the one by two kitchen Matcha (Green Tea) Cupcakes

Hello again!

This week alone, I have made more than 40 cupcakes (in two batches)! Basically since I am still in my SBD diet Phase 2, I'm allowed to use wholemeal flour and Splenda sugar substitute. I myself have not been a big fan of Aspartame or any sugar substitute, but somehow found Splenda okay (because of the seemingly good health review and sugar aftertaste).

One of my favourite thing in the world is green tea. I don't know whether it's because it's green, the fact that it has so many health benefits, or because of its aroma. When I used to live in China, I always bought the Long Jin Cha, a green tea speciality from the Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, recommended by my good friend Cissy Wang!

However, I have to admit that nothing beats the original Japanese green tea! Matcha or Green Tea is very popular especially in East Asia region.. and to me, they will make fabulous desserts!

A friend of mine Nicky gave me a cupcake recipes book on my birthday, and it wasn't til recently that I finally have the time to try the recipes. My first try is the green tea cupcake, however I alter and change many ingredients to suit my SBD diet.

Proud owner of the one by two kitchen :)

Using Splenda instead of ordinary sugar has also got its own baking benefit! Splenda does not brown that easily and thus the cupcakes come out beautifully green. However, the icing will be very sugary and thus high-calorie, so it is entirely up to you if you'd like to have your cupcakes with icings or not.

Grab your notes and get ready for this Low-calorie, Good-carb and seriously lovely green tea cupcakes!* I actually counted the calories - if you're using small cupcake cases (one batch will produce around 18 - 20 cupcakes), one cupcake is less than 100 calories!

Half of a batch!

*Warning: you need to have an oven, cupcakes/muffin mould (I use my silicone cupcake case), cupcake/muffin paper cases, big mixing bowl, sifter, whisker (electric is preferable, however manual is fine - I use manual instead) and measuring cups. 

Cupcake Ingredients:

• Unsalted butter (185 grams)
• Green tea powder (4 teaspoons)
• Splenda sugar substitute* (20 teaspoons)
• Wholemeal self-raising flour (1 1/2 cups)
• Semi-skimmed milk (125 ml)
• Vanilla extract (preferably natural) (1 teaspoon)
• Eggs (3)

*Splenda can be substituted to 170 gram caster sugar (superfine sugar)

Green Icing Ingredients:

• Unsalted butter (60 grams)
• Icing sugar (120 grams)
• Green food colouring (preferably natural)

Decorative Ingredients:

• Poppy seeds
• Walnuts; or if available, Azuki beans

How to Prepare the cake:

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius for around 15 minutes
• On a saucepan, bring the milk to boiling point and quickly remove from heat
• Mix the green tea powder in, stir until even
• On a mixing bowl, beat the butter, Splenda sugar and vanilla in with electric whisker (or manually)
• Crack each of the eggs in, one by one, and beat well
• Using your sifter, sift the wholemeal flours in to the mixing bowl, then fold using your wooden spoon (do not use your whisker!) until even
• Pour the green tea milk mixture in (after making sure that it is even) and fold again with your wooden spoon. I recommend that the green tea milk mixture is in a warm/hot condition, because as mentioned in my previous posting, I was told that when making cakes/cupcakes, pouring hot water/liquid to it will somehow mix the mixture very well
• Line your cupcake cases on to your muffin mould or cupcake mould, then pour evenly (to 3/4 height of each)
• Bake for 12 - 14 minutes, then remove from oven
• Make sure that the cakes are baked well by inserting a toothpick to one of the cakes. A clean toothpick means that the cakes are baked well. If there are many residues, put it back to the oven for around 3 - 5 minutes. However this is a very unlikely case and it would mean that you might got the ingredients wrong!
• Let the cupcakes cool and prepare the icing!

How to Prepare the Icing and Decorations:

• In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and icing with an electric mixer, and drop 2 drops of green food colouring, beat well
• When cakes are cooled down, pour the icing to your liking on each cupcakes and you are free to decorate! (I use poppy seed and walnuts on mine! You can use chopsticks to help you with the decorations.)

SMILE :)

Serve with a huge big smile from the one by two kitchen recipe blogs!

Do leave me comments should you want to ask about the ingredients in Indonesian/Mandarin Chinese language or if you need further help/explanation!

LOVE. the one by two kitchen.