Friday, March 9, 2012

Matcha Green Tea Cupcakes with Matcha Green Tea Butter Frosting

Matcha Green Tea Cupcakes with Matcha Green Tea Butter Frosting

The Matcha Green Tea Powder in these cupcakes and frosting make these baked goods a healthy way to have dessert. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.I've been enamored with Matcha Green Tea powder for a few years. I've used it in many meals, catering menus and food gifts. In this blog I've posted recipes for Matcha Green Tea Donuts, Green Tea Croquembouche, and Ice Cream Bombe. I also contributed a recipe for Matcha Green Tea Marshmallows in the cook book to benefit Japan's rebuilding, called Peko Peko.

Recently I made these Matcha Green Tea Mini-Cupcakes for a "Hollywood Benefit" and topped them with edible gold for a little glamour.
Then, oops, I made a few too many, what will I ever do with the extra? I guess I'll have to just keep them here in case someone at home (ME) would want one (SEVERAL) for lunch (and ALL DAY.) It's okay, they're a "healthy" dessert. Sorta. Here's the true healthy part:

Matcha Green Tea is a special crafted tea from Japan. It is grown in an elaborate process involving tender plants covered at a certain time to protect the chlorophyll and keep the leaves soft and dark green. Then it's steamed, dried and ground by stone (and sometimes machine) to create the fine brilliant green powder. Matcha Green Tea is not just tea made from brewing the leaves in water, but you are actually drinking the powdered tea leaves, so the benefits are multiplied.
Matcha is full of antioxidants, nutrients, fiber and chlorophyll. It can be used as a tea, or as an ingredient for baking, sauces and other drinks.

Matcha has a long history in Japan that includes traditional ceremonies and the correct way to whisk and serve Matcha Green Tea. As with all teas, there are degrees or grades of Matcha based on the age and processing of the ground tea leaves.
Many people drink Matcha Green Tea every day. If you have never tried it, or think you didn't enjoy it the first time, keep one rule in mind: Preparation is crucial. Like all fresh quality tea, the temperature of the water, the timing of the brew and the handling of the preparation can make the difference between a delicious cup of tea or a bitter misunderstanding of the libation.As luck would have it, these were also made just in time for this month's LET'S LUNCH bunch. The theme is GREEN and you can't get much greener than Matcha Green Tea Powder. My growing group of virtual lunch pals from all across the globe have even more inventive GREEN food in store for you, so check them out on twitter at #LetsLunch (and a list to be here soon):

Monday Morning Cooking Club - Avocado Dip
A Cook and Her Books - Green Bean Soup
Cowgirl Chef - Notos Pesto
Hapa Mama - How To Brew a Better Pot of Tea
Spice Box Travels - Eat More Kale Chips
Burnt Out Baker - Even Greener Green Chorizo
Wok Star - Honey Ginger Wok Brussel Sprouts
Zest Bakery - Pandan Tapioca with Coconut Cream
Geo Fooding - Asparagus with Poached Egg
Maria's Good Things - Brussel Sprouts Slaw
Joe Yonan - Winter = Wood

Recipe: Matcha Green Tea Cupcakes
(makes about 48 mini-cupcakes)

2 cups Flour
1/2 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces Butter (soft or room temperature)
1 1/2 cups Sugar
2 Eggs + 1 Egg Yolks
2/3 cup Milk
2 Tablespoons Matcha Green Tea

1) In a bowl, sift the flour, salt and baking powder together. Hold.
2) In a cup, mix the milk and Matcha together. Hold.
3) In a Mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
4) Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one.
5) Add the flour mixture and the milk/tea mixture to the batter, alternating and beating well after each one.
6) Spoon out into cupcake papers placed in muffin baking tins, filling 3/4 full. Bake at 350F for about 20-25 minutes (a little less if making mini-cupcakes)
Recipe: Matcha Green Tea Butter Frosting

1 Cup Butter (2 sticks) soft
1/4 Cup Cream
4 Tablespoons Matcha Green Tea
4-5 Cups Powdered Sugar

1) Mix the Matcha with the Cream into a paste.
2) Beat the butter until light and smooth, then add the Matcha paste.
3) Sift the Powdered Sugar and beat into the butter mixture 1 cup at a time until it reaches the spreading consistency desired.

17 comments:

Rashda/Mina said...

OMG, I love these!!! You're so clever & talented :)

linda @spiceboxtravels said...

Love this kind of health food!

HapaMama said...

So pretty and good for you, too!

Allison Day said...

They're green, therefore they must be healthy, right? And everyone knows tea is good for you, so these are obviously a health food. ;)

They look so delicious, and I love the pretty edible gold you put on top!

Lucy Mercer said...

I confess I didn't have a clue what Matcha green tea was until I read this. Very informative and the cupcakes are beautiful!

Eleanor Hoh said...

Love clever use of matcha green tea! You're so right about brewing tea correctly without making it bitter. @hapamama just posted about that very subject for #LetsLunch, how convenient.

GeoKaren said...

fabulous idea! I've made matcha cheesecake & ice cream before, but now I have mini-cakes too!

Anonymous said...

I was thinking about making matcha cupcakes for the first time, and I found your blog! :) I was just curious, how dense do these come out to be? I've been reading other blogs where they encountered problems with dryness.

Anonymous said...

SHOULD I USE DOUBLE ACTING OR SINGLE ACTING BAKING POWDER

showfoodchef said...

Hi guys!

Anonymous x 2: These cupcakes are more dense than, say, whipped cakes or genoise based cakes, but still very moist and light if you don't over cook them.
Along those same lines, probably a double acting baking powder (which is the most common sold in stores in the United States)works well. Double acting means that some bubbles (that cause lightness) happen when the batter is mixed, but most activate when the heat happens in the oven. You can use both, but Double Acting would probably give you more lightness. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy your baked goodies! :D

Anonymous said...

My cupcakes didn't turn out in the pretty green color as is pictured but it tasted amazing! My matcha is more on the darker green side and is fairly strong. So a little goes a long way.thanks for sharing this delicious recipe.

Anonymous said...

hi, thanks a lot for sharing the recipe. i'm a fan of anything green tea and novice baker. for the frosting, when you say cream, do you mean double cream? Just to confirm.

showfoodchef said...

Hi - re: double cream? In the store here it's labeled Heavy Cream. I'm thinking that would be double cream in Europe/England, maybe? Thx for stopping by :D

Anonymous said...

May I know how many butter is needed in grams measurement?

Is it ok if I add in some chocolate chips?

Elizabeth said...

Thanks for the great recipe! My cupcakes turned out to be a beautiful light green color. I was able to make 18 cupcakes total. The cupcakes are soft, delightful, and smell delicious. It's a hit in the house. Next time, I'll add more matcha for more flavor!

Anonymous said...

Hi Cathy , I just baked according to your recipe , they are sooooo lovely , extremely fluffy ...I just don't know how you invented this , love them so much. Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe , looking forward to try more of your recipes :)

Cathy said...

Thanks for all the wonderful comments and so glad the recipe is working for you guys. To the Anonymous who asked if I copied this recipe - please see that my recipe has been on here since 2012, I was executive chef with a Tea Salon developing tea recipes for 2 years and perhaps the copy happened the other way around. Spam and accusations are left unpublished here. Your support is deeply appreciated. :D