Hey guys, it’s been a while.

This recipe is for all the matcha lovers out there. Green tea cupcake, green tea cream cheese frosting, white chocolate core… y’all better buckle down ’cause this cupcake’s got all the frills and works.

I combined the “Matcha White Chocolate Cupcake” recipe from The Scran Line with the cream cheese frosting recipe from Oishii Treats to make these cupcakes, with minor adjustments along the way.

The batter uses yogurt, butter and oil – yogurt for added richness, butter for flavor and lightness, and oil for moisture.

Japanese matcha is a pricey ingredient, but I think its unique, bitter flavor and lovely color is well worth the splurge. I got mine at H-mart (Ito-en Matcha Love Culinary Matcha), but it’s also available at other Asian supermarkets and on Amazon.

Do as I say and not as I do: do not over-mix the batter once you combine the wet and dry ingredients. Just fold gently until the flour disappears into the batter. Excessive beating will develop gluten strands and create a dense, tough cupcake. We want a light, airy, fluffy cupcake.

You can add 1-2 drops of green food coloring for a more intense color, as color fades during baking. I decided to go au naturale.

I believe in the clean look of crisp, white cupcake liners. Feel free to go crazy with colors and patterns.

I thought that I was making a dozen cupcakes, but after the first batch was in the oven, I realized that this recipe actually makes two dozen cupcakes. Good mistake.

My friends were happy receivers of the extra cupcakes that I hand delivered.

Put in the extra effort and fill them with white chocolate ganache. Be a fancy cupcake.

It’s such a satisfying feeling when you cap the ganache with the cake piece you removed. Round hole, round peg. Perfect fit.

Who doesn’t like a secret chamber of molten white chocolate goodness?

You can also mix in a tablespoon of matcha powder into the ganache for an all around green tea experience. I was feeling stingy and wanted to save that bit of matcha for another day. Maybe a latte. Maybe cookies.

A generous swirl of cream cheese icing to top off these cupcakes. The tang from the cream cheese complements the sweetness of the white chocolate and the earthy aroma of the green tea.

Slice in half and enjoy the cross section. Good job.

 

Green Tea Cupcakes

Makes 24 (using 12 cup muffin tin)

For the Cake: 

429g all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

240g granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

355ml of milk + extra splash of milk if needed, warmed

125ml vegetable oil

125g unsalted butter, melted

80 ml Greek yogurt (can substitute with sour cream)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs at room temperature

3 tablespoons of matcha powder

The Scran Line: Matcha White Chocolate Cupcakes 

1.  Heat oven to 160C (320F). Line cupcake tin with paper cupcake cases.
2. In the bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, matcha powder and salt.
3. Combine the melted butter, milk, eggs, yogurt, oil and vanilla extract in a large jug and whisk well.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in two turns, mixing gently in between additions until no dry ingredients are visible. Do not overmix. You may add 1-2 drops of green food dye to make it a little greener.
5. Fill each paper 3/4 of the way. Bake for 20-25 min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow them to cool completely on a cooling rack before frosting

For the Frosting: 

6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

8 oz cream cheese

2-3 cups powdered sugar, or to desired sweetness

1-2 tablespoon milk, or to desired consistency

2-3 tablespoons matcha powder

Oishii Treats: Matcha Cream Cheese Frosting

1. With an electric mixer, combine butter and cream cheese and beat on high until smooth (about 3 minutes).
2. Sift in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until fully incorporated, adding milk to help thin it out.
3. Mix in the matcha powder and whip on high until mixed thoroughly. Whip for another 3-4 minutes until fluffy. Alternatively, you can add the matcha powder in the end and fold it gently with a spatula for a more “marbled” finish. 

For the White Chocolate Ganache:

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/4 cup heavy cream

1. Combine the white chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until the white chocolate dissolves completely into the heavy cream (took me 2 turns). Let it cool until slightly thickened.

To Assemble: 

1. Using a thin, sharp knife, cut a circle in the middle of the cupcake with the knife about 2/3 way into the cupcake. Use a gentle, sawing motion. Remove the core.
2. Pour or pipe the ganache into the hole until almost filled.
3. With the removed cake core, trim it until it’s about 1/4 of an inch thick. Then place the cake round over the ganache to seal the cupcake.
4. Place the cream cheese frosting in a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (or cut an opening around 1/2-3/4 inch in diameter). The frosting will be too thick to pipe with a smaller piping tip. Pipe a large swirl onto the cupcakes. Alternatively, you can ice the cupcakes with a small offset spatula. The style of icing is completely up to you.

To Store: If you can, store the cupcakes and icing separately. Place the cupcakes in an airtight container and leave them at room temperature. Place the icing in an airtight container and put it in the refrigerator. If you want to make these for an event, you can make all of the components the day before and assemble them the day of. Microwave the ganache for 30 seconds to make it easier to pour.

~S~