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Vegan Matcha Cupcakes

Delicious with a subtle green tea flavor, these vegan matcha cupcakes are moist, fluffy, and perfectly topped with a lusciously green matcha frosting.

Why You’ll Love These Vegan Matcha Cupcakes

These vegan matcha cupcakes come together quickly and easily with just a few basic pantry ingredients. You may need to make a special stop for the green tea powder but otherwise, if you stock a vegan pantry these cupcakes are simple to make and they taste great.

Helpful Equipment To Make Matcha Cupcakes

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Stand mixer or hand mixer
• Cupcake/muffin tray
• Large portioning scoop
• Mixing bowl
• Piping bags for your frosting

Ingredients To Make These Cupcakes

Matcha Cupcakes:

• 1 and 3/4 cups of All Purpose Flour
• 1 cup of White Granulated Sugar
• 1 teaspoon of Baking Soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of Salt
• 3 tablespoons of Matcha Green Tea Powder
• 1 cup of Vegan Buttermilk (1 tablespoon of Distilled White Vinegar + 1 cup of Soy Milk mixed)
• 1/2 cup of Canola Oil (or Vegetable Oil)
• 1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

Matcha Frosting:

• 1/2 cup of Vegan Butter
• 4 cups of Powdered Sugar
• 2 tablespoons of Matcha Green Tea Powder
• 2–3 tablespoons of Soy Milk (or other non-dairy milk)

How To Make A Green Tea Cupcake

Line a full-sized cupcake tray with 12 cupcake liners and set it aside. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Combine the dry ingredients by sifting the all-purpose flour into a mixing bowl with the white granulated sugar, baking soda, salad, and matcha powder. Mix to combine.

Make the vegan buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar to a measuring jug and then adding soy milk up to the 1 cup (240ml) line. Let the buttermilk mixture sit for a few minutes until it curdles and thickens.

Pour the vegan buttermilk, canola oil, and vanilla extract into the dry ingredients to make the batter. Be careful not to overmix.

Pour the batter into the 12 cupcake liners, distributing the batter evenly.

Bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean.

Allow the cupcakes to cool in the cupcake tray for a few minutes. Once they are cool enough, transfer them to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling off before frosting them.

To make the matcha frosting combine the vegan butter, powdered sugar, matcha powder, and 2 tablespoons of soy milk in the bowl of your stand mixer.

Starting at a slow speed and gradually increasing the speed until the frosting becomes thick and smooth. If you find it gets too thick you can add a little more soy milk, one tablespoon at a time.

Once the cupcakes are completely cooled you can pipe on the frosting.

• prep time 10 mins
• cook time 20 mins

All About Vegan Matcha Cupcakes

Vegan matcha cupcakes combine two of my favorite things; cupcakes and matcha tea. Matcha green tea is a tea powder from Japan that has a slightly bitter, earthy flavor and is said to have many health benefits as it is loaded with antioxidants.

I am a huge fan of vegan cupcakes which I always drink with a matcha latte. This recipe combines these two flavors perfectly. The cupcakes have a nice soft velvety texture and a deep green tea flavor.

Variations of Matcha Cupcakes

• Use a mini muffin tray and bake 24 mini matcha cupcakes.
• Frost with a vanilla buttercream frosting instead of matcha.

Tips and Tricks/Notes

• It is important to measure the flour accurately. If you are using measuring cups the best way to measure the flour is with the spoon and level method. Scoop the flour into the measuring cup and use a knife to level it off.  Try not to scoop the flour or pack it into the cup. Another method is to use a food scale to weigh the flour which will give you the most accurate results.
• Use the best quality matcha you can find.
• If the frosting is a bit thin you can add more powdered sugar or place the piping bag in the fridge to allow the frosting to thicken up.
• Allow the vegan butter to come to room temperature before you start baking so it has a chance to soften slightly.

How To Store These Cupcakes

These matcha cupcakes will stay fresh for 2-3 days if you store them in an airtight container on the kitchen counter.

To extend their freshness you can place them in the fridge for up to one week, also covered or in an airtight container.

These matcha cupcakes are also freezer friendly and will keep for up to 3 months. You can freeze them with the matcha buttercream or without.

FAQs

What are some recipes for vegan cupcakes.

This recipe for vegan matcha cupcakes is great but I’ve also got Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes or this recipe for Vegan Gluten Free Banana Bread which can easily be baked up in a cupcake/muffin tray.

Do vegan cupcakes taste good?

Yes! Vegan cupcakes taste amazing. There is no need to compromise on flavor when you are making vegan cupcake recipes.

Why does matcha turn brown when baked?

Just the process of baking matcha along with the other ingredients makes it change color. It still tastes good and will still have the matcha green tea taste in spite of the brownish color.

Conclusion

These vegan matcha cupcakes are soft and moist with a deep green tea flavor and a decadent matcha frosting. Perfect for an afternoon snack or treat after dinner.

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