Earl Grey Cupcake

What can be better than a nice cup of earl grey tea with yummy cupcakes? Earl Grey cupcakes.

I have been wanting to test the Philips Airfryer baking capabilities for a long time but I didn't want bake something and let it go to waste. I finally stumbled upon a great recipe on the Little Teochew. 

Here's my version of it. Makes about 15.

Ingredients:

190g butter

200g caster sugar

3 small eggs 

165g self-raising flour
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 cup fresh milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 
2 teabags of fine earl grey tea (I used Dilmah which is easily found in NTUC.)

Equipment:
Stiff cupcake liners (important that they are the stiff ones if you use the air fryer).
Air fryer / oven
Electronic Beater (unless you are an expert with the whisk)

1. Leave butter and eggs to thaw to room temperature. The butter should be a little soft to touch (like the fleshy part below your thumb). Stir the dry ingredients together and set aside.

2. Warm up milk (do not boil) and steep 1 teabag of Earl Grey tea for about 10 minutes. (Add 1 more if you want it to have a strong Earl Grey fragrance).  Let milk cool to room temperature. (Tip: squeeze the teabags before you remove to get more out of the teabags!)

3. With a beater, cream butter and sugar together. Cream the butter for a few seconds just to break it up. Add sugar a little at a time and cream until totally mixed into a nice creamy mix. Add vanilla essence and eggs. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.

4. Mix in dry ingredients alternately with milk, starting with the flour and ending with the flour. I used the mixer on the lowest speed to do this. But if you want to ensure it is very fluffy, fold in with a spatula instead. The mixture should be a nice pouring consistency (but not too watery). 

5. Fold in the other bag of tea leaves now. Don't "over-mix". (For those who don't like having the tea leaves in the cake itself, you can infuse everything into the milk.)

6. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes in the Airfryer at 160 degrees Celsius. Use a tooth pick to poke the cupcake after 10 - 15 minutes to allow the air to "escape" a little as the Airfryer cooks it quite fast. It should still be wet in the middle at this point. Cupcakes should be about done when it shrinks from the side a little after 20 minutes. Test with toothpick again. It should come out either clean and dry or with nice crumbs. If the top hasn't brown at this moment, turn up temperature to 180 and bake for another 3-5 minutes. Check regularly to prevent charring it.

Note: If you use an oven, the proposed setting and timing is 175 degrees Celsius for 40 minutes.

Tip: If you already have silicon cupcake molds (see photo below), you can use the paper liners placed within these to bake in the airfryer. Put the cups and liners in the fryer first before scooping the mixture into the cups. Fill up to slightly more than 2/3 full. (NOT full, as they will expand!)