These vegan matcha tea cupcakes bring a new meaning to the term "tea cake". If you are a matcha tea lover, you'll especially enjoy these cupcakes. Matcha tea is a beautiful green tea powder from Japan—it's slightly bitter taste is recognizable here, however, when combined with sugar and vanilla, the flavour is rounded out nicely for a perfect green tea infused confection. Makes approx. 16 cupcakes.
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Why This Recipe Works
Matcha tea powder is an easy way to add green tea flavour to baked goods. While matcha powder is quite earthy in flavour, when it's paired with vanilla and sugar, it creates lovely notes of sweetness followed by an authentic green tea flavour. However, my recipe strikes a balance between sweetness and green tea flavour—it's not overpowering on either end of the spectrum.
Matcha powder is seamlessly mixed into the dry ingredients and frosting to create the beautiful natural jade colour for these cupcakes—these are essentially vanilla cupcakes with green tea infused into them. And it works so well.
This unique cupcake recipe is easy to make, dairy-free, beautifully and naturally coloured and perfect for the matcha tea lover. However, as matcha tea power contains caffeine, this recipe is not suitable for children or those with a caffeine sensitivity.
5 Star Review
"After trying 5 different recipes I found this one and it was by far the best! Simple, and so tasty! I tried half with the matcha buttercream as directed and half without the matcha in the frosting, I personally like the one without so that the flavor wasn't too overpowering and it gave it a good balance between the cake and the frosting but both were really tasty!"
Ingredients & Substitutions
For the full detailed ingredient list and quantities of each, please see the recipe card further down the post.
Coconut Oil: this is used for the cupcake base and the frosting. You can substitute with vegan butter in equal measure. However, because vegan butters are usually salted, you should reduce the amount of salt called for by about ½.
Arrowroot powder: this acts as a binding agent similar to how eggs would. You can also use cornstarch or an egg-replacer powder in equal measure.
All-purpose flour: for the base of the cupcakes. Avoid using cake or pastry flour because of it's lower gluten content—this recipe doesn't use eggs and the texture may end up crumbly.
Matcha Powder: There are several grades of matcha tea powder, however, I like to use a ceremonial grade because it has a much more vibrant green colour. Culinary matcha power is much less vibrant and can turn a bit brownish once baked. Both types taste like matcha tea, however, if you're not concerned about colour, opt for culinary matcha—it's cheaper and widely available in larger quantities (ceremonial matcha powder often runs $50 or more for a small quantity).
Baking powder: Because matcha powder is not very acidic as compared to other teas, it's important to use baking powder which contains the base and acid component necessary for creating rise in the cupcakes.
Granulated sugar: if you are concerned about using sugar that is vegan friendly (meaning it hasn't been processed with bone char), please use an organic cane sugar which will work just as well.
Vanilla extract: You can also use a vanilla bean paste.
Unsweetened non-dairy milk: I prefer to use almond milk, however, I have also used lite coconut milk, oat milk and soy milk for this recipe in equal measure. You can use whichever dairy-free milk or plant-based milk you prefer, however, full-fat coconut milk will be too thick for this recipe and make the cupcakes rather dense.
Confectioners Sugar: also called icing sugar or powdered sugar. This creates the flavour and additional structure to the matcha frosting.
Step by Step Guide
For the full detailed instructions on how to make my vegan matcha cupcakes, please see the recipe card further down the post.
STEP 1: After preheating the oven and lining a 12-tin muffin pan with paper, you'll need to mix together the arrowroot powder and water.
STEP 2: Beat the non-dairy butter and then beat in the sugar.
STEP 3: Add in the arrowroot mixture and vanilla and beat again until combined.
STEP 4: Sift together the flour, baking powder, matcha powder and salt.
STEP 5: Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternating with the non-dairy milk in two additions.
STEP 6: Portion the batter into the pan and bake. Cool completely.
STEP 7: Beat the non-dairy butter then add in the confectioners sugar and vanilla and beat until combined.
STEP 8: Add the non-dairy milk one tablespoon at a time.
STEP 9: Beat in the match powder until smooth.
STEP 10: Place the frosting in a piping bag and decorate the tops of the cupcakes.
You can watch step-by-step how to make this recipe on my YouTube channel. The video is linked here:
Helpful Tips
- Do not to over mix the cupcake batter—this can prevent the cupcakes from rising evenly. Over mixed batter can also result in uneven baking and peaked tops (as opposed to domed ones). Moreover it can lead to tunnels and air pockets forming because of the increased gluten formation.
- Make sure to sift the matcha tea power because it can often contain clumps, particularly in non-ceremonial grades.
- If you opt to use coconut oil for the frosting, make sure it's not in a liquid form—you want the coconut oil to be soft but not liquefied, otherwise the frosting won't work.
- Beating can cause the coconut oil to heat up slightly which may make it melt. If the frosting gets too soft to pipe, place it in the fridge to firm up for about 15-20 minutes before piping.
Storage
Storage: These frosted vegan matcha cupcakes should be stored in the fridge covered for up to 3 days, although they are best served on the first day to preserve the bright colour of the frosting.
Freezing: you can store the un-frosted cupcakes in an airtight, freezer safe container with a lid for up to 1 month. Defrost the cupcakes in the fridge overnight before frosting and serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are three main grades of matcha tea: ceremonial, premium and culinary. It’s important to distinguish between the different kinds because they each contain different amounts of chlorophyll which will impart varying degrees of green colour and flavour to baked goods.
Culinary grade matcha is clumpier, less vibrant, and tastes more subtle.
Ceremonial and premium grades are bright green, very finely ground and taste strongly of green tea. Ceremonial grade matcha is quite expensive, which often leads home bakers to resort to a culinary and/or premium grade to impart flavour without breaking the bank.
While culinary grade is usually sufficient for most baking applications, it important to note that ceremonial and premium grades will provide a brilliant green colour to your baked goods that culinary grades simply can't. For the sake of colour alone, the added expense of using a quality ceremonial or premium grade is key. If you're only interested in green tea flavour, opt for a culinary grade. The image below illustrates the difference in colour brilliance between the culinary and ceremonial grades.
More Recipes
If you love this recipe, you may also enjoy these favourites:
Vegan Triple Chocolate Sweet Potato Cupcakes
Jumbo Vegan Chocolate Beet Cupcakes
If you made my Vegan Matcha Tea Cupcakes please leave me a comment below with a star rating; it really helps others who are interested in making the recipe. For more from The Simple Green, follow me on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest. Consider becoming a subscriber to receive emails of new recipes and posts.
Vegan Matcha Tea Cupcakes
Ingredients
- ¾ cup softened coconut oil, or non-dairy butter
- 3 teaspoon arrowroot powder, or egg-replacer powder
- 6 tablespoon water
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon matcha tea powder, see notes
- 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups unsweetened non-dairy milk
Frosting
- 1 cup non-dairy butter, or softened coconut oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 ½ cups confectioners sugar
- 2 tablespoon matcha tea powder, ceremonial grade
- 3-4 tablespoon unsweetened non-dairy milk
Instructions
Make the cupcake base
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a 12-tin muffin pan with papers. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the arrowroot powder and water and mix until combined. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl beat the non-dairy butter for 30 seconds or until light and fluffy. Add in the sugar and beat until well combined. Add in the arrowroot mixture and vanilla and beat just until combined.
- In another bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, matcha powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternating with the non-dairy milk in two additions. Be careful, not to over-mix the batter.
- Portion the batter into your lined cupcakes pans about ⅔ full and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and carefully remove the cupcakes from the pan and transfer the cupcakes onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with any remaining batter.
Prepare the matcha tea frosting
- Beat the non-dairy butter in a large bowl on high for 30 seconds. Gradually add in the confectioners sugar and beat until well combined. Add in vanilla and beat until combined.
- Add the non-dairy milk one tablespoon at a time, making sure to beat well after each addition. Be sure to add the milk one tablespoon at a time because you may not need the full amount. You want the frosting to be thick, but not so thick that it won't pipe easily, or so thin that it won't hold a shape.
- Add in the matcha powder and beat until it is well combined. Place the frosting in a piping bag fitted with a desired tip then pipe each cupcake.
Notes
Nutrition
This is an approximation of the nutrition offered in this recipe, and is created using a nutrition calculator. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your preferred calculator.
Disclaimer
all recipes on The Simple Green are developed and tested in a Canadian kitchen, at normal elevation, using electric appliances and ingredients available in Canada. Results may vary.
I followed this recipe to make my birthday cake during quarantine. It's so simple, yet so rewarding. I used 2 eggs instead of egg replacer, since I am not vegan, and the cake came out amazingly. The texture of mine was dense (similar to the density/consistency of a Georgetown cupcake for reference.) The frosting is divine. I ran out of coconut oil when I got to making the frosting and ended up having to use butter. While it was tasty, I can only imagine how much better it would have tasted with coconut oil. Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear it, Tasha! Thank you for the lovely feedback and Happy birthday 🙂
After trying 5 different recipes I found this one and it was by far the best! Simple, and so tasty! I tried half with the matcha buttercream as directed and half without the matcha in the frosting, I personally like the one without so that the flavor wasn't too overpowering and it gave it a good balance between the cake and the frosting but both were really tasty!
I am so happy to hear it, Lili 🙂 Thank you for making my recipe and sharing your thoughts!
Oh also I ended up using vegan butter and unsweetened almond milk, worked out amazingly!
🙂
I love the green tea in these cupcakes. They taste so good! Thank you for the recipe!
I'm so glad to hear it 🙂