the icing and then I sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top.
I really love the American Meringue Buttercream with this cupcake but you can also use a regular buttercream or ermine frosting. My ermine frosting recipe can be found in my recipe of Pecan Maple Cupcakes, just skip the maple syrup & add chai tea mix: https://www.myveganplate.com/pecan-maple-cupcakes/. Buttercream icing recipe can be found in my Apple Pie Cupcake post: https://www.myveganplate.com/apple-pie-cupcakes/Again, just swap out the cinnamon for chai tea mix.
- 325g self-raising flour
- ½ tsp bi-carbonate soda
- 265g brown sugar
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 130g vegetable oil
- 1½ cup buttermilk (almond milk with 2 tsp white vinegar – mix and leave for 10 minutes)
- 2 flax eggs (20g (2tbsp) flax meal mixed with ⅓ cup water – mix just before use)
- ½ tsp cardamom
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1 tsp all spice
- ½ tsp cloves
- 1tbsp chai tea spice
- Pre-heat oven to 175C (347F).
- Mix vinegar into the almond milk & let sit for 10 minutes
- Add sifted flour, sugar, bi-carb, spices & chai tea into a large bowl and mix well.
- Add milk, oil and vanilla into dry ingredients.
- Beat until just combined
- Add flax egg and mix until combined
- Spoon into cupcake wrappers - an ice-cream scoop gives the perfect amount.
- Place on a flat tray (or cupcake tin if using paper wrapper instead or cardboard)
- Cook for 18-20 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Transfer to a cooling rack.
BAKING TIPS
Flax Meal
My preference is for Golden flax meal. I feel like it works better in the cake batter but that could be my imagination. It definitely looks better in a light coloured cake because the brown flax meal can leave flecks of brown which you can see.
I usually get golden flax meal from a health food shop but when I couldn’t find the one I like recently, I bought Golden Flax seeds from my local IGA supermarket (Australia) and ground them myself in my coffee grinder. I am so happy with how my cakes turned out, that I am going to grind my own from now one. It takes a few seconds in an electric coffee grinder and the meal is nice and fine.
Cupcake Wrappers
I also prefer to use the more upright cupcake wrappers in a thin cardboard rather than the traditional wrappers. The reason is that the traditional wrappers can be very fickle about peeling back from the cooked cake. If you undercook slightly then do it. If you keep them in a sealed plastic container, they do it. It doesn’t always happen but with the wrappers than I now use, it never happens and that make me happy! The other great advantage of these wrappers is that you don’t have to use a special pan. Then just sit on a flat tray and won’t lose their shape.
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