Green Tea Cupcakes recipe

I've always been a tea lover, whether it as a drink, ice cream flavor, in chocolate or whatever. So when I found a recipe combining 2 of my loves (tea and cupcakes), I just had to try it!
The recipe is from Cupcake Bakeshop by Chockylit

Green Tea Cupcakes
(makes 36 mini cupcakes, or 12 regular cupcakes)24 cupcake papers or 1/2 sheet pan / 350 degree oven

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 cup of sugar
1 large egg (room temperature)
1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
1-1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup of milk (room temperature)
1 tablespoon matcha tea

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tins with cupcake liners.
• In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the matcha in with the milk.
• With an electric mixer, beat the butter on high until soft.
• Add sugar and continue to beat on medium-high until light and fluffy.
• Add the egg and egg yolk one at a time. Beat well after each addition.
• Add the flour mix to batter. Mix to combine.
• Add the matcha/milk to the batter and mix until combined.
• Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners.
• Bake for 22-25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. 
  ** For mini cupcakes, bake for about 15 minutes.
• Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with icing! 

Matcha Buttercream

1 stick butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons half and half or light cream
1 tablespoon matcha powder
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

•  Mix matcha in with the light cream to make a paste.
• Beat butter until soft, scrape bowl. 
• Add the sifted powdered sugar and matcha paste. Beat until smooth.

Some Notes
-For the buttercream, you can substitute the cream for milk, if you don't have any at home..
-For the cupcakes, I would advise to mix in the flour and the matcha/milk by hand: the cupcakes will be fluffier this way.
-The cupcake recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of matcha, but I always put a bit more: you can taste the green tea better ;)
-If you are not frosting your cupcakes right away, store your buttercream in an air tight container and refrigerate. Before frosting, leave it out for about an hour or two or until it is at room temperature, and beat it with the mixer for a few seconds. Then you're good to go!


Hope you'll like this recipe as much as I do!