INGREDIENTS

• Cupcakes
• • 2 cups all-purpose flour
• • 1¼ cups sugar
• • ¾ cup Dutch processed cocoa, sifted
• • 1 tsp baking powder
• • 2 tsp baking soda
• • ½ salt
• • 2 eggs
• • 1 cup vegetable oil
• • ¾ cup hot coffee
• • ¾ cup buttermilk
• • 2 tsp vanilla extract
• Matcha Fluff Filling
• • ⅓ cup water
• • ¾ cup sugar
• • ¾ cup honey
• • 3 egg whites, at room temp
• • ½ tsp cream of tartar
• • 3 Tbsp Aiya Culinary Grade Matcha, sifted
• • 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Ganache
• • 4 oz. chocolate
• • ¼ cup heavy cream
• Icing
• • ½ cup powdered sugar
• • 2 tsp Aiya Culinary Grade Matcha, sifted
• • 2 tsp milk
• • 1 tsp honey

DIRECTIONS

• Cupcakes
• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the cupcake tins with the liners.
• 2. Mix the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Mix the liquid ingredients in another mixing bowl. Add the wet ingredients into the dry, then mix vigorously with a large whisk until everything is incorporated.
• 3. Using a ⅓ cup measure, pour ⅓ cup of batter into each cupcake liner. Bake the cupcakes for about 12 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer the cupcakes to a rack to cool completely.
• Matcha Fluff Filling
• 1. Place the water, sugar, and honey in a large pot. Swirl the ingredients together with your finger, being careful not to let any sugar crystals set up on the edge of the pot. Place the pot over low-medium heat.
• 2. Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the cream of tartar, and start to whisk on low.
• 3. Meanwhile, check the water-sugar-honey mixture with a thermometer. The target temperature is 240°F.
• 4. Check the egg whites and stop the mixer when it looks like bubble bath-like foam. When the syrup has reached 240°F, take it off the heat and carefully and slowly pour it in with the foamy egg whites.
• 5. Increase the speed of the mixer to high and continue to mix for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, slowly add the Matcha and continue to mix. Add the vanilla and mix for another 1-2 minutes until you get stiff peaks.
• 6. Set aside in an airtight container at room temperature and use any extra within 2 weeks.
• Ganache
• 1. Place the chocolate in a bowl. Heat the cream to scalding and pour it over the chocolate. Let the chocolate melt then combine it with the cream until glossy and thick. Set aside.
• Icing
• 1. Combine the powdered sugar, Matcha, milk, and honey together in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Assemble the Cupcakes
• 1. Place some of the Matcha Fluff in a piping bag fitted with a medium-sized, star tip (I used #864). Insert the tip into the top center of each cupcake, then squeeze 1-2 tsp of the fluff into the cupcake. Use a flat spatula to smooth the fluff flush to the surface of the cupcake.
• 2. Dunk each filled cupcake into the ganache, then allow the icing to cool completely.
• 3. Place the Squiggly Icing into a piping bag fitted with a thin writing tip (I used #2). Draw a line of several loops across the center of each cupcake. Enjoy!!