Chai-Tea in a cupcake

Both of my girls love Chai Tea, so when I ran across this recipe in Martha's cupcake book, I knew I had to try them. Lots of wonderful spices needed to get that good Chai Tea flavor. My high altitude adjustments are in italics.

Makes 46 mini muffins (and this is true! I tried to stretch it out to make 48 and it just wouldn't go there!)

Cupcakes:

¾ cup milk plus 3 tablespoons

2 bags of black tea

1 cup all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons

1 cup cake flour (not self-rising) plus 2 tablespoons

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder less ¼ teaspoon

½ teaspoon coarse salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

¼ teaspoon each of ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cardamom

Pinch each of ground cloves and ground nutmeg

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ cup packed dark brown sugar less 1 tablespoon

2 large eggs, room temperature plus 1 egg

Preheat oven to 350^O. Line mini muffin tins with paper liners. Bring milk to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat; add tea bags, and let steep, covered, 15 minutes. Remove tea bags, squeezing the bags over the pan, and discard. Allow milk to cool completely. Whisk together both flours, baking powder, salt, pepper and spices.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of tea-infused milk, and beating until just combined after each.

Divide batter among lined cups. Bake rotating halfway through, until tops spring back when lightly touched and are pale golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

To finish, dip top of each cupcake in icing, then turn over quickly, and let set. Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are glazed. Keep at room temperature until ready to serve.

Condensed-Milk Icing:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (7 ounces)

Pinch of coarse salt

¾ cup confectioners' sugar

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together butter, condensed milk and salt until smooth. Whisk in confectioners' sugar ¼ cup at a time, until combined, then whisk on high speed until thick and smooth. Use immediately.