Chicago chef Joshua Linton is known for his spicy, ethnically diverse cooking.

So when he launched his seasonings label, Joshua Tree Spice Studio, a few months back, we knew it would be a hit. Locals relish his hickory-smoked Brazilian sea salt, hickory-smoked tellicherry black peppercorns (fruitier than conventional pepper), hickory-smoked Chinese five-spice (cinnamon, clove, star anise, fennel seed, Szechuan peppercorn), Aleppo chili rub, and chili-lime salt.

His latest blend is hickory-smoked clove-bergamot orange powder. After tracking down fresh bergamot oranges, Linton zests, dries, and blends them with cloves and black cardamom. The result gives a powerful kick to slow-cooked dishes like lamb and rabbit. But what about baking? We challenged him to take things up a notch with a sweet recipe for DailyCandy. Savor it.

Smoked Clove-Bergamot Orange Cupcakes with Earl Grey Icing
Makes eighteen

Ingredients for Cupcakes
1 c. butter
2½ c. sugar
5 eggs
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. smoked clove-bergamot powder
1 tbsp. Saigon cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Cream butter and sugar in a bowl. Add eggs one at a time.

3. Sift flour, clove-bergamot powder, cinnamon, and baking soda in a separate large bowl.

4. Alternating buttermilk and butter mixture, incorporate into flour mixture until smooth.

5. Pour into cupcake molds. Bake 30-35 minutes.

Ingredients for Icing
1 tsp. Earl Grey tea leaves, whole
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 lb. confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. In a coffee grinder, grind tea leaves into a fine powder.

2. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until combined.

3. On low speed, beat in sugar, ground tea, and vanilla until smooth.

4. When cupcakes are cool, apply icing generously.

5. Gloat. That cupcake’s got a serious kick!

Spices available online at joshuatreespicestudio.com.

Photo: Thinkstock

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