Made With Love.

My little sister doesn't venture into the kitchen much, because i'm a hoarder and our tiny apartment kitchen gets a little too cramped for comfort with more than one person. But when she does, she bakes the most delicious things and these were truly no exception.

In fact they were so good i just had to rave about them here.

A bite into these petite babies reveal a red bean paste filling although much of its taste is lost in the creamy, subtle green tea frosting. But once all the hype your tastebuds have been making about the delicious frosting that complements the moist cupcake batter so well dies down, the red bean paste starts to shine through, leaving a pleasant, textured aftertaste. I scoffed down two at one go :)

Ahh, the benefits of being an older sister :)

Mooncakes Cupcakes [taken from Cupcake Bakeshop]


Ingredients
1 1/4 cups red adzuki beans
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar

1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 1/2 packages of Philly cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 stick butter, at room temperature
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 tablespoon matcha green tea powder
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. To make bean paste Cover beans in cold water and soak uncovered, overnight.
   
2. Drain, transfer back to the pot and cover in 5 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
3. Drain and puree with a hand blender or in a food processor. Press through a metal sieve.
4. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add pureed beans and sugar. Stir with a wooden spoon for about 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to cool.
5. To make cupcake batter Preheat oven at 175C. Line 2 mini cupcake trays with mini cupcake liners. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds.
6. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beat well after each addition.
7. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add to mixer bowl. Add the milk and vanilla. Mix to combine. Fill each cupcake paper about 1/4 full. Smooth with the back of a spoon. Fill with about a teaspoon of bean paste. Top with more batter until about 3/4 full. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
   
8. To make green tea frosting Beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy.
9. Add half of the sugar, the green tea powder, and the vanilla. Beat until combined. Gradually add remaining sugar until you get desired consistency. Frost cooled cupcakes. Makes 48 petite cupcakes