Chai Latte Cupcakes

I took this recipe from a vegan cookbook, called "Vegan Cupcakes Take over the World" and I modified it to a non vegan cupcake.  I modified it simply because we usually don't have vegan ingredients in the house, and also, we don't shop in the stores that have things like soy yogurt.  Our normal grocery store just doesn't carry it.  When I made a vegan version of this, I used silken tofu in place of soy yogurt, and my husband thought they were awesome, but I don't keep tofu in the house.  I also didn't use the spices that are in the recipe, I just use chai tea tea bags.  It works really well, and I don't have to keep a supply of spices that I don't normally have hanging out.

I have made it with greek yogurt.  I have used applesauce in place of the yogurt.  Today, I used buttermilk.  We'll see how it goes.  So far, our favorites have been the totally vegan, using tofu, and the non vegan using yogurt.

Here's the recipe:*
2 cups milk
8 chai tea bags
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup yogurt, though buttermilk seems to have been perfectly fine.
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Line cupcake pan/pans with 24 liners.  Heat soy milk to boiling, add tea bags and steep for 10 minutes.  Squeeze excess milk out of the teabags, gently.  Add to large bow and mix all wet ingredients. Yes, sugar is a wet ingredient.  In a smaller bowl, mix all dry ingredients together.  Add to wet ingredients and stir until just mixed.  Fill each cupcake liner with 1/4 cup of batter.  I actually have an ice cream scoop that is the perfect size for this, and I love it, with its trigger release.  I have three, in different sizes.  Back to the recipe.  Bake for about 15 minutes, checking at about 12-13.  Once cooled off, dust with powdered sugar.

*I found an error in the recipe, where I forgot to tell you to heat the milk and steep the tea bags in it.  Sorry.  It's in there now.