Green Tea Cupcake

I ordered green tea online for the first time as I was missing my favourite Green tea frappuccino which I always order from Starbucks back in the Philippines. I cant seem to find this green tea powder on any chinese or specialty tea store around so I went and ordered it online. I haven't made my frap yet, but I did use the green tea to make the Icing for the above cupcake. This is ordinary chocolate cupcake recipe with added instant espresso powder to give it a little kick and the icing is made from butter, cream cheese and green tea. The consistency is too runny, I am not sure why, probably because of the addition of green tea or it could be because I used medium fat cream cheese which is slightly less firm. The cupcake got a thumbs up from my husband.

Coffee and Chocolate Cupcake (makes 12, you can double the recipe)

1/3 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 small or medium size eggs

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 Tbsp instant espresso powder (omit or lessen to 2 tsp if you want to lessen the caffeine)

3/4 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

Method

Beat butter until softened, add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until mixed. In a separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Set aside. Add vanilla to the milk, this will be your liquid ingredients. Add a third of the dry ingredients to your butter / sugar mixture and beat to combine. Add half of the liquid ingredients and beat to combine. Repeat until all is combine together. Scoop batter into cupcake cups, about 2/3rds full. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

Green Tea Icing

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

4 oz cream cheese

1 1/2 - 2 cups powdered sugar

1 tbsp green tea powder

Method

Beat butter and cream cheese together until well combines. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar and 1/2 of the green tea powder and beat to continue. Taste, add more powdered sugar and green tea if you want to. Pipe icing onto cupcake or if too thin, put in the fridge for an hour or two to thicken before decorating the cupcake.