chai tea cupcakes with brown butter frosting

Orlando, FL
Updated on Aug 31, 2011

While melting butter on the stove one day, I got busy and accidentally made brown butter. I love chai tea and thought the brown butter would complement it. So, of course, cupcakes came to mind. I put them in a bakery box and when I opened it, the smell of these cupcakes was heavenly. If anyone could put that smell in a lotion or room fragrance, it would be great!!

prep time 20 Min
cook time 20 Min
method ---
yield 24 serving(s)

Ingredients

  • 1 box white cake mix (i used betty crocker)
  • 2 - celestial seasoning bengal spice tea bags
  • 3 - eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups water
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 4 ounces brown butter
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons whole milk or cream
  • 8 to 16 ounces powdered sugar
  • - ground cinnamon for sprinkling

How To Make chai tea cupcakes with brown butter frosting

  • Step 1
    To make brown butter on purpose: for 4 oz., put one stick of butter (salted) in a saucepan over medium to medium-high heat. Stir constantly until butter melts and starts to turn a brown color. Remove it from the heat and let cool to room temperature. The butter will continue to cook after you remove it from the heat, so don't overdo it.
  • Step 2
    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Microwave the 1 1/4 cups of water until boiling hot. Steep the two tea bags for at least 5 minutes. Throw away tea bags. In the bowl of your electric mixer, combine cake mix, eggs, oil and tea. Mix according to package directions.
  • Step 3
    Line cupcake pans with liners of your choice. For the standard sized cupcakes, measure a scant 1/4 cup of batter per cupcake liner. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until done and when pressed in the center with index finger springs back instead of leaving an indentation.
  • Step 4
    While cupcakes cool completely, mix frosting. Beat the brown butter and 3 cups of powdered sugar on low to combine. Add 2 tablespoons of milk or cream and beat well for 2 minutes. If the frosting is too runny and won't stand up to piping, add the more powdered sugar. If frosting is too stiff, add milk, 1 tablespoon at the time, beating well after each addition, until you reach the consistency you desire. The key to having a really good frosting is beating it at medium to high speed for at least 5 minutes and adding powdered sugar or milk, little by little, until you reach the desired consistency.
  • Step 5
    Piping didn't really work for this frosting. The best bet is to do it the old-fashioned way. I used a small Wilton offset spatula and spread a thin layer of frosting to cover the top of each cupcake. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon to make them look pretty.

Discover More

Category: Cakes
Keyword: #butter
Keyword: #tea
Keyword: #spice
Keyword: #Brown
Keyword: #Cupcakes
Keyword: #Chai
Keyword: #buerre
Keyword: #noisette

Comment & Reviews

ADVERTISEMENT
Just A Pinch Sweepstakes