Matcha Cupcakes
I just made a matcha cake and it was so good that it inspired me to make these matcha cupcakes!
They bake up so moist and tender and are topped with swirls of fluffy vanilla buttercream.
What is Matcha?
Matcha is made from special green tea leaves that are ground down into an incredibly fine consistency.
The leaves are grown in the shade the last 3 to 4 weeks before they’re harvested. This increases the amount of caffeine they contain and intensifies their color.
You can buy matcha at most grocery stores in either the tea and coffee section, or the international section. I get mine from Whole Foods, but you can also order matcha powder on Amazon.
What Does Matcha Taste Like?
Matcha has a uniquely earthy flavor. It’s rich and smooth, but sometimes it can have a bitter aftertaste.
However, good quality matcha almost always has a sweet finish. A lot of it comes down to how the matcha is prepared, and its quality.
Ceremonial grade matcha is used in tea ceremonies and is the highest quality. However, most matcha used for culinary purposes is a lower grade.
When matcha is being mixed with sweeteners in desserts, or with milk in lattes, the sugars can balance out any hint of bitterness. It leaves a wonderful flavor that pairs well with so many different things!
Picking The Right Frosting for These Matcha Cupcakes
I thought a fluffy, whipped vanilla buttercream would be the perfect frosting for these cupcakes.
This frosting is based on my American buttercream, but uses additional heavy cream.
The extra bit of cream allows more air to be incorporated into the frosting. The end result is a fluffy, less sweet frosting.
The vanilla frosting also looks beautiful on top of the naturally green cupcakes and looks great with a light dusting of matcha on top!
However, if you want to top these cupcakes with matcha buttercream, you can add 1-2 Tbsp of matcha powder into the frosting when you add the powdered sugar.
Or if you want a less sweet frosting, you can top them with a half batch of my matcha buttercream frosting or my Swiss meringue buttercream.
Substitutions and Swaps – Matcha Cupcakes
This recipe uses quite a few ingredients and I know you might not have them all on hand. Or if you have food allergies or restrictions, I’ve got you covered.
Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this cake recipe.
- Sour Cream – You can also use full fat yogurt, whole milk, or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat) if you’re dairy free.
- Vegetable Oil – Any flavorless oil should work great in this recipe. Canola or even sunflower oil would work great!
- Eggs – If you have an egg allergy I recommend using flaxseed eggs or an egg replacer.
- Cake Flour – This recipe turns out best with cake flour, but you can use a gluten free flour blend or all purpose flour if that’s all you have on hand.
- Granulated Sugar – I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar because it will change the texture of the cake layers.
- Culinary Matcha – I like to use culinary matcha in this recipe that I order on Amazon. You can also find it in most large grocery stores, but it’s usually more expensive.
Substitutions and Swaps – Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream
- Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. Just be sure to omit the salt that this frosting recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place (and omit the salt)!
- Heavy Cream – Whole milk or alternative milk (soy, almond, oat) will work fine in this frosting recipe if that’s what you have on hand.
How Many Cupcakes Does this Recipe Make?
This recipe makes 12, standard-sized cupcakes. It can be doubled or halved as needed to change the yield.
If you want to make mini matcha cupcakes, this recipe can be baked in lined, mini muffin tins! It makes about 40 mini cupcakes, and they only need to bake for 9-11 minutes at 350 F / 175 C.
Tips for Making the Best Matcha Cupcakes
- Ingredients at room temp mix together better. Make sure you set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
- Properly measure the cake flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure the dry ingredients.
- Mix the cupcake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated. This will ensure your cupcakes are tender and fluffy.
- Use a large cookie scoop to easily fill the cupcake liners. It also makes sure the cupcakes end up being the same height.
- Seal off the top of the piping bag with a rubber band to prevent any frosting from seeping out of the top. This will also make the piping bag easier to use.
- This recipe makes an American-style buttercream frosting, so it will crust as it sits out and is exposed to air! Be sure to either cover the frosting with plastic wrap if it’s made in advance, or immediately place it into a piping bag.
Matcha Cupcake Variations – Gluten Free and/or Dairy Free
To make eggless, dairy free matcha cupcakes, use an alternative dairy milk to replace the sour cream and heavy cream (almond, oat, or soy), vegan butter sticks to replace the butter, and an egg replacer like this.
Or if you want to make gluten free matcha cupcakes, swap in your favorite gluten free flour blend for the cake flour that this recipe calls. Then be sure to over-mix the batter (this helps give gluten free baked goods proper structure) and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before baking for best results.
Making These Matcha Cupcakes in Advance & Storage Tips
You can make these matcha cupcakes in advance! If stored unfrosted in an airtight container, they can last for 2 days at room temp, up to a week in the fridge, or up to 3 months in the freezer.
You can also make the frosting ahead of time too or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.
Frosted cupcakes can sit out at room temperature overnight or be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. However, I find frosting them right before serving is best.
Share Your Creations with Me!
If you try this matcha cupcake recipe, let me know what you think of it! Leave a comment and rating below.
You can also tag me on social media @chelsweets and use #chelsweets so I can see your amazing baking!
Other Recipes You Might Like:
Matcha Cupcakes
Ingredients
Matcha Cupcakes
- 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature 125g
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil 112g
- 2 large eggs, room temperature 112g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
- 1 cup + 2 Tbsp cake flour 135g
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar 150g
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened matcha powder 18g
- 1 tsp baking powder 4g
- 1/2 tsp baking soda 3g
- 1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 113g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
- 1/4 tsp fine salt 2g
- 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar 220g
- 2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream, room temperature 30g
Instructions
Matcha Cupcakes
- Start by preheating the oven to 350°F/175°C and line a muffin pan with 12 cupcake lines. Set the pan aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of sour cream, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, and 1 tsp vanilla. Whisk until combined and smooth.
- Sift 1 cup + 2 Tbsp cake flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 Tbsp matcha powder, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt into the wet ingredients, then whisk until combined. The batter will be somewhat thick, but that's how it should be!
- Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners. They should be about 3/4 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan before moving them to a cooling rack to finish cooling. If you want to accelerate the cooling process, place the entire pan into your freezer for about 30 minutes.
Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream
- While the cupcakes bake and cool, make the fluffy vanilla buttercream. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat 1/2 cup or 1 stick of butter on a medium-high speed for a minute with a hand mixer or paddle attachment. The butter should become lighter in color as air is whipped into it.
- Add 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp of salt into butter and mix on a medium speed until combined.
- Gradually mix in 1 3/4 cup powdered sugar and 2 Tbsp of heavy cream on a low speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula to make sure everything is being properly mixed together.
- Mix on a low speed for an additional minute to give the frosting a smooth consistency. If the frosting is too thick, add in additional cream (1 Tablespoon at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time). If you aren't sure what consistency the frosting should be, check out my frosting consistency guide.
- Place the buttercream in a piping bag fit with your favorite frosting tip, and pipe large swirls on top of the fully cooled cupcakes.
- Garnish with a dusting of matcha powder, then enjoy!
Video
Notes
How Many Cupcakes Does this Recipe Make?
This recipe makes 12, standard-sized cupcakes. It can be doubled or halved as needed to change the yield. If you want to make mini matcha cupcakes, this recipe can be baked in lined mini muffin tins! It makes about 40 mini cupcakes, and they only need to bake for 9-11 minutes at 350 F / 175 C.Tips for Making the Best Matcha Cupcakes
- Ingredients at room temp mix together better. Make sure you set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
- Properly measure the cake flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure the dry ingredients.
- Use a large cookie scoop to easily fill the cupcake liners. It also makes sure the cupcakes end up being the same height.
- Seal off the top of the piping bag with a rubber band to prevent any frosting from seeping out of the top. This will also make the piping bag easier to use.
- This recipe makes an American-style buttercream frosting, so it will crust as it sits out and is exposed to air! Be sure to either cover the frosting with plastic wrap if it's made in advance, or immediately place it into a piping bag.
- If you want to frost these cupcakes with matcha buttercream, you can add 1-2 Tbsp of matcha powder into the frosting when you add the powdered sugar.
Matcha Cupcake Variations:
- To make eggless, dairy free matcha cupcakes, use an alternative dairy milk to replace the sour cream and heavy cream (almond, oat, or soy), vegan butter sticks to replace the butter, and an egg replacer powder like this.
- To make gluten free matcha cupcakes, swap in your favorite gluten free flour blend for the cake flour this recipe calls for and be sure to over-mix your batter and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before baking for best results.
Tried making these recently and they turned out perfectly! Followed the instructions exactly and they turned out very moist and delicious. Thanks so much for the wonderful recipe. All I would recommend is to half the frosting portion if you’re not planning to use that much since the recipe makes quite a lot. Also, I decorated by cupcakes with white chocolate mixed with matcha powder and they turned out quite nicely.
That’s so great to hear Karen! And that’s very fair, I am quite heavy handed when it comes to frosting, but I know that not everyone likes to use as much as I do. Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Could we use all-purpose flour instead of cake? And if so, how much?
I made this recipe but had to adjust the flour a lot! Only 1 1/2 cup was really soupy. I’m not sure the measurements you gave are quite right. They still turned out delicious though!
Followed this recipe to the T, and it came out absolutely perfectly, will definitely be making again, thank you so much 🙂
Made the cake recipe, it came out nice and tender. I will say the matcha flavor was a bit mild, so I added matcha to my frosting. I also think my cake came out a touch salty (could be the coarse kosher salt I used) but I didn’t put any salt in the frosting so it balanced nicely. Would definitely make again, and I appreciate that this recipe can be easily halved!
This is delicious! I’m too lazy to make frosted topping so I made them into muffins by x2 matcha and added white chocolate chips in the muffin. Easier to eat on the go and also tasty. Thanks for the recipe!
That sounds delicious Fanya!! 🙂 I approve and now I want to add white chocolate chips next time I make this recipe. Thanks for sharing!!
I haven’t made matcha cupcakes before. Can I substitute honey for part or all of the sugar in this cupcake recipe? My client asked for Matcha Honey Cupcakes but I haven’t found that one specifically. Thanks!
Hi Lyn,
I wouldn’t recommend swapping out any of the sugar for honey, it will make the texture of the cupcakes a lot denser. But I think using a honey buttercream would be a great work around and would help highlight the flavor the honey better. And maybe a drizzle of honey over the cupcakes or frosting! Hope that helps, happy baking!
Just made them for a friend and baked them for 19 min for perfectly soft and fluffy cupcakes. My only question is that the inside is more brown than green. How can I prevent that?
Hi! I tried making these and they were delicious! I did try making these with gluten free flour, since my friend is allergic to gluten, and it comes out a bit dry. Is there anything you recommend to make the gluten free version more moist?
You can try adding an extra Tbsp or two of oil (vegetable, canola, etc.) to add a bit more moisture. Hope that helps for the future, happy baking!
Hi can you use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?
Hi Lili,
You can! Just use full-fat if possible 🙂 Hope that helps, happy baking!