Orange Chai Spice Mini Cupcakes

Its been almost 2 weeks since I have baked anything! I was getting the urge to bake today, then I was having kind of  a bad day, so I decided to go ahead with it. Lets face it, the whole past week has been rough. I should been baking all week instead of waiting for the stupid phone to ring :/ This is a recipe I have been wanting to try for awhile. I am not sure how they came out. Maybe I over baked them? I feel like they were a tiny bit rubbery. The taste seemed great, just the texture a little off. Something to think about for if I make these again. Also, I think I would add some orange zest to the frosting as well. But hey, thats why we try new things, to see if they come out good or not! This way we know if we like it or not. or if modifications need to be made. So anyways, here we go!

Cupcake Ingredients:

* 2 1/2 Cups Cake Flour
* 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
* 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
* 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
* Zest of One Medium Orange
* 2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
* 1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
* 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
* 1/3 Cup Applesauce (plain)
* 1/2 Cup Packed Light Brown Sugar
* 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
* 2 Eggs
* 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
* 2 Chai Tea Bags
* 1/4 Cup Water
* 1/2 Cup Buttermilk
* 1/2 Cup Orange Juice

***To make Cake Flour - Substitute 2 Tablespoons of Flour with 2 Tablespoons of Corn Starch for every cup.*** ***OK, note to self, I just realized I didn't substitute enough flour for cornstarch, possibly thats what went wrong...***

***The original recipe called for vegetable oil, I heard from my Mom and my friend as well as Googling it, that applesauce is a healthier substitute for oils when you bake, so I tried it here. But if you prefer oil, use that instead of the applesauce***

***I juiced the orange after I zested it, and used that for the orange juice ingredient, it was the perfect amount.***

* Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Line 2 mini muffin pans with liners.

*Zest and Juice the Orange and set aside.

* In a medium bowl, sift together Flour, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Salt, Cinnamon, Ginger, and Nutmeg. Set aside.

* In a separate bowl, combine the Sugars and add the Orange Zest. Rub the Zest into the Sugars with your fingers. Set aside.

* In a small saucepan bring the Water to a simmer and add the Tea Bags. Let sit for approx. 5 minutes, depending on how strong you want the flavor. Set aside and let cool.

* In the bowl of your mixer combine the Orange Zest Sugars, Applesauce, Eggs, and Vanilla.

* Combine the Buttermilk, Orange Juice, and Tea.

* Add half the flour mix.

* Add the liquid Mixture.

* Add the rest of the Flour Mixture and stir until combined.

* Fill Muffin Liners.

* Bake for approx. 15 minutes.

* Let cool before frosting.

Frosting Ingredients:

*1 Cup Butter
*4 Cups Powdered Sugar
*1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
*1/8 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
*1/8 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
*2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

*In the bowl of your mixer beat butter.

*Add Powdered Sugar 1 Cup at a time, beating well after each addition.

*Add Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, and Vanilla. Beat well.

* Frost Cupcakes and Enjoy!!!