Chocolate Chai Cupcakes With Buttercream Frosting

Recipe is from Land O Lakes.

• Ready In: 1 hr 19 mins
• Yields: 24 cupcakes

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 1/4ounce) 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

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F Place paper baking cups into muffin pan cups; set aside.
2. Combine all filling ingredients in medium bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy; set aside.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.