In a medium sauce pot combine the heavy cream, chai tea bags, cinnamon, ginger, star anise, cloves, black peppercorns, nutmeg, cardamom, and orange zest.
Bring to a boil stirring constantly.
Reduce the heat to medium/ medium low until it is just gently bubbling. Continue cooking and stirring for 10 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat after 10 minutes and cover with a lid. Allow it to steep for another 10 minutes.
Pour the mixture over a fine mesh sieve into a bowl to strain out all of the bits from the cream. Be sure to really press all of the cream out.
Set the infused cream aside and discard the add ins that have been strained out.
Make the Custard
Place the 3 T. of milk in a small bowl and sprinkle the top with the powdered gelatin, stir together and let it sit while you prepare the custard.
Once bloomed (about 5 minutes) place the gelatin mixture in a large bowl and top it with a fine sieve.
Pour the infused cream back into a medium sauce pan and cook on the stove over medium heat until it starts to simmer - stir frequently.
While the cream heats up, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a small bowl until light.
Once the cream is heated through, remove from the heat.
While whisking the egg mixture constantly, slowly add a 1/2 cup of the hot cream to the egg yolks and sugar. This is called tempering the eggs.
Now, while constantly whisking the remaining cream in the sauce pot, slowly pour the now tempered egg mixture back in.
Return the pot to medium heat and stir constantly with a rubber spatula.
Continue heating and stirring until the mixture has thickened slightly - it should just bubble.
Once it has thickened, remove it from the heat immediately and pour it through the sieve over the bloomed gelatin.
Remove the sieve, then immediately whisk the gelatin into the custard.
Set the custard aside to cool but whisk frequently to prevent it from clumping or getting a skin.
Whip the cream and assemble
Once the mixture has come to room temperature, whip up the remaining plain heavy cream until it is just before stiff peaks. *If not using gelatin or serving immediately, whip the cream to stiff peaks.
In four additions, fold the custard into the whipped cream using a rubber spatula. Be careful not to stir but rather fold, this will help keep the air inside of the cream and keep the dessert from getting too dense.
Pour the now mixed chai bavarian cream into 6 tea cups, ramekins, or bowls (these are what they will be served in).
Place in the fridge to set for four hours or overnight.
Notes
These can be stored in the fridge for about 3 days.