Orange Spiced Espresso Chai Bundt Cupcakes

 This one is actually fairly easy since most of the flavor comes straight from the tea. That also means that it is super easy to switch up the flavor profile by simply switching up the tea choice! (If you know me at all, you know those are my favorite recipes - ones you can alter easily for endless variety)

Second thing I would like to mention is that this is an alteration of Maria Emmerich's Apple Bundt Cake recipe. Which I linked here since I certainly cannot take credit for the full recipe. I will still post my version since I feel the cupcake as a whole is different enough to not be a complete rip-off. (I really do try my hardest not to steal credit for these things. I know how much work goes into the initial recipe creation and I do not want to deter people from going to the original source - they are the pros!)

Last note, I am going with exact measurements I ended up using. They will seem like really odd number choices. This is due to me measuring with a measuring cup and then weighing. I copied down that exact weight for MFP purposes so that is what we are working with.

Okay, Lets jump in!

CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS:

• 107g Almond Flour
• 42g Lupin Flour
• ¼ Cup of Sweet Cream Butter
• ½ Tbsp Baking Powder
• ½ Orange Extract
• ½ Tbsp Cinnamon
• 2 Eggs
• 2 Tea Bags (I clearly used Spiced Espresso Chai here. Mine was from the Celestial Tea brand)
• ½ Water
• ¾ Cup of Erythritol

GANACHE INGREDIENTS:

• 30g Lily's Dark Chocolate (I used the Original Dark Chocolate Bar)
• ¼ tsp Orange Peel (I used the kind found in the spice section. Not fresh)
• 45g Heavy Whipping Cream

COFFEE MASCARPONE FROSTING INGREDIENTS:

• 3.5 Ounces Mascarpone Cheese
• ½ Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• ½ Cup Powdered Sweetener
• ½ Tsp Coffee Extract (This is to taste. Feel free to play around with this too!)

CUPCAKE PROCESS:

1. With your oven set to 350, place your cupcake liners inside of 9 cavities in your cupcake tin, then brew your tea bags in the ½ cup of water. (I just followed the times listed on the box of tea bags)
2. Mix all of your dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
3. To a medium bowl, add sweetener, butter, tea, and eggs. Mix with a hand mixer to fully combine.
4. Add in your dry ingredients and mix again.
5. Distribute your batter among the 9 lined cupcake cavities.
6. Bake for 30 minutes. (They will be naturally darker in color from the tea, but they should be slightly browned and a toothpick should come out clean)

GANACHE PROCESS:

1. Chop your chocolate and add it to a bowl. (Make sure the bowl is big enough to add the HWC to later as well)
2. Warm your Heavy Whipping Cream and Orange Peel in a saucepan on very low heat. You want to heat this until it is just warm enough. Do not let this boil!
3. Remove from heat and pour over the chopped chocolate. Mix, Mix, Mix. Even if it seems like it won't all melt.. just keep mixing.
4. Use this to spread over the top of your cooled cupcakes. (I did not use all of this, there was some leftover. Do what you feel is best)

MASCARPONE FROSTING PROCESS:
(Do not over mix this as the mascarpone is known to curdle)

1. Add mascarpone cheese to a medium bowl and mix with a whisk attachment of a hand/stand mixer. 
2. Add in your extract and mix. Then the powdered sweetener, mix again.
3. Make sure you scrape down the sides of your bowl throughout the mixing process to really incorporate everything without over-mixing.
4. With your mixer on high, slowly add in your HWC. Mix until light and fluffy.