It’s a good thing I didn’t start the new year off with healthy resolutions because the past few days have been all about cupcake making. (I have a hard life, I know). And I’m sorry to say that these aren’t low-sugar, low-carb, low-fat… although they are low in “shelf life” because they’re likely to disappear soon after you make them. Everything in moderation right?
Remember this post about Moonshine Sweet Tea? Well it’s back, this time in cake form. These cupcakes are the perfect treat to cozy up with while you daydream about hot sunny days ahead. And – exciting news – you can now find Moonshine Sweet Tea in all Southwest Region Whole Foods stores.
moonshine sweet tea cupcakes
Author: Jeanine Donofrio
Serves: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons almond milk
- 1 chai-tea tea bag
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1.5 cups unbleached cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder*
- ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup canola oil or melted coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cup sugar
Sweet Tea Syrup:
- ½ cup Moonshine Sweet Tea
Sweet Tea Buttercream Frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temp (see vegan option below)
- 3-3.5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 tablespoons Moonshine Sweet Tea
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper cups.
- Steep the tea in the almond milk. Let cool to room temp. Add the lemon juice and let it sit together while you prep the dry ingredients.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, mix the coconut oil, vanilla, sugar, and almond milk/tea mixture. Mix until well combined, then add the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl and mix on high speed for 1 more minute.
- Scoop batter, ¼ cup at a time, into muffin cups.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
- Make the Sweet Tea Syrup. In a small saucepan, simmer Moonshine Sweet Tea until it reduces by (almost) half. Set aside and let it cool to room temp.
- Make the frosting: In an electric mixer, cream the butter. Add sifted powdered sugar and mix until incorporated and creamy. Add Moonshine Sweet Tea to thin the frosting to your desired consistency. Chill until ready to use.
- Assemble the cupcakes with a big dollop of frosting (or pipe it on with a piping bag). Make a little welt in the middle and drizzle in the Sweet Tea Syrup.
Notes
*Since there's no egg in this recipe, be sure your baking powder is pretty fresh so the cupcakes will rise.
For a vegan version of the frosting, use Earth Balance butter, but don't let it come all the way to room temp. Mix it while soft, but still slightly chilled so it doesn't become too runny.
For a vegan version of the frosting, use Earth Balance butter, but don't let it come all the way to room temp. Mix it while soft, but still slightly chilled so it doesn't become too runny.
This post is sponsored by Moonshine Sweet Tea. All opinions are our own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that keep us cooking!
After puffing up nicely they quickly they collapsed in the middle. Obviously I am missing something.
Hey there, I love using your recipes. I had a bit of a hard time following this one, it could use two edits. You don’t specify what to do with the baking powder but I assumed you sift it with the dry ingredients. Then when mixing you don’t mention adding the dry ingredients. I found the wet ingredients couldn’t really be mixed on a high speed and scraping the bowl didn’t make sense either.
They are in the oven now so hopefully I didn’t right. I’m used to a lot of hand holding so forgive me if I need things spelled out a bit more.
Thanks as always for the beautifully photographed and delicious food.
Hi Cheryl, so sorry for the oversight(s)! I’ll fix this one up and test it again.
These look ahhhh-mazing! I live in Fl and we always drink sweet tea here, how is it ive never heard of Moonshine sweet tea and all the wonderful uses for it until now? Have to see where I can get some of that around here! I know my family would love these cupcakes! 🙂
My God…it looks and sounds wonderful. I will cook them on Valentin’s day for my man and my son 🙂
Wow! Gorgeous! We drink quite a bit of moonshine in this house. We’ve even been known to drive to Tennessee to get Popcorn Sutton’s brand. Have you heard of Firefly? They make a sweet tea bourbon that will knock your socks off 🙂
Yum-my!! I’m a huge tea lover AND a huge cupcake lover. I actually made some Winter Dream Tea cupcakes using Coffee Bean’s tea. It was amazing. http://peppermintandpaisley.com/2013/12/16/winter-tea-infused-cupcakes/
I live in LA so this is probably not available in our Whole Foods :/ Maybe next time I’m in Houston or Atlanta I’ll look for it:)
At a glance, I thought this IS the actual moonshine cupcake, but now that I realized otherwise, I actually liked your recipe so much better. 🙂
I’m one of your adoring English blog readers, is there any substitution for Moonshine Sweet Tea, or do I need to pencil in a trip to Texas at some point in the future?
Hi Katie,
If you’d like to try a sample of Moonshine Sweet Tea please email me at samantha@moonshinesweettea.com and I’d be happy to send one to you!
<3,
Moonshine Sweet Tea
As always – completely stunning! Thanks for sharing.
Lovely cupcakes! Maybe my husband will be able to bring some moonshine tea back from TX on his next visit. Thanks.
Hi Kirsten,
Would you like us to send you some Moonshine Sweet Tea? We’d love your comments on our delicious tea.
<3 Samantha
Stop I want to live in the South…
I eat cupcake no mater what time of year! Love these!
Those look delicious!
I never make resolutions about food unless it’s to eat more of it!! LOVE these…they’re super pretty too 🙂
Ah, these look awesome! I’m going to have to find some of that tea the next time I’m at Whole Foods…