Green Tea & Lemon Cupcakes with Green Tea Frosting

My fiance came home one day and told me that I should try making green tea cupcakes because he had them at work a while back and they were simply divine (he is always giving me ideas). Well, it turns out that you need matcha to make green tea cupcakes, and our grocery store doesn't sell it. So, I decided to make a trip into town to my favorite health food store and they had two different kinds, one that was £28.99 and one that was £3.99. Which one would you buy? I went with the £3.99 one and I think my cupcakes came out just fine (the lady that worked there told me the more expensive one was better quality, but it was just too much for such little quantity, and that's why I chose the less expensive one). Give these bad boys a try, I dare ya!

*Makes: 16 cupcakes, give or take

Ingredients

For cupcakes:

• 2 cups (260g) all purpose flour
• 1/2 tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 oz (170g) butter, at room temperature 
• 1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
• 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
• 2/3 cups (160ml) milk
• 2-3 tbsp matcha powder
• 3-4 tbsp lemon juice

For frosting: 

• 6 tbsp butter at room temperature
• 8 oz (230g) Philadelphia cream cheese
• 4 cups (520g) powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp milk (if needed)
• 2-3 tbsp matcha powder (depending on how much you want to add)
• 1-2 tbsp lemon juice 

Directions

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350F/180C and line your cupcake pan (s) with paper liners. 

In a small bowl, combine your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and matcha powder). Whisk together and set aside.

Step 2: In your food processor (or by hand in a large bowl), mix your butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs and lemon juice

in one at a time until each one is fully incorporated.

Step 3: Add in the dry ingredients and milk in 3 batches alternating between the two until all is incorporated. Fill your cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake at 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Step 4: While the cupcakes are cooling, or while they are in the oven, make your frosting. In your food processor or electric mixer, combine your butter and cream cheese and mix on high until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add in your powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until fully incorporated (add in your milk to help thin it out if you need to). Mix in your matcha powder and lemon juice and mix on high until mixed thoroughly and fluffy (about 3-4 more minutes). Pour frosting into a piping bag that is within a cup and stick in the fridge while cupcakes are cooling.

Step 5: Once the cupcakes have cooled, about 30 minutes, take your frosting out of the fridge. Cut a hole in the piping bag and pipe it onto the cupcakes. Sprinkle with matcha for decoration. You may also slice up a lemon and stick tiny slices for decoration, only optional though. Enjoy!

Ta-da!