These gluten-free and vegan chai raisin cupcakes from South African Raisins are as beautiful to look at as they are fantastic to eat!
Preheat the oven to 160*Fan/180*C and line a cupcake tray with 12 cases.
Whisk together the chia seeds and water and leave for 5 minutes to form a gel.
Beat together the vegan butter and sugar until creamy and then whisk in the chia gel, plant-based milk, coffee, lemon juice and vanilla.
Sift in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and cardamom to form a sticky batter.
Fold in the raisins and divide between the cases. Bake for 20-22 minutes until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool fully.
Make the frosting by blending/whisking together the ingredients until smooth, add 1-2 tsp of plant-based milk if it’s too thick. Pipe onto the cooled cupcakes and serve with extra raisins, star anise and cinnamon.