Chocolate Chai Cupcakes

Indian spices and rich cocoa give these oversized chocolate cupcakes a twist. It's like hot chocolate and a chai latte blended together in cupcake form. For those conscious about their heart health, this recipe uses vegetable oil instead of butter and nonfat milk powder instead of whole milk. These cupcakes taste better after being refrigerated overnight.

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Calories: 305 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup sunflower seed oil
• nonstick cooking spray with flour
• 6 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder
• ¾ cup hot black tea, or as needed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Put nonfat milk powder in a measuring cup; stir in enough black tea to make 1 cup. Stir until milk is dissolved. Set aside to cool.

Step 2

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Step 3

Combine cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and black pepper together in a small bowl.

Step 4

Sift spice mixture, flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together into a large bowl. Stir cooled tea mixture, oil, and egg into flour mixture until batter is just combined; fold in ginger. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each 3/4-full.

Step 5

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool cupcakes on wire racks.