Manageability – Your fortune says that you will love these.
Matcha is one of those flavors that has the potential to destroy a perfectly good cupcake recipe. Luckily, this is not true here. The Imperial Sugar’s Green Tea Cupcakes with Matcha Cream Cheese Frosting utilized the matcha perfectly, without overpowering the tasty sweetness. The lemon zest really helps balance everything out.
And the cream cheese frosting is fire. I normally prefer a butter-cream frosting, but holy cow did this taste good. Actually, there wasn’t enough frosting from this recipe, because I double-stacked it on top of the cupcakes because I’m a pig. If you make these, you might want to increase your frosting or just make fewer cakes. And then we added the fortune cookies to complete the look and make them look adorable. Oh, but be sure to wait until just before serving to add the cookies, or they’ll turn to mush. I put the cookies in before driving to work with them, and … they did not make it.
My fortune just said “It is clear that you are trying”. I honestly don’t know what to make of that.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour*
- 3/4 cup cake flour*
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest of 2 lemons. Do not zest fingers.
- 2/3 cup green tea, brewed
- Frosting
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups Imperial Sugar Confectioners Powdered Sugar
- 1 tablespoon matcha powder
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 9 fortune cookies, for garnish. And then eventually eating.
- Note: Steep a green tea bag for about 2 minutes, then measure 2/3 cup
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder and salt.
- In bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Beat in vanilla and lemon zest until well combined. With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients and green tea alternately in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients, beating just until incorporated.
- Scoop batter evenly into muffin tray. Place into oven and bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting. For notes on how to cool, watch an episode of Happy Days and pay attention to the Fonz.
- To prepare frosting: In bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. With mixer on low speed, gradually add powdered sugar, beating just until incorporated. Add matcha powder and lemon zest. Increase speed to medium high and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, approximately 1 to 2 minutes.
- Use a small offset spatula or a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip to frost cupcakes, garnish with fortune cookies, if your heart desires.