Baking my way through the trials and triumphs of life!

Hallelujah… I am finally caught up. I’ve been drowning in work for awhile, but the worst is over. My house is clean. My hair is freshly cut. What can I say…it’s a good life! Last week, however, not so good. Even in the comfort of my home, things seemed on the brink of havoc. The boy came home upset one afternoon, so I went to see  what was wrong. I think he had reached the point of being over-tired. In our house we refer to that state as being “over-cooked”. I listened and consoled, while unbeknownst to me, the Naughty One was on the couch snacking on my laptop. I wish I was kidding. Looking back, I did hear some noise that may have resembled chomping, but in that moment I decided the boy’s well-being was my top priority. Seriously, what kind of dog eats a laptop? By the time I responded, she had ripped off and maimed “Ctrl”, “Alt”, and “X”. Last year, my previous laptop drowned while sitting overnight directly under a leak from my second story. So to put things in perspective, it’s still a good life ~ minus a few computer keys.

That incident required comfort food. One of best things to calm me down is a warm vanilla chai ~ cupcakes help too, cocktails too (but you already knew that). This brings me to the latest experiment in my kitchen, vanilla chai latte tea-cup cakes. 

Awhile back,  someone from Duncan Hines commented on my blog about Duncan Hines’ Birthday Bash contest. I wanted to participate, but with the contest deadline during the crazy work season, I wasn’t sure it would happen. Post dog-eating-laptop episode, I seized the moment and began baking. This recipe became not only my comfort, but also my contest entry. 

It’s quite simple in that it starts with a Duncan Hines Butter Golden Cake Mix. The first step is to steep your favorite chai tea bags in milk over the stove. Once cool, you incorporate it into the cake batter. My favorite spices in chai - cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and nutmeg are then whisked into the mix, along with some vanilla. These tea cups were topped off with my favorite buttercream. I haven’t met a kid who doesn’t like this frosting, so this is my go-to kid frosting. This dessert takes comfort in a cup to an all-new level. I love the flavor of these mini tea cup cakes. The crystallized ginger in the cake seals the deal. Truth be told, I could be happy eating the batter and forgoing the cupcakes entirely.

I baked these up in my Ralph Lauren wedding china tea cups, which I love for their simple elegance. I had no idea if they were oven safe, but seeing how my marriage fell apart several years ago, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if one of these tea cups did too. I’ve overcome much more in life than a cracked tea cup. Nothing exploded or melted, so I figured it was safe to make a bunch. Crate and Barrel sells some white oven-safe tea cups that are pretty and inexpensive, if you don’t want to risk your wedding china.

These are perfect for a little girl’s tea party. Let’s be honest, most little ones prefer cupcakes over tea any day. To my girlfriends with little girls, someone plan a tea party and I promise to bring a batch of these!

You can check out all of the other Duncan Hines contest submissions here. Crossing my fingers & hoping Duncan Hines likes my entry!

Vanilla Chai Tea-Cup Cakes

2/3 cup milk

4 chai tea bags

1 box Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Butter Recipe Golden Cake Mix

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons crystallized ginger, minced

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bottoms of oven-safe tea cups with non-stick cooking spray. Make sure to use tea cups that are heat-proof, up to at least 350 degrees.

In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a simmer over low-medium heat. Add tea bags.

Remove from heat and steep for 5 minutes. Cool completely.

In a separate bowl whisk cake mix, cinnamon, minced ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom.

Using electric mixer, mix softened butter, eggs, and vanilla until combined.

Add dry ingredients in two batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each.

Fill tea cups half-way and place on a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, and until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 12-15 minutes. Transfer tea cups to a wire rack and cool completely.

Standard Buttercream Recipe

1/3 cup white Crisco shortening, softened

1/3 cup stick butter or margarine, softened

4-6 tablespoons cream, unwhipped (you can use half and half or milk)

Pinch of salt

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted

Ina a large bowl, using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat together shortening and butter. Add whipping cream, salt and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth (about 2 -3 minutes). Add in sifted powdered sugar, gradually, beat well until smooth and fluffly. To reach the consistency you need, you may need to add more confectioner’s sugar or cream. Add food coloring and blend well. Remember, gel or paste coloring will darken over time.

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