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sushi cupcakes with green tea buttercream.


Switching sashimi for sponge, seafood for sweets and chopsticks for chocolate are these sushi inspired cupcakes. Incorporating a Japanese inspired lemon sponge base and green tea buttercream topping, I had a go at making tiny sushi toppers made from fondant icing, marshmallows and any sweeties that reminded me of a California roll filling.


Shopping list.
Makes twelve cupcakes

For the lemon sponge 
♥ 120g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
♥ 120g caster sugar
♥ Two medium free range eggs
♥ 120g self raising flour
♥ The juice and zest of a lemon

For the green tea buttercream
♥ 100g unsalted butter
♥ 250g icing sugar
♥ 2 teaspoons green tea, matcha or sencha if possible
♥ Green food colouring

For the sushi toppings
♥ Black fondant icing, or very dark green if you can find it
♥ White marshmallows 
♥ Strawberry thick laces - to look like crab sticks
♥ Green sweets or laces for avocado or cucumber
♥ Mikado biscuit sticks for chopsticks
♥ White sugar sprinkles 
♥ Cornflour to prevent sticking


Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

Step one. To make the cupcakes, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth. Add in the eggs and continue to mix. lastly add in the flour and lemon. 

Step two. Spoon into the cupcake cases and bake for 15-18 minutes. Allow to cool completely. 


Step three. Whilst the cakes bake and cool, prepare the buttercream. brew a kettle and make a green tea with around a tablespoon of water. Sencha or matcha green tea works best as it has a more intense and sweet flavour.

Step four. Mix together the butter and icing sugar, which I find easiest with a stand or handheld mixer. Note: If you want to make California rolls you will need to set aside a small portion of white buttercream for the rice outer.


Step five. Add in the infused green tea and green food colouring, For which I used Sugarflair Spruce Green. Keep cold in the fridge to thicken up whilst you make the sushi sweets.


Step six. Dust your work area with cornflour and have your sweet sushi-filling-lookalikes at the ready.


Step seven. roll out a section of the fondant icing and cut into small rectangles. Add in your filling of choice and seal with a dab of cool water.

I did debate actually rolling a length like when I actually make sushi but thought it could all go terribly wrong. Plus by making them individually you get to play with all sorts of combinations!


For this one I chopped up the marshmallow to resemble sticky rice - it was actually sticky too - and used a green apple lace to make an avocado maki. 


For a California roll, make a roll with the inside of strawberry "seafood sticks" and apple lace "avocado." 


Use a knife to spread buttercream round the outside, then roll in white sugar sprinkles to replicate rice. 


Be creative! Think melted chocolate soy sauce, gummy sweet fish and sugar sprinkle sesame seeds...


Step eight. Ice your cupcakes with a star tipped nozzle and arrange your sushi treats on top. 


Have you ever made anything with fondant or sugar paste for cupcake decoration? Would love to see your cupcake recipes! 

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