Ingredients

1 tsp (rounded)

Steenbergs organic matcha tea

120ml/ ½ cup

milk

100g / ¾ cup plus 1 tbsp

organic plain flour

1¼ tsp

baking powder

2 tbsp

cocoa powder

Pinch

sea salt

150g/ 1 cup

caster sugar

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)

Steenbergs organic matcha tea, sieved

2 tbsp

fromage frais

250g/ 2 cups

organic icing sugar

These are a really delicious combination of matcha and cocoa, 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.

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F.
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.
Infuse Milk With Green Matcha Tea
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.
Put All The Dry Ingredients Into Mixing Bowl
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.
Mix In The Matcha Milk
Spoon the mixture into paper cupcakes until about three-quarters up.
Pour In Mixture Three Quarters Up Cupcake
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.
To make the matcha icing, simply mix all the ingredients together and put a dessertspoon of the matcha frosting onto each cupcake.
Mix Together The Ingredients For Matcha Frosting
Enjoy the taste straight away.