Matcha Cupcakes with Matcha Cream Cheese Frosting

March 17 doesn't only mean St. Patricks day around my house, my husband shares his birthday with this beloved holiday. One Interesting fact about St Patties Day: In modern-day Ireland, St. Patrick's Day has traditionally been a religious occasion. In fact, up until the 1970s, Irish laws mandated that pubs be closed on March 17. Beginning in 1995, however, the Irish government changed this law, and last year, close to one million people took part in Ireland 's St. Patrick's Festival in Dublin. Pretty interesting considering everyone in the states associates the day with drinking. 

There are more facts here if you want to check them out. 

Since it was the hubby's birthday, it was his choice of cupcake flavors and living in Japan he has become very fond of Green Tea. So one day while at the local Japanese grocery store we came  a crossed a package of powdered green tea a.k.a matcha, and he requested a green tea cupcake. 

 This cupcake is meant for green tea lovers. Its green, moist, earthy and sweet.  When looking for recipes I noticed a lot of people complained that they couldn't taste the greed tea. A good quality matcha powder will help your cupcake take on the green tea flavor, I found a great recipe that I tweaked a little by adding some more matcha powder and came up with a awesome matcha cream cheese frosting. This is a excellent cupcake for st. patty's day because of course its green ;) but you can make this cupcake anytime where a cup of tea would be better eaten as a cupcake.

Matcha Cupcakes with Matcha Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from Showfood Chef 

Yields: 15-24 cupcakes (depends on the size paper liners you use)

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 oz (1 stick plus 2 table spoons) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
2/3 cups milk
2-3 tablespoons matcha powder

Directions

- preheat oven to 350 degrees and line your cupcake pans with paper liners
- In a small bowl combined your dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, and matcha powder, whisk together and set aside.
- In a electric mixer beat your butter and sugar together until light and fluffy about 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs in one at a time until each one is fully incorporated.
- Add in the dry ingredients and milk in 3 batches alternating between the two until all is incorporated.
- Fill your cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake at 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

isn't green pretty

Matcha Cream Cheese Frosting
Oshii Treats Original

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temp
8 oz cream cheese
4 cups powdered sugar
1 table spoon milk
2-3 tablespoons matcha powder (depends on how much green tea taste you like)

Directions

- In a electric mixer combine your butter and cream cheese and beat on high until smooth about 3 minutes.
- Add in your powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until full incorporated, adding in your milk to help thin it out.
- Mix in your matcha powder and whip on high until mixed throughly and fluffy about another 3-4 minutes.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

I love me some veggies in my cupcakes, who doesn't!  Its a great way to sneak in some vegetables and not feel so guilty eating a delicious cupcake or 2 ;)....okay who am I kidding, there's not that much veggies in a carrot cake cupcake, it would be better if you just ate a carrot.  But at least you dont feel as guilty eating carrot cake as you would say a chocolate cupcake :)  

I made these moist and delicious cupcakes for a birthday party last night, paired with a slightly tangy lemon cream cheese frosting it was the perfect addition that put these cupcakes over the top and made them a huge hit at the party.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Adapted from Paula Deen

Yields 24-28 cupcakes

Ingredients 

2 cups flour

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups canola oil

3 cups grated carrots

Directions

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line your cupcake pans with 24 liners

- In a electric mixer combined your flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and mix together on low for 30 seconds.

- Add in your oil and eggs and mix until completely combined

- Mix in your grated carrot and mix until fully combined into the batter.

- Using a ice cream scoop, fill your cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean, remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

6 tablespoons butter, at room temp 

12 tablespoons cream cheese, cold

1 tablespoon lemon juice

4 cups powdered sugar

Directions

- In a electric mixer beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

- Add in the lemon juice and slowly 1/4 cup at a time add in the powdered sugar until all of the powdered sugar is completely incorporated. 

- Beat the frosting for another 2-3 minutes and pipe onto your cupcakes.

Oreo Cheesecake Cupcake

There was another birthday this Friday, my friend and co worker Mark is turning 31 and I asked what type of cupcake he would like and instantly everyone else piped in with what they wanted...of course lol. Mostly they wanted me to make the cookies and cream cupcake again. But after thoughtful consideration and compromise we agreed on an Oreo Cheesecake Cupcake and Mark was very pleased :)  oh Oreo's you hold a special place in everyone's heart.

Okay I want to share some big news. I've been feeling anxious, nervous and excited to begin my new career path in the military. For the last 9 years I've been a AGE mechanic, basically a grease monkey that works on all support equipment for every type of aircraft. I change tires, oil, engines you name it.
Well a draw back to that line of work comes in the form of chemicals; Jet fuel, oil, hydraulic fluid, grease etc.
For years my skin has been exposed to the corrosive substance and while on a deployment in Iraq last year I started to become allergic to the chemicals. I would break out all over my body, I developed very bad eczema and for the entire 8 months in Iraq I was on a constant diet of steroids and antihistamines to help, but nothing really did.
 It also didn't help that the shop we worked out of didn't have running water, so I wasn't able to wash my hands when they were dirty and working 12-13 hours shifts, 6 days a week I was over exposed on a daily basis. After coming home from Iraq the doctors thought it would be in my best interest to change jobs, the only thing that truly helps me is reducing my exposure in the workplace.  So after 9 years of working my bum off as a mechanic I will be leaving for tech school this month to become a........PARALEGAL! Talk about a total 180 degree change.

Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes
From Martha Stewarts book Cupcakes

Ingredients
30 Whole Oreo's and 12 Chopped Oreo's (I also added some extra crushed mini oreo's in the batter)
2 lbs Cream cheese = 4 (8oz) 1/3 reduced fat cream cheese
1 Cup Sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 Large Eggs (beaten)
1 Cup light Sour Cream
pinch of salt

Directions
Preheat the to 275 degrees
Line a cupcake tin and place a whole Oreo in each cupcake liner.
Beat the cream cheese in a electric mixer on medium high speed until smooth, gradually add your  sugar. Add the vanilla, mix until combined and slowly add the beaten eggs. Add your sour cream and salt beat until combined.  Stir in your crushed oreos. Fill your cupcake liner to almost the top. Bake for 22-25 minutes rotating the pan once half way through.  Cool on a wire rack and place in the fridge for 4 hours to set or over night.
*I had some issues with moisture, if I let the cheesecake cool in the tin it started to sweat and the liners would get very damp. To stop that I immediately would remove the cheesecake from the tins after coming out of the oven and let them cool in their liners on the wire rack and once cooled down I transfered them to the fridge.

*Update, I also linked up with Fabulous Friday too share my Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes and to see what other wonderful bloggers have posted for this fun event. If you want to join check out the site. Fabulous Friday and I also linked up with Freedom Fridays  another fun Friday event.