Green Tea Cupcakes with Red Bean Frosting

I love family parties. Not only do they allow me to spend quality time with loved ones that I hardly see due to hectic lifestyles, but they also give me the opportunity to practice my baking skills and try out new recipes. From when I was a young girl, mum has taught me that whenever invited over to somebody's house, it is always courteous to bring along a gift, or something small as a sign of respect and consideration.

So, for a recent gathering, I partnered up with a recipe by Murdoch Books to create a batch of delicious green tea cupcakes. I was pleased with the end result, but only because everybody seemed to enjoy devouring them, and I even managed to convert a few that used to cringe at the mention of the words 'green tea' or 'red bean'.

For me, the green tea flavour that I expected just did not shine through in the cupcake. To achieve a more dense green tea fragrance, I recommend that you add a couple of teaspoons of green tea leaves to the scolded milk, along with the Matcha (fine green tea powder). Then strain the mixture, allow to cool and proceed with the rest of the recipe.

Makes 24 standard cupcakes (approx 48 mini):
- 125ml milk
- 3 tsp Matcha (fine green tea powder)
- 2 tsp green tea leaves (if using)
- 185g unsalted butter
- ¾ cup (170g) caster sugar
- 1 tsp natural vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup (125g) self-raising four
- ¼ cup (30g) plain flour
- 45g Japanese sweet red beans, to decorate (Whole beans, tinned are best. The Asian grocery store I visited didn't have any, so I just used the Korean 'smashed' variety)

For the Cream Frosting:
- 1 cup (250ml) whipping cream
- 2 tbs icing sugar, sifted

These ingredients can be found in most Asian groceries

Matcha - fine green tea powder

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line 24 standard (or 48 mini) muffin holes with paper cases. Place the milk in a saucepan and bring just to the boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the matcha (and green tea leaves if using, then strain). Allow to cool.

Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla together with electric beaters until light and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift the flours together, and fold into the egg mixture alternately with the milk mixture, until a smooth green batter is formed.

Add a little flour...

Then a little milk...

Keep repeating this...

Until it becomes a smooth consistency

Divide the mixture evenly among the cases. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until a skewer/toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the centre of a cake. Transfer onto a wire rack to cool.

For the cream frosting, beat the whipping cream and icing sugar together until stiff peaks form.  Transfer it into a piping bag, fitted with a large star nozzle, then decorate each cake with the cream and sweet red beans.

Green Tea Cupcakes with Red Bean Frosting