Hey there baby cakes! - A DHOL Chai Spice Dessert

Dessert Spice

Whipping up these scrumptious and oh-so-cute mini cakes with DHOL Chai Spice felt like stumbling upon the sweetest secret before Valentine's Day! Picture this: a delightful dance of chocolate and warm spices in DHOL Chai Spice, creating a flavor that's simply outstanding.

And can we talk about how effortlessly fun this was? I raided my kitchen stash because, let's be honest, when you're a cooking family that loves to cook and bake, pantry treasures are like hidden gems waiting to be discovered. Now, the only thing potentially missing from your magical baking adventure is the enchanting DHOL Chai Spice – but fear not! Acquiring it is as easy as a sprinkle of fairy dust. So, are you ready to add a dash of spice to your culinary escapades? Let the baking magic begin! 🌟🍰✨

 

Ingredients

• 1/2  cup milk
• 1/2 cup + a little bit more (but less than 3/4 cup) of water
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 sticks of unslated butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• tsp black loose leaf ground tea
• 3/4 cups of your favorite unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1/2-3/4 cup chocolate chips
• strawberries and blueberries
• mint leaves
• 3-4 Tbls DHOL Chai Spice

 Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Grease the bottom of two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans (instead of doing this, I chose to use a fun mini cake tray mold which were a bit shallow so I divided this recipe in half and filled the tray).  You can also do this with other cake pans/molds.  Just be aware you may need an extra mold or two to use up all of the batter.

First, I steeped the tea in the 1/2 cup + a little bit of water.  That "little bit" is to account for evaporation when you boil the water.  In the end, you want a ratio of milk and steeped tea to equal 1 cup total.  Put 1/2 + cup of water to a boil, add loose leaf tea, simmer for a couple of minutes, then add DHOL Chai Spice.  Stir in, turn off the heat and let it cool before incoroporating into next steps.

For cupcakes, this will make about 30.  (By the way, I have also used the DHOL Chai Spice to create a butter cream frosting which you'll see in pictures on the website.  A favorite local baker, Emily at BakesbyIzzy has also used our chai spice for her frosting creations!)

Combine your dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.  Add the cooled tea and milk mixture (1 cup), butter and beaton medium speed for about 2 minutes.  Add the eggs and vanilla extract.  Mix it all to incorporate well then stir in the boiling water. Stir in chocolate chips.

Bake your cakes for 30-45min (20-25 minutes for smaller cake trays like cupcakes).  I feel like this is something you have to check because everyone's ovens seem to work differently and you know best!  

Voilà! You've got a scrumptious spin on chocolate cakes, ready to party with your favorite fresh berries, perhaps a cheeky dollop of creme fraiche, and a playful drizzle of chocolate syrup, or sprinkle on a dusting of powdered sugar or mix your berries in a delectable strawberry & rhubarb vinaigrette! (just a personal fav)  🎉🍫🍰