Matcha Cream Cheese Cupcakes (No Frosting Needed)
Matcha cupcakes with a sweet cream cheese layer baked right into the center, so there is no frosting or piping needed. The cake batter uses oil and water instead of butter and eggs. About 15 minutes of prep and 25 minutes in the oven.
Servings: 12
Calories: 223kcal
Equipment
- muffin pan
Ingredients
Toppings:
- 8 ounce cream cheese room temperature
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Matcha Green Tea Cupcake
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons matcha green tea powder unsweetened
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water (¼ cup reserved for matcha)
- ⅓ cup oil avocado, canola or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
Instructions
- Heat the oven. Preheat to 350°F (180°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- Bloom the matcha. Whisk the matcha powder into ¼ cup of hot water until it is completely smooth with no specks floating on top. Sift the matcha first if it looks clumpy in the tin. This step is what gives you even color, so do not skip it and do not add the powder straight to the flour.2 tablespoons matcha green tea powder
- Make the cream cheese topping. Beat the softened cream cheese on medium-low until smooth, then add the sugar, egg, and vanilla and beat until creamy. Stop as soon as it comes together. Overbeating whips air in, and that air makes the topping puff in the oven and then sink as it cools. Set it aside.8 ounce cream cheese, 1 large egg, 1 cup white granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Mix the batter. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ¾ cup water, oil, vanilla, white vinegar, and the matcha paste. Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour in the wet ingredients, and stir just until you no longer see dry flour. The batter will look thin, and that’s normal. Avoid overmixing, since it can make the cupcakes dense.⅓ cup white sugar, 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 cup water, ⅓ cup oil, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Add the vinegar last. Pour the vinegar over the batter and stir for a few seconds, just until it disappears. You may see it bubble slightly where it hits. That is the vinegar reacting with the baking soda, and it is what gives these their rise. Keep this stir short and get the batter into the liners right away, since the lift starts fading the longer it sits.1 tablespoon white vinegar
- Fill the liners. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 cups. Add about 2 tablespoons of cream cheese topping to the center of each. A small ice cream scoop keeps them even. Drop it in the middle and leave it alone rather than spreading it, since spreading pushes it to the edges where it can leak down the liner.
- Bake for 22 to 25 minutes. They are done when the cream cheese layer looks set and no longer wobbles when you nudge the pan, and the cake around it springs back when pressed. A toothpick works only in the cake portion, not the center, since it will come out wet from the filling either way.
- Cool completely. Let them sit in the pan for 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack. The topping keeps firming as it cools, so they will seem softer straight from the oven than they end up.
Notes
- Use fresh culinary-grade matcha. Look for a bright green powder. Dull or yellowish matcha can taste more bitter and may bake up brown instead of green.
- Bloom the matcha first. Whisk it with the hot water until completely smooth before adding it to the batter. This helps prevent clumps and gives the cupcakes a more even green color.
- Use softened block cream cheese. Tub-style cream cheese contains more water and may not set properly. Cold cream cheese can also leave lumps in the filling.
- Do not overmix the batter. Stir only until the dry flour disappears. The batter should look thin and slightly loose; overmixing can make the cupcakes dense.
- Check doneness in the cake, not the center. The cream cheese filling will stay moist, so insert a toothpick into the matcha cake portion. The topping should look set and the cake should spring back when lightly pressed.
- Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or freeze individually wrapped cupcakes for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 25.5g | Protein: 20.4g | Fat: 7.3g | Saturated Fat: 4.3g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 2019mg | Potassium: 1356mg | Fiber: 17.4g | Sugar: 11.3g | Calcium: 379mg | Iron: 5mg
