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Home » Frostings, Fillings & Decorations

Matcha Green Tea Buttercream Frosting

Modified: Jun 2, 2023 · Published: Jun 22, 2021 by Kachina · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

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This easy matcha green tea buttercream is light, creamy and full of delicious matcha flavour. It also has a hint of vanilla like a matcha latte in buttercream form!

easy matcha green tea buttercream frosting on electric hand mixer
Jump to:
  • ✏️ Why you'll love this recipe
  • 🥘 Ingredients
  • ♻️ Substitutions / Variations
  • 📖 Method
  • 💭 Top tips
  • 🎂 Frosting uses
  • ❔ Recipe FAQs
  • 🧁 Other goodies
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

✏️ Why you'll love this recipe

This recipe makes a vibrant green buttercream, so it’s great for a St. Paddy’s Day, Halloween or Christmas theme on your festive treats.

Matcha frosting is perfect for filling and icing your cakes and cupcakes (like my best matcha cupcakes), giving them a delicious green tea twist. It's perfect as a macaron filling too!

This easy matcha buttercream is based on my classic American-style buttercream, making it a simple frosting recipe full of rich matcha flavour.

As a self-confessed matcha addict, using this frosting to add matcha flavour to my baked goods is so dreamy!

🥘 Ingredients

This matcha buttercream frosting recipe calls for the following ingredients:

  • Unsalted butter: room temperature for softened butter that’s easier to beat.
  • Powdered icing sugar: sieve your confectioners’ sugar for a smooth frosting.
  • Matcha powder: use high-quality culinary or ceremonial grade for a vibrant green colour and the best taste. Sieve for smooth silky frosting.
  • Vanilla extract: use extract or paste instead of essence for a purer vanilla taste.
  • Milk: full-fat or semi-skimmed.
  • Salt (optional)

See the recipe card for quantities.

Top tip: For accuracy, it’s best to weigh your ingredients rather than using cups.

♻️ Substitutions / Variations

Ingredient alternatives

This matcha frosting recipe calls for semi-skimmed or whole milk. For an even more delicious creamy buttercream, you can instead swap the milk for heavy cream. Add a few extra tablespoon of cream to get a spreadable but thick consistency.

I like my frosting to be low in salt, so usually add an optional ⅛ teaspoon of salt.

Vegan option

To make vegan matcha buttercream frosting, i.e. dairy-free, you can swap the butter for a dairy-free baking block alternative. Use the solid kind rather than a liquid.

You can also swap the milk for a dairy-free alternative, such as almond milk or coconut milk.

If you’re baking for vegans, be sure to then use your vegan frosting on a vegan cupcake or cake too!

easy matcha green tea buttercream frosting on cupcakes

📖 Method

  1. Beat the butter (either by hand, using an electric mixer or stand mixer) until pale, light and fluffy. This could take several minutes.
  2. Sieve half of the icing sugar into the butter and beat until combined, then repeat with the remaining half of the icing sugar and the matcha powder.
  3. Add in the milk, vanilla extract and salt (if using), mixing until only just smooth.
  4. Frost your cupcakes, cakes, brownies, etc. and enjoy!

💭 Top tips

  • For creamy and airy matcha buttercream, beat your butter until it’s pale, light and fluffy first. This could take several minutes with an electric mixer.
  • If your matcha icing is too thick to pipe, then you can add more milk (½ tablespoon at a time) to thin the frosting until you get the desired consistency.
  • If your matcha frosting is too thin, you can try chilling it in the fridge for 15-20mins before use. Alternatively, you can beat in a few more tablespoons of butter to thicken it.

🎂 Frosting uses

You can use this matcha buttercream recipe to frost your cupcakes or cakes. This recipe makes enough to frost 10 cupcakes (regular size).

To frost a 3-layer 6-inch cake, between the layers and covering the top and sides, you'll need to double this recipe (scale up by x2). Or to frost a 3-layer 8-inch cake this way you'll need to triple this recipe (scale up by x3).

I love this green tea buttercream swirled on chocolate cupcakes. Dust over some cocoa powder or green tea powder to decorate and you’ll get a cute and easy chocolate matcha cupcake. It’s also especially tasty to frost lemon, vanilla or white chocolate cakes and cupcakes.

I also love making frosted blondies or matcha brownies using matcha buttercream too!

For something a bit different, you can use this frosting between two cookies to make filled sandwich cookies. This would be a delicious matcha filling for a black sesame shortbread. You can even roll them in toasted black sesame seeds for the ultimate black sesame and matcha combo!

Decorating

You can frost your baked goods with this buttercream by simply spreading the frosting with an offset spatula or knife.

Alternatively, you can pipe your buttercream using a piping bag and piping nozzle of your choice. When I frost cakes and cupcakes, I usually use the nozzles from this large piping tips set.

easy matcha green tea buttercream frosting on electric beaters

❔ Recipe FAQs

How long does homemade matcha buttercream last?

Your matcha buttercream should last for up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Can you freeze matcha buttercream?

Yes! You can freeze your matcha buttercream in an airtight container. Defrost and re-beat before use.

What is matcha?

Matcha is a fine powder made from the same plant as green tea. It is specially grown and processed from green tea leaves.

Can you bake with matcha powder?

Yes! When baking with matcha powder, be sure to use culinary grade (food grade) at a minimum, or ceremonial grade matcha powder for a more vibrant colour.
Matcha powder adds a delicious green tea flavour to your baked goods and will add a beautiful green too.
Matcha has a slightly bitter natural flavour, which makes it amazing when you have it in a matcha latte with some vanilla syrup (my personal Starbucks favourite). It’s even better used in desserts and sweet treats. The earthy green tea flavour is balanced beautifully by sweet flavours.
As it’s a very strong flavour, you don’t need much matcha green tea powder to flavour your baked goods.

What does matcha taste like?

Matcha has a slightly bitter natural flavour, earthy and similar to green tea. It has a distinctive flavour and a strong green colour.

How can I thicken my matcha frosting?

If your matcha frosting is too thin, you can try chilling it in the fridge for 10-20mins before use. Alternatively, you can beat in a few more tablespoons of butter to thicken it.

How can I thin my matcha frosting?

If your matcha frosting is too thick to spread easily, then you can stir some more coconut milk or coconut cream (½ tablespoon at a time) to thin the consistency.

How do you make green buttercream?

To make your buttercream green, add a few teaspoon of matcha powder for a natural green colour.

Is matcha buttercream gluten-free?

Yes, this matcha buttercream recipe is gluten-free.

🧁 Other goodies

Turn these delicious cakes into matcha buttercream cakes:

  • Lemon white chocolate cake
  • Lemon loaf cake
  • Strawberry vanilla cake

My favourite matcha dessert ideas:

  • Matcha white chocolate cake
  • Matcha buttercream cupcakes
  • Matcha Oreo cheesecake
  • Matcha white chocolate cookies
  • Black sesame shortbread with a matcha chocolate dip
  • Easy 3-ingredient matcha fudge
  • Fudgy matcha brownies

Plus, check out this collection of the best matcha dessert recipes.

For more great buttercream ideas, take a look at this purple ube buttercream or raspberry buttercream recipe.

Other Related Recipes:

  • Black sesame shortbread with a matcha dip recipe
    Black Sesame Matcha Shortbread
  • matcha green tea cheesecake with matcha powder dusted on top and oreos in front with a bowl of matcha on the side
    Matcha Green Tea No-Bake Cheesecake
  • Matcha green tea cupcakes with a matcha buttercream frosting and white chocolate drizzle
    Matcha Green Tea Cupcakes
  • easy matcha green tea cake with white chocolate ganache frosting and matcha powder dusting
    Easy Matcha White Chocolate Cake

Looking forward to some new recipes? Check out my Youtube, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest pages for a few sneak peeks and some sweet inspiration!

Or if you’d like to hear about our latest recipes, why not subscribe to our newsletter?

📖 Recipe

easy matcha green tea buttercream frosting on cupcakes

Matcha Green Tea Buttercream

Kachina
A delicious matcha green tea buttercream with a hint of vanilla - perfect for filling and frosting cakes and cupcakes!

Rate this recipe here:

4.20 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 15 minutes mins
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Fusion
Servings 10 servings

Ingredients
 

  • 125 g (⅔ cups) unsalted butter room temp.
  • 300 g (2 ½ cups) powdered icing sugar
  • 4 teaspoon matcha green tea powder
  • 1-2 tablespoon milk whole or semi-skimmed
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt optional

Instructions
 

  • Beat the butter (either by hand, using an electric mixer or stand mixer) until pale, light and fluffy. This could take several minutes.
  • Sieve half of the icing sugar into the butter and beat until combined, then repeat with the remaining half of icing sugar and the matcha powder.
  • Add in the milk, vanilla extract and salt (if using), mixing until only just smooth.
  • Frost your cupcakes, cakes, brownies, etc. and enjoy!

Notes

Serving size:
  • This recipe makes enough frosting for roughly 10-12 cupcakes, or to frost a single-layer 8-inch cake.
  • Scale up the recipe by x2 to fill and frost a 2-layer, 8-inch cake generously.
Storage: Keep matcha buttercream in an airtight container in the fridge. It should keep for up to 4 days.
Freezing: You can freeze your matcha buttercream in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost and re-beat before use.
Top tips:
  • Use softened room-temperature butter for ease of mixing.
  • For creamy frosting, beat your butter until it’s pale, light and fluffy first. This could take several minutes with an electric mixer.
  • Sieve your powdered icing sugar and matcha powder for a smooth frosting.
Substitutions:
  • You can swap the milk for any type of milk or cream for a richer frosting.

Nutrition

Calories: 213kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 6mg | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 395IU | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information is an estimate based on an online nutritional calculator, actual values may vary.

Tried this recipe?Mention @sweetmouthjoy or tag #sweetmouthjoy!

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Comments

  1. leena says

    July 21, 2021 at 10:28 am

    5 stars
    Wow! these look incredible and they sound fantastic. I'll definitely be trying these out!

    Reply
    • Sweet Mouth Joy says

      July 22, 2021 at 5:48 am

      Thanks Leena! Happy baking

      Reply
4.20 from 5 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Kachina from Sweet Mouth Joy

Hi there! I'm Kachina, and I'm a smidge obsessed with baking. I love making all things sweet and I hope I can convince you to join in my addiction by sharing some of my favourite dessert recipes with you.

Happy baking!

More about me →

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