Green Tea Cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients:

1/2 cup soy yogurt

2/3 cup rice milk (or soy)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3 teaspoon matcha tea powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sugar

Green Tea Glaze Ingredients:

2 tablespoon margarine
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon matcha tea powder
1 or 2 tablespoon rice milk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
drops of vanilla extract

Cupcake Recipe Instructions:
1. Preheat oven 350°F and line muffin pans with cupcake liners
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, rice milk, vanilla, oil and almond extract, beating well to blend in yogurt. Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, matcha tea powder, salt and sugar. Beat until no more lumps remain. Fill liners two-thirds full and bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted through the center of one comes out clean. Cool on racks before topping with glaze.

Glaze Recipe Instructions:
With a fork, beat margarine to fluff, then mix in confectioners’ sugar and matcha tea powder to form a crumbly mixture. Slowly beat in 1 tablespoon rice milk, the almond extract, and the vanilla. If icing is too thick to spread, pour in additional rice milk a tablespoon at a time and mix until desired consistency is reached.

Recipe by Marie-Pascale des Rosiers, Picture by Liz Marsh