21 March 2011

Matcha Tea Cupcakes - Green, Healthy and Tasty Recipe

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The terrible events in Japan lay bare to us all how much we are still at the mercy of the elements, rather than completely in control of our earth.

So I decided to revisit my recent post on matcha tea and create these Matcha Tea Cupcakes ideal for charity events to raise money for the tsunami victims.  They are really delicious combination of matcha and cocoa, with with the cupcake tasting just of chocolate cake and the very mild seaweedy taste of the matcha in the icing complements the classic sweetness of the chocolate.  As an aside, this is great way to get some of the benefits of matcha without needing to drink a cup of slightly bitter matcha tea. 

Recipe for Matcha Tea Cupcakes

1 tsp (rounded) organic matcha tea

120ml / ½ cup milk

100g / ¾ cup plus 1 tbsp organic plain flour

1¼ tsp baking powder

2 tbsp Fairtrade cocoa powder

Pinch of sea salt

150g / 1 scant cup Fairtrade caster sugar

1 large free range egg

1 tsp Steenbergs organic Fairtrade vanilla extract

50g / 3½ tsp unsalted butter 

For the topping:

80g / 5 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tsp (level) organic matcha tea, sieved

2 tbsp fromage frais

250g / 2 cups Faitrade icing sugar

1.  Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F.

2.  Pour the milk into a milk pan, then sieve the matcha tea into the milk.  Whisk the mixture with a matcha whisk or a fork.  Then carefully heat the milk until hot to touch but not starting to simmer.  Take off the heat and set aside.

3.  Sieve the plain flour, baking powder and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl.  Add the sea salt and then tip in the caster sugar.  Mix the dry ingredients together.

4.  Put the egg and vanilla extract into the dry ingredients and mix up a bit with a fork.  Chop the unsalted butter into small cubes and add to the mixture.  Mix thoroughly with an electric whisk or in a blender.  When creamed together, add the matcha milk mix and throughly mix.

5.  Spoon the mixture into paper cupcakes until about three-quarters up.

6.  Place in oven and cook for about 25 minutes, or until spongy to the touch.  Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.

7.  To make the matcha icing, simply mix all the ingredients together and put a dessertspoon of the matcha frosting onto each cupcake.

8.  Enjoy the taste straight away.