Chocolate Banana Cupcakes with Matcha Frosting
Use Matcha Green Tea powder to naturally die frosting for these festive St. Patricks Day cupcakes. Perfect for green occasions or any occasion.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 bananas, mashed*
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips or chunks
MATCHA FROSTING:
- 2 sticks butter, at room temp
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 teaspoons matcha powder
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, optional
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 and line a 12 muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.
- In a separate bowl mix together the wet ingredients with the sugar: buttermilk, oil, vanilla, 2 mashed bananas, and 1 egg.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine. Stir in the chocolate chips or chunks (I like to roughly chop chocolate chunks for these muffins).
- Divide the batter out into 12 muffins (the batter will be dense and sticky). Bake for 5 minutes at 425 then turn the heat down to 375 and bake for 12-14 minutes or until you press the top of the cupcake with your finger and the cake bounces back. Let cool in pan for a couple minutes then transfer to a wire rack.
For the frosting:
- Once the cupcakes have cooled, use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment to whip up the butter, powdered sugar, matcha, almond extract and salt. Use a spatula to transfer the frosting to a frosting bag. Swirl icing out onto the cupcakes.
Notes
For the bananas to add a caramelized flavor you can caramelize them on the stove top with a tablespoon of the sugar. Cook, stirring and mashing with a spatula, for 3-5 minutes on medium low. For the matcha frosting, since many of the matcha powdered differ in strength and color, add 1/2 teaspoon at a time to test the color and flavor. Adding the matcha gradually will ensure that you have perfectly colored and flavored frosting