Chocolate and chai are two of my favorite flavors. All winter long, I drink a cup of hot masala chai to get me through the cold days, but in summer, the thought of a hot beverage is unbearable. In this heat, I’d rather bake this lovely chocolate cake infused with all my favorite chai spices.
The cake is moist and almost tastes like it contains pumpkin because of all the spices. The frosting is a simple, smooth ganache infused with a chai tea bag. Since the cake is made with dark chocolate, I prefer using milk chocolate for the frosting; the combination is divine.
Chocolate Chai Spiced Cakes
Makes 12 to 14 cupcakes
Adapted by Amrita Rawat from a recipe originally published on cupcakeblog.com For the cakes
1 100-g. bar dark chocolate (60% dark or more)
1¼ sticks butter
4 large eggs
1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. sugar
¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
¾ tsp. baking powder
Chai spice mix (recipe below)
Pinch salt
For the chai spice mix
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ginger
½ tsp. cloves
¾ tsp. cardamom
Pinch black pepper
• Stir together in a small bowl and set aside.
For the ganache frosting
4 oz. milk chocolate
½ cup heavy cream
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 chai tea bag (I recommend the Tetley brand, available at Global Foods Market.)
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• First, make the cakes: Heat the dark chocolate and butter in a double boiler until melted. Pour the melted chocolate in a mixing bowl and set aside to cool.
• Add in the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition. Add in all of the dry ingredients and whisk or beat on low until just combined.
• Pour the batter into cupcake liners (The batter will be very wet.) and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting: Place the milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
• In a saucepan, bring the cream, cinnamon and chai tea bag to a simmer. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes, and then squeeze the tea bag and discard.
• Pour the hot cream (You may need to bring it to a simmer again if it has cooled.) over the milk chocolate. Let sit for a minute, then gently whisk until combined.
• Once completely combined, chill the ganache in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or until completely chilled.
• Use an electric beater to whip up the ganache into a pipeable frosting. Do not beat on high, as the cream can curdle.
• Once the cakes have cooled, pipe or spread the frosting onto the cakes and serve.
This article appears in August 2012.