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Photograph of Hot Cross Muffins with Chai Spice and Orange

Hot Cross Muffins with Chai Spice and Orange

Light and fluffy chai and orange spiced muffins studded with dry fruit or chocolate and drizzled with a honey and orange syrup. All the flavours of light and soft Hot Cross Buns, but ready in 30 minutes!

Course afternoon tea, Breakfast, Morning Coffee, Snack, treat
Keyword chai spice, chocolate orange, Easter, hot cross buns, muffins
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 6
Author Susan

Ingredients

Wet ingredients:

  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 80ml milk
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 large egg

Dry ingredients:

  • 125g plain/all-purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate/baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 teaspoon chai spice or ½ teaspoon mixed spice and ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 50g caster sugar
  • grated rind from 1 orange

Additional ingredients:

  • 100g dried fruit such as raisins, currants, sultanas, orange peel, OR
  • 100g chopped chocolate of your choice, OR
  • I use 50g of each and make 3 fruit muffins and 3 chocolate ones

For the soaking syrup:

  • 45ml/ 3 tablespoons orange juice
  • 20g runny honey

For the crosses:

  • 50g icing sugar
  • 1¼ – 1½ teaspoons orange juice

Instructions

  1. Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.

  2. Preheat oven to Fan Oven 200°C /220°C/425°F/Gas 7 (Unless freezing.)

  3. Make the muffins: melt the butter in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl. (If you do not have a microwave, you can melt the butter in a large saucepan and then use the saucepan as your mixing bowl – if you are using a metal balloon whisk, make sure your saucepan is not non-stick!) Leave to cool slightly whilst you collect the remaining ingredients together.

  4. Add the remaining wet ingredients: milk, lemon juice, and egg. When you add the lemon juice to the milk, it will curdle. This is OK! Your lemon juice is basically turning your milk into buttermilk. Mix thoroughly with a balloon whisk.

  5. Add dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, spices, sugar and grated orange zest.

  6. Fold until 80% mixed in.

  7. If using 2 different add-ins, divide the mixture in half.

  8. Add your chosen add-ins to each half or simply add your one chosen add-in to the complete mixture.

  9. Fold in. Do not over mix – it is OK to have a few lumps.

  10. Divide between muffin cases. If freezing, put in the freezer in the tin straight away. When frozen, cover with cling film.

  11. Either:

    If cooking immediately - cook in the centre of a pre-heated oven at a high heat for 5 minutes, OR

    If cooking from frozen - put the frozen muffins in the centre of a pre-heated oven at a high heat for 10 minutes.

  12. After 5 minutes (or 10 minutes if the muffin batter was frozen), turn the oven down to Fan Oven 160°C /180°C/350°F/Gas 4 and cook for a further 15 – 20 minutes for the muffins until cooked.

  13. They are cooked when they are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre of the sponge comes out clean.

  14. Make the honey and orange drizzle: warm the honey in the microwave for around 20 seconds and mix with the orange juice.

  15. As soon as the muffins come out of the oven, puncture each one in a cross shape with a cake tester or skewer.

  16. Brush each cake with the drizzle, using it all up.

  17. Leave in the cake tin for 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

  18. Add the distinctive cross: when the muffins have cooled, mix the orange juice and icing sugar until you have a thick icing – you want it to hold its shape obviously you need go be able to pipe it.

  19. Transfer to a piping bag with a small nozzle or cut a small hole in the end of the bag.

  20. Pipe on the crosses, covering the puncture holes you made for the drizzle.

Recipe Notes

Equipment:

  • kitchen scales, measuring spoons and jug
  • mixing bowl
  • 6 hole muffin tin and paper cases
  • ice cream scoop, spatula and balloon whisk

Suggested accompaniments:

  • butter
  • honey/maple syrup
  • yoghurt
  • ricotta cheese
  • fresh fruit
  • stewed fruit
  • nuts eg pecan nuts
  • seeds eg pumpkin or sunflower

Storage: 

These muffins are best eaten on the day they are made. However, they will store well in an airtight container for 2 -3 days, or in a fridge or 4 – 5 days. If you are storing in the fridge, allow to come to room temperature before eating.

Freezing uncooked muffins:

You can freeze these muffins before they you cook them. All you need to do is:

  1. Prepare to the end of point 10 above.
  2. As soon as the muffins are prepared, place them in the freezer in the muffin tray immediately. Please note:
    • Leaving them in the muffin tray ensures they keep their shape.
    • If you do not do this immediately, the raising agents will start to activate and this will reduce their effectiveness when cooked.
  3. Most likely the muffins will freeze onto the tray and you will not be able to remove them. I leave them in the tray and cover with clingfilm. However, if you need to use the tray for something else, pour around 2½ cms/1 inch hot water into your kitchen sink and sit the tray in the hot water. The muffins should quickly release from the tray after around 20 seconds. These can now be stored in an airtight container or freezer bag in the freezer.
  4. When you are ready to cook the muffins, preheat the oven.
    • Transfer the frozen muffins directly from the freezer into the oven in the muffin tray.
    • cook as normal apart from cooking at the higher temperature for 10 rather than 5 minutes.

Freezing cooked muffins:

You can also freeze these muffins after they have been cooked. Once cooked, allow to cool and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.