Matcha Cupcakes with Green Tea Frosting

These fluffy matcha cupcakes are sweet, soft, and tender topped with a swirl of silky smooth matcha green tea buttercream frosting. They have a delicate matcha flavor that'll take you to matcha heaven!

Matcha is one of my favorite ingredients to bake with. I'm obsessed with matcha desserts like this matcha cheesecake and white chocolate matcha muffins. Sugar paired with grassy green tea powder is a match made in heaven! These delicious matcha cupcakes are no different!

These green cupcakes are fluffy, tender, and have a moist crumb. They're full of earthy, rich matcha flavor and topped with the best silky smooth American matcha buttercream you'll ever make. They taste like little matcha lattes in cupcake form!

For more cupcake recipes, try these almond cupcakes, honey cupcakes with honey buttercream, pistachio raspberry cupcakes, or tiramisu cupcakes next.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Bakery-style matcha cupcake recipe- You won't believe you made these cupcakes at home. With the best texture and perfectly smooth American buttercream, they taste like they're from a professional bakery!
• Not too sweet- The cupcakes are lightly sweetened so that you get a lot of pure green tea flavor that matcha lovers will adore. Smooth buttercream compliments the delicate matcha; it isn't heavy or overpowering like ganache and doesn't immediately deflate like whipped cream.
• Moist and tender- Because of the buttermilk, the cupcakes are super moist and stay moist for 4 days with proper storage.
• Easy to make- These cupcakes do require a mixer but are still easy to make in under an hour with basic baking equipment.

Ingredient Notes

Here are some notes about the ingredients used. For quantities and full instructions, see the recipe card below.

• All purpose flour- This type of flour adds structure while keeping the cupcakes light and fluffy. It's easy to overmeasure with measuring cups (making the cupcakes dry), so use a kitchen scale for the best results.
• Baking powder- This leavener reacts with heat to make the cupcakes rise as they bake. Make sure it isn't expired so it works best!
• Salt- A pinch of salt balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavor. Use kosher salt or sea salt for the best results; table salt is too strong.
• Matcha powder- Matcha is a Japanese powder made of dried green tea leaves. It has a slightly sweet, grassy, and earthy flavor. For these cupcakes, look for high quality ceremonial grade matcha. This matcha has a bright green color (almost neon green) and is less bitter compared to culinary grade matcha. Culinary grade has a duller brown or yellow color and is usually reserved for baking instead of drinking, but I like to bake with it because it tastes the best! Also make sure you are using pure matcha powder and not a pre-sweetened matcha drink mix. My favorite brands are Matchaful and Ippodo.
• Unsalted butter- Butter adds richness, moisture, and is creamed with the sugar to create a fluffy texture. Pull it out of the refrigerator 1-2 hours before you start baking to room temperature (which makes it easier to mix!).
• Granulated sugar- Sweetens the cupcakes and helps them retain moisture.
• Large eggs- 2 eggs bind the ingredients together and add a rich flavor. Pull them out of the refrigerator with the butter to reach room temperature.
• Vanilla extract- Pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste have the best flavor.
• Buttermilk- Adds more moisture and acidity to the cupcakes. The acid breaks up the tough gluten strands so the cupcakes are extra soft.
• Powdered sugar- Also called icing sugar or confectioners' sugar, this sweetens the matcha frosting and thickens it by absorbing excess moisture from the butter.
• Heavy cream- I use this to thin out the frosting and make it perfect for piping. Heavy cream or half and half have the best flavor, but whole milk works too.

Ingredient Additions and Variations

• Add filling- Cut out the center of the cupcakes with a piping tip or cupcake corer and fill them with strawberry filling, blueberry cake filling, salted caramel, or cherry filling.
• Different frosting- Matcha cupcakes are also delicious frosted with strawberry cream cheese frosting, blueberry buttercream, whipped raspberry ganache, or white chocolate ganache. Matcha goes so well with almost any flavor!

Helpful Equipment and Tools

You'll need an aluminum cupcake pan lined with cupcake liners. Avoid using glass pans, as they conduct heat differently and can affect baking. Skip black or silicone pans, too, since they tend to overbake or burn the cupcakes.

For mixing, I recommend a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer. Both work equally as well.

To decorate, grab a piping bag and piping tip for beautifully piped frosting! I used the Wilton 1M.

Step by Step Instructions

Before baking, add paper liners to the cupcake pan and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).

Step 1: Sift the all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and matcha powder through a fine mesh sieve into a large mixing bowl. Mix to combine and set aside.

Step 2: Using your stand mixer with the paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer, beat the softened butter and sugar together on high speed for 3-5 minutes until pale and fluffy.

Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula occasionally so everything gets mixed evenly.

Step 3: Next, beat in the eggs and vanilla extract on low speed until fully combined.

Step 4: With the mixer on medium-low, mix in the dry ingredients and the buttermilk. Alternate between the two 3 times, starting with the dry and ending with the buttermilk.

You can do this while simultaneously mixing or stopping and starting the mixer each time.

Step 5: Gently spoon the batter into the cupcake tin, filling the liners ⅔ or ¾ to the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached to ensure they aren't overbaked.

Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the hot pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely as you make the frosting.

Step 6: For the matcha buttercream, cream the butter on high in a large bowl for 8-10 minutes with a hand mixer or stand mixer. This is essential for a super fluffy buttercream. Stop the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Step 7: Beat in all of the matcha powder and half of the powdered sugar on low for 3 minutes. Then, add in the other half of the powdered sugar and mix on low for another 3 minutes.

Step 8: Once the powdered sugar is fully incorporated, add the cold heavy cream 1-2 tablespoons at a time until the desired consistency is reached. The buttercream should have soft peaks.

Step 9: Frost each cupcake using a piping bag, butter knife, or the back of a spoon. Add a dusting of matcha powder and enjoy!

If you don't have a piping, you can use a Ziplock bag. Fill it with frosting, snip off one of the corners, and use it to frost your cupcakes!

Expert Baking Tips

1. Use room temperature ingredients. Make sure the butter and eggs are at room temperature so they blend into the batter easily.
2. Measure the ingredients correctly. Measure the ingredients with a kitchen scale for the most accurate bake. If you don't have a kitchen scale, measure the flour using the spoon and level method. Fluff up your flour with a fork, scoop it into a measuring cup, and level it off with a knife.
3. Sift the dry ingredients. Matcha and flour both tend to clump together, so sifting creates a uniform batter.
4. Don't overfill the cupcake liners. Filling the liners half full prevents the cupcakes from rising too much in the oven and spilling over. Use a small measuring cup, ice cream scoop, or cookie scoop to distribute the batter.
5. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting. The buttercream will melt and slide off if the cupcakes are too hot.

Storage Instructions

Store unfrosted matcha cupcakes in an airtight container on the counter for 3-4 days.

If the cupcakes are frosted, store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let them soften on the counter for 30 minutes before serving

Freezing Instructions

Both unfrosted cupcakes and buttercream can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Store them in separate airtight containers or freezer bags.

Thaw the cupcakes and buttercream overnight in the refrigerator. Then let them soften on the counter for about an hour before serving.