Baking is Love: chocolate cupcakes with matcha frosting and ovomaltine topping.

Who loves Matcha???

For anyone who hasn't heard about it before, Matcha is finely milled or fine powder green tea which came from Japan. Nowadays, it's mostly enjoyed as desserts. Matcha Ice Cream, Matcha Cheesecake, Matcha Tiramisu and many more. People also enjoy themself drinking Matcha Latte, and maybe you're one them too. In Japan, we also can find Matcha Kit-Kat and it's even so popular there! (now it's been distributed all over the world).

simple... i'm in love with today's green-theme!

Matcha powder can usually be found at any tea-shops or grocery stores. Indonesian people love Matcha A LOT. Everything comes up with Matcha will be like a trend. The newest thing I heard lately is "Kue Cubit Green Tea". Seems so unique and I do really wanna try it when I'm home.

Here in Germany, Matcha is hardly to be found in the local market. So selten. I didn't find it at any tea-shops too. I'm only able to buy it in Asia Market, but thankfully I got one. :)

the inside of the cupcakes!

Look at that! These cupcakes are moist, light, fluffy, definitely chocolatey, and the green tea frosting has a comforting flavour that warms you right up. Even, you have a bit of Ovomaltine chocolate as topping! Double chocolat-EY.

enjoying the cupcakes with a glass of lemon squash
(and lovely green-stripes paper straws from @icedjems' shop!)

If you haven't tried this, then you should give it a try! I bet you'll love the combination of chocolate and green tea together! Something unique you can't found in any other desserts.

Here's the recipe to follow!

the look from top!
can you spot the "OVOMALTINE"?

Making max. 12 cupcakes.

For the chocolate cupcakes:

Ingredients:

175 grams all purpose flour
50 grams Dutch-processed cocoa powder
240 ml boiling hot water

113 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
200 grams granulated white sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1). Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly butter, or line 12-14 baking cups with paper liners.

2). In a small bowl, stir the boiling water and cocoa powder until smooth. Let them cool to room temperature.

3). In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

3). In a medium-sized bowl, with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat only until incorporated. Then add the cooled cocoa mixture and stir until smooth.

4). Fill each baking cup about two-thirds full with batter and bake for about 16-20 minutes, and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. (Do not over bake or the texture of the cupcakes will be dry).

5). Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

For the matcha frosting and assembling:

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

3-4 cups confectioner or icing sugar (depends on how much you want the icing to be sweet! 3 cups of sugar works better for me)

3-4 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoon matcha (green tea) powder

1-2 drops green food coloring (optional)

1 pack of Ovomaltine chocolate (optional)

Directions:

1). In a bowl of an electric mixer or with a hand mixer, mix together the softened butter and sugar, blend well.

2). Add in the milk and matcha powder, beat until light and fluffy. (You can add one or two drops of green food coloring to make the colour of the icing a bit more greeny).

3). Chop the Ovomaltine chocolate, put each of them on top of the cupcakes.

4). Done and ready to serve!