Green tea cupcakes

Green tea cupcakes

Ingredients list:

• Caster sugar 125g
• Cornflour 65g
• Bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp
• Matcha tea powder 2 tsp
• Eggs 4
• Salt
• Butter 80g

Green tea icing:

• Icing sugar 125g
• Butter 40g
• Cream cheese 100g
• Matcha tea powder 1 Tbsp
• Lemon juice 2Tbsp

Cream the butter and sugar until light.

Then add the egg yolks (or the whole eggs if in a hurry). If you have the time, whisk the whites separately.

Add the cornflour and green tea powder.

Mix well.

Fold in the whites- if you have separated them. I often don’t do that to save time and the result is pretty much the same!

Spoon the mixture into the muffins cases.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 180º- they are ready when they raise and do not colour.

Now onto the next stage: Decorating is healing and stress-busting so take your time to enjoy this!

While they bake, mix the icing sugar, lemon juice, soft butter and cream cheese.

Beat with a whisk until fluffy, being careful to crush any lumps and get a silky smooth result. Taste and add lemon or sugar if necessary. Put in the fridge until needed.

Take the cupcakes out of the oven. Let them cool down.

Use a piping bag and nozzle to decorate your cupcakes with the cream. Make a nice swirl and put a sugar bud or a rose in the middle. Sprinkle a dust of Matcha.

Et voilà! I made those for a friend to share in the afternoon but you could just have them plain with a cup of coffee as a morning treat.

Dainty and light, ready to go!

Recipe inspired by “Les cordons bleus de Londres”, published for the association Enfants du Mekong, Londres.

My Carrot cake

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The thought of carrot rarely raises lustful memories but as a humble winter vegetable it elevates itself to dizzying heights of seduction when baked into a spongy, moist and spicy cake… I made it as a treat last week-end for a posse of ravenous ten-year olds and I long for it again as a cold Friday closes in…

Shared with my beloved and a boiling cup of tea, it is my cake of choice on a dark evening! You can also use the mix in a muffin for a special treat…

Ingredients:

370g self-raising wholemeal flour

300g brown sugar

1 teaspoon raising powder

1 large spoon of cinnamon

15 cl rapeseed oil

4 large eggs

vanilla extract

180g shredded coconut

180g grated carrot

1 grated apple

For the filling and topping:

1/2 small tub of cream cheese and ½ tub of mascarpone

Roughly same quantity of icing sugar.

A few drops of lemon juice  : I sometimes cut corners by using 2 spoonfuls of good lemon curd instead – and reducing the sugar.

Warm the oven at 180 degree Celsius. Oil and line 2 sandwich tins. Mix all the dry ingredients in a big bowl. Add the oil, beaten eggs and vanilla. If the mix is on the dry side, add a little milk. It must be heavy but still moist.

Fold in the grated carrots and coconut, apple optional. Bake for 35min at 180.

Mix the mascarpone, cream cheese, icing sugar and lemon juice together. I use roughly the same quantity of sugar than cream. This is not about skimping on calories ! Use  a hand whisk to get a fluffy cream and add spoonfuls of sugar. Spread in between the two cakes and on top. Decorate with coloured vermicelli or whole pecan nuts.

ENJOY…

© dianecomtefrost