Rose Chai Cupcakes with Pistachio Cream Filling
Soft rose masala chai cupcakes filled with pistachio cream and topped with rose buttercream.
Servings 16 cupcakes
Calories 384kcal
Ingredients
Rose Masala Chai
- 8 fl oz water
- 1 Tbsp loose leaf rose masala chai
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
- 8 fl oz whole milk
Rose Chai Cupcakes
- 4 oz all- purpose flour
- 1.5 oz cake flour
- 1 1/4 tsps baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 oz unsalted butter softened
- 7 oz white sugar
- 1 Tbsp cake enhancer optional
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 4 fl oz rose masala chai room temperature
- 2 Tbsps canola oil
Rose Hybrid Buttercream
- 2 oz pasteurized egg whites
- 1/16 tsp Coral Sugar Art Master Elite powder color
- 18 oz powdered sugar sifted
- 12 oz unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 tsp rose water
- Crushed pistachios optional
Pistachio Cream Filling
- 6 fl oz heavy cream
- 1 oz instant pistachio pudding mix
Instructions
Rose Masala Chai
- Place the water in a small saucepan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the chai and ginger. Simmer for 3- 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the milk and increase the heat to medium high. Cook until you just begin to see bubbles beneath the surface. Do not let it come to a boil. Turn off the heat and cover. Let the chai sit for 3- 4 minutes.
- Pour the hot chai through a strainer to remove the solids. Cool to room temperature before using or covering to store in the fridge.
Rose Chai Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pans with paper cases and set aside.
- Sift the flours, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Whisk to combine, then set aside.
- Add the butter, sugar, and cake enhancer (if using) to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream on a medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Make sure to scrape the bowl down once or twice during the process.
- Add the vanilla to the bowl and beat on medium until well combined, about 1 minute. Scrape the bowl down.
- With the mixer on the lowest speed, add an egg and mix for about 15 seconds before bumping the speed up to the next lowest setting. Mix until combined, about 15 seconds more. Repeat the process with the remaining egg, scraping the bowl down occasionally.
- As the eggs finish incorporating, combine the room temperature rose masala chai and oil, then set aside.
- Alternate adding dry and wet ingredients. Begin with a third of the dry and mix on the lowest speed until just combined. Drizzle in half of the liquids and beat on low until nearly combined. Scrape the bowl down and repeat this process with another addition of dry, then wet ingredients. Scrape the bowl down and finish with the final bit of dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Use a cupcake scoop to divide the batter among the cupcake pans. Bake for 20- 22 minutes, or until the cupcakes spring back when tapped on top and a skewer comes out clean.
- Cool in the pans for about 5 minutes before transferring the cupcakes to a cooling rack.
Rose Hybrid Buttercream
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the pasteurized egg whites, powdered color, and 10 ounces of the sifted powdered sugar and whip for 4- 5 minutes. If powdered sugar gets stuck above the egg whites, scrape it back down.
- With the mixer on a medium speed, whip in the butter one tablespoon at a time. It will look a bit curdled. Once all of the butter has been combined, whip on a medium- high speed for 2- 4 minutes.
- Switch to a paddle attachment and scrape the bowl down. Beat the mixture on a medium speed for another 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl down and add half of the remaining powdered sugar. Beat on low to combine, then on a medium- low speed for a minute.
- Scrape the bowl down and add the remaining powdered sugar and the rose water. Beat on low to combine, then on a medium- low speed for 1- 2 minutes. Taste and adjust flavors as necessary.
Pistachio Cream Filling
- Beat the very cold cream on a medium- low speed until it begins to thicken slightly, about 1- 2 minutes. Then add the pudding mix. Beat on a medium speed until you can see tracks in the cream, another 1- 2 minutes.
- Finish whipping the cream with a balloon whisk. You want soft peaks. The cream will thicken as it sits as well.
Assembly
- Use a cupcake corer to remove a small portion of the cupcake. Place the pistachio cream filling in a piping bag and snip off the end. Fill each cupcake with the cream.
- Use the Ateco 888 piping tip to pipe a swirl of rose hybrid buttercream on top of each cupcake. Sprinkle the end of the piping tail with crushed pistachios.
- Serve immediately or store in the fridge in an air tight container.
Notes
- This makes more than enough chai for one batch of cupcakes. Enjoy the extra chai with your breakfast!