Steamed Green Tea Cupcakes with Azuki Beans

I like to try out the various kind of steam cake recipes as most (not all) of them do not require oil or butter. Hence, they are much healthier and lighter, compared to the usual oven-baked cakes.

Few days ago, I found this recipe in a magazine I picked up from the bookstore, I bookmarked it immediately and got these little green cakes whipped up the next day.

 

This Green Tea Cupcakes recipe came from the husband and wife team - Sam and Forest Leong's latest cookbook titled "Home Cooking with Same and Forest". Their original recipe which is featured in the  magazine is without Azuki beans. To complete the Japanese theme of these cakes, I added cooked red bean (Azuki Bean for the Japanese). As the azuki bean paste is already sweetened, I cut down on the sugar amount to 150g which in my opinion, could be further reduced for those without a sweet-tooth, like me. However, if without the azuki beans added, 150g of sugar should suffice.

The cake is very soft and spongy. Yummy!

Steamed Green Tea Cupcakes with Azuki Beans

Ingredients:

• 260g cake flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp green tea powder
• 2 eggs
• 220g castor sugar (I reduced to 150g)
• 3/4 tbsp sponge cake stabiliser (Ovalette)
• 125ml evaporated milk (I used low fat milk)
• 1 tsp lime juice (I used lemon juice)
• 150ml water
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 150g canned azuki beans

Methods:

1. Sift flour, baking powder, and green tea powder together in a large bowl.
2. In another bowl, beat eggs, sugar and sponge cake stabilizer until light and fluffy.
3. Add milk, lime juice, vanilla extract and half the water. Beat until smooth.
4. Add flour mixture and the remaining water. Mix well.
5. Stir in the azuki beans and mix to combine.
6. Spoon the mixture into cupcake cases and steam over low to medium heat for 20 minutes.