I am obsessed with matcha. I am obsessed with chocolate cake (including cupcakes). Thus it comes as no surprise that I’d end up making some sort of matcha frosting to go with chocolate cake. Best decision ever.
This past weekend, as I stared gleefully at a fresh-baked batch of dark chocolate cupcakes, I pondered what kind of matcha frosting to make. Traditional buttercream? A play on cream cheese? I’d tried a matcha buttercream in the past and found it too sweet, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try my hand at a matcha cream cheese version. What could go wrong… a little sweet, a little tart, a little matcha-bitter.
What did go wrong? Nothing! And what’s even more exciting? I used nuefchatel cheese as a substitute for regular cream cheese to cut out some extra calories and saturated fat. Whoo, nothing like making something indulgent just a little bit healthier, am I right?
Anyway, I was extremely pleased with the results (and so did my co-worker taste testers!); a delightfully creamy, tart and tangy, full of matcha flavor frosting! The best of all worlds. I was a little aggressive on the matcha, but I absolutely love this flavor that I was more than willing to risk a touch of bitterness in exchange for the bold aroma to shine through. This matcha frosting (whose flavor only gets better after sitting) turned a beautiful compliment to the chocolate cupcakes; not that I doubted it would be, but it was a pleasant result regardless!
Click here for accompanying recipe: Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
- 5 tbs butter, softened
- 8 oz cream cheese (neufchatel cheese)
- 1 3/4 c confectioners sugar; more as desired
- 2 1/2 tbs matcha powder (or until desired taste is achieved)
- Beat softened butter and cream cheese (neufchatel) together with electric mixer until well mixed.
- Slowly incorporate and beat in confectioners sugar until of desired sweetness/consistency.
- Add in match powder and mix until well incorporated. (As I noted, I was a little aggressive on the matcha so feel free to add less, but I absolutely love this flavor and found that the tarty-sweetness of the base frosting was a great compliment to the otherwise bitter matcha.)
- Fill pastry bag with frosting, pipe, and enjoy!
- This recipe comfortably frosts a batch of 12 cupcakes.
- For cupcakes, larger pastry tips are more favorable for frosting jobs. I used the Wilton 1A round tip (similar to Ateco round size 8 tip) for the cupcakes pictured here.
-pfht
Hi
I loved your matcha frosting recipe. I used it in a non-bake oreo cheesecake, with yours matcha frosting.
Here is the other recipe, from which I used the base. http://www.foodnetwork.co.uk/recipes/no-bake-bourbon-biscuit-lime-cheesecake.html
Hi Stig– I’m so glad you enjoyed it! That recipe and your creative combination sound divine; it’s hard to go wrong with bourbon :)
-E
Can the frosting be made ahead?
Yes, the frosting can absolutely be made ahead! Due to the nature of dairy, I recommend using within three days of making it, and refrigerating until ready to use. It may need to be re-whipped again too. Let me know how it turns out!
-E
what speed should i use with the electric mixer?
Hi santiara! It depends on which mixer you have, but I would recommend starting on a low-medium setting first to break up and soften the cream cheese and butter, then add speed as the ingredients emulsify! Let me know if this works for you!