Okay, if you're familiar with my rants about how much I detest artificial anything—especially food coloring—you may wonder how I can criticize blue cakes, then write a post singing the praises of green cake. But wait! This cake gets it's color naturally, from Matcha powder (green tea leaves). And because the recipe includes milk, the result is a moist cake with a slightly earthy undertone, almost like cocoa. It's a cake for those who aren't fond of chocolate (I know, I know, but these people deserve love and cake too).
This great recipe from Real Simple has just the right balance of soft crumb and dense moisture, and the Matcha is subtle, not cloying. I chose to pair it with plum frosting instead of the vanilla pictured here; the green and soft pink combo, as well as the flavor combination, are a nice nod to Japanese cuisine. All you need is a few tablespoons of plum jam to add to your favorite vanilla frosting, and voila! Pink frosting, nature baker-boy style.
One of my workshop participants took one look at my cupcakes and said, "I'm not sure I can eat green cake, but I may try a tiny bite." Two cupcakes later, she was a convert. Get the scrumptious recipe here, and transcend your fear of green cake too.