Chocolate Chai Cupcakes With Buttercream Frosting - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Filling Ingredients
1/3 cup sugar
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 egg
Cake Ingredients
1 1/2 cups boiling water
5 chai-flavored tea bags
1 (18 1/4 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
1/2 cup land o lakes butter, melted, cooled slightly
3 eggs
Frosting Ingredients
3 tablespoons reserved prepared chai-flavored tea
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
1 cup land o lakes butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
ground cinnamon or nutmeg, if desired

Preparation

Heat oven to 350\u00b0F Place paper baking cups into muffin pan cups; set aside.
Combine all filling ingredients in medium bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy; set aside.
Combine boiling water and tea bags in glass measuring cup, let stand 5 minutes. Remove tea bags, squeezing out excess liquid. Add enough water, if necessary, to equal 1 1/2 cups.
Reserve 3 tablespoons prepared tea; set aside. Place remaining prepared tea in large bowl; add cake mix, melted butter and eggs. Beat at low speed 30 seconds. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy.
Spoon about 2 tablespoons cake batter into each prepared muffin cup. Top each with 1 tablespoon filling. Spoon additional cake batter over filling until cups are about 2/3 full. (DO NOT OVERFILL.) (Batter does not have to cover filling completely.) Bake for 19 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely.
Combine 3 tablespoons reserved prepared tea and milk in 2-quart saucepan. Add flour and cocoa; whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and just comes to a boil (4 to 6 minutes). Remove from heat; cool about 15 minutes.
Combine 1 cup butter, 1 cup sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl. Beat at high speed until creamy. Continue beating, gradually adding cocoa mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, until light and creamy and sugar is dissolved. Frost or pipe cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired. Store refrigerated.