• 150 ml milk, 2%
• 4 Chai tea bags

• 135g unsalted butter, softened
• 120g golden yellow sugar
• 200g all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 90ml chai infused milk
• ½ cup chopped pecans

• 250g unsalted butter, softened
• 225g powdered sugar, sifted
• 3 tsp chai infused milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
• ¼ tsp salt

• ½ tbsp demerara sugar
• Large pinch of cinnamon

Star anise and cinnamon sticks

In a small saucepan, warm the milk until hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and add the tea bags. Leave to infuse 10-15 minutes. Squeeze tea bags well, discard, and set infused milk aside.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Sift together all the dry ingredients: flour, spices, salt, baking powder, baking soda. Cream together the butter and golden yellow sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients, careful not to overmix. Add 90 ml of the chai infused milk, and the ½ cup chopped pecans. Pipe batter into prepared and lined cupcake pan. Bake 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 1 min, then gently remove cupcakes to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before frosting.

Place all buttercream ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix together well, until sugar is dissolved and frosting is light, fluffy and voluminous. Pipe onto cupcakes using your desired piping tip (I used Wilton 1M).

Place demerara sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Rub together using your fingertips. Sprinkle onto frosted cupcakes and top with star anise and half a cinnamon stick (optional).