Chocolate Cupcakes with Green Tea Pistachio Frosting

I missed making cupcakes. I don't remember the last time I made them. Something about repetitive motion of frosting and decorating cupcakes is meditative and calming. I have been thinking about this combination - chocolate, green tea and pistachio - for a while. How decadent would that be? Finally, I have an occasion/excuse - a birthday party.



I followed old fashioned chocolate cupcake recipe from Cupcake Bakeshop. I had some trouble with overflowing cupcakes in the oven but these cupcakes are the best chocolate cakes I have ever tasted - although not the pretties. They are light and fluffy with the most delicious crumbs and intense chocolate flavor.



After the cupcakes cooled, I whipped up green tea cream cheese frosting. My apartment is so cold this winter that even when I left butter and cream cheese out for hours, they are still hard. So whipping them took a bit of time.

Green Tea Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 8oz package cream cheese


• 1 stick butter


• 1 1/2 cups confectioner sugar


• 3 teaspoons Matcha powder


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Right after frosting the cupcakes, I dipped them in a bowl of chopped raw pistachios... I think I will be the most popular guest at the party tomorrow.