Adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

Makes 3 dozen mini cupcakes

 

The Cupcake:

• 1 cup milk (I used 1%) 
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 8 bags of Scottish Breakfast Tea
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 2 large eggs, room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line mini cupcake tins with cupcake liners; set aside.

 

2. In a small saucepan soak 4 tea bags in milk and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 15 minutes and discard tea bags. Let milk cool completely. 

 

3. In another small saucepan melt butter. Put 4 tea bags in melted butter and let absorb. Wait about 5 minutes, squeeze bags over the pan and discard. Let butter cool and harden.

 

4. In a large bowl sift together cake flour, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

 

5. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter, brown sugar and vanilla paste until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of tea-infused milk, and beating until just combined after each. Note: batter will be thick.

 

6. Fill each mini cupcake tin three-quarters full with batter. Transfer tins to oven and bake until a skewer inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean, about 8 - 10 minutes. Let cupcakes cool completely.

The Icing:

 

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar

 

1. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together butter, condensed milk and powdered sugar until smooth and thick.

 

2. Dip top of each cupcake in icing then turn over quickly to let set. Once the icing has hardened, spread a second layer onto the top of each cupcake and again let set.