These fluffy Matcha Green Tea Cupcakes are flavored with matcha powder and topped with a tangy and sweet matcha cream cheese frosting. With a natural green color, these matcha cupcakes are perfect for St. Patrick’s day or any occasion!
While we love a good matcha latte, we love a delicious dessert even more. Adding ground matcha powder to cupcakes creates a tasty flavor and fun color. When topped with the whipped cream cheese frosting, the matcha cupcakes are a delicious treat for anyone.
This recipe was created by Danae from Recipe Runner. She loves baking with matcha and created these delicious green tea cupcakes with matcha flavor and natural green color.
Matcha tea is a powdered Japanese green tea that is used in matcha lattes and desserts. Matcha is a high quality green tea that has a fresh, clean taste and is slightly sweet. It pairs perfectly with the tangy cream cheese frosting on these cupcakes.
Whip up a batch for St. Patrick’s day or whenever you’re in the mood for matcha in cupcake form!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It has the sweet, floral and clean flavor of matcha without being overpower.
- The homemade matcha frosting is the perfect topping for these cupcakes
- They are naturally green without the use of any food dye or coloring.
- The matcha cupcakes are perfect to make as a St. Patricks Day treat!
Ingredients You Need
- Flour – A mix of all-purpose flour and while wheat pastry flour makes the perfect texture for the green tea cupcakes. You can substitute the whole wheat pastry flour for all-purpose flour or cake flour.
- Cornstarch – Helps to thicken the batter to create the perfect texture.
- Ceremonial Grade Matcha Powder – You will want to use a high quality ceremonial grade matcha powder. This helps ensure the best texture and flavor. You can also use culinary grade matcha but it may not have the best flavor.
- Baking Powder – Helps the cupcakes rise and become fluffy. Do not use baking soda.
- Salt – Activates the baking powder and balance the flavor in the cupcakes.
- Unsalted Butter – You can substitute with salted butter in a pinch, but you may want to reduce the other salt in the recipe.
- Non-fat Greek Yogurt – You can substitute with full fat greek yogurt or sour cream, if needed. Make sure to bring to room temperature.
- Granulated Sugar – Less than half a cup sugar in this recipe to create a delicious sweet treat.
- Egg – Helps bind all of the ingredients together for baking.
- Flavor Extracts – A mix of vanilla and almond extract gives this cupcake the best flavor.
- Skim Milk – Used to help thin the cupcake batter. You can substitute with 1% milk, 2% milk, or whole milk, if needed.
- Chopped Pistachios (Optional) – Although optional, the pistachios add more green color and a nutty flavor and crunch.
For the matcha green cheese frosting:
- Low-Fat Cream Cheese – Used as the base of this frosting. You can substitute with full-fat cream cheese, if desired.
- Powdered Sugar – Essential for the frosting.
- Almond and Vanilla Extract – Use both for the best flavor, however you can omit the almond extract, if needed.
- Matcha Powder – Use Ceremonial Grade Matcha Powder for the best texture and flavor.
How to Make Matcha Cupcakes
- Prepare for baking: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 12 cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.
- Combine the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, cornstarch, green tea powder, baking powder and salt until full combined.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a handheld electric mixer cream together butter and Greek yogurt on medium-high speed until throughly combined and fluffy. This should take about 3 minutes. Once combined, add the sugar, beat for 3 minutes, then add the egg and flavor extracts and beat until everything is fully combined.
- Combine the dry ingredients with the milk: To the bowl with the wet ingredients, add 1/3 of the dry mixture followed by 1/2 of the milk. Mix just until combined then repeat until the batter is formed without overworking. If using chopped pistachios inside the batter, fold them in now.
- Bake the cupcakes: Pour the cupcake batter into the prepared muffin tin until each divet is 3/4 full. Bake for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place the matcha green tea cupcakes on a wire rack to be cooled completely.
- Make the frosting: Add all of the frosting ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer. Start out on low speed and increase to high making sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go. Whip until the texture of the frosting is light and fluffy and all of the sugar is combined.
- Frost the matcha cupcakes and serve: Once the cupcakes are cooled, add the frosting to a piping bag and evenly distribute the frosting on the top of each cupcake. Serve and enjoy!
Frost the matcha green tea cupcakes using a large open star tip or large closed star tip to create the swirled frosting.
Expert Tips
- Do not overmix the batter. Mix just until combined. This ensures light and fluffy matcha cupcakes. Overmixing can create a tough texture.
- Use high quality matcha powder. The best matcha powder is ceremonial grade matcha powder. You can find it at your local grocery store or online.
- Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full to prevent overflow when baking.
- Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.
- To frost the matcha cupcakes use a large open star tip or large closed star tip.
Variations
- Use other nuts or omit completely. You can completely omit the pistachios or swap them out for another nut like hazelnuts, almonds or walnuts.
- Make gluten free matcha cupcakes by using a gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum.
- Ue full fat Greek yogurt and cream cheese for a richer flavor and texture.
Did you try these Matcha Green Tea Cupcakes? Leave a recipe rating and review below.