• Watch the video in the post for easy visual instructions.

Preparation:

• If making the frosting, soak the cashews in hot water for about 1 hour (or boil them for 15 minutes) until soft, then discard the water.
• Line a muffin pan with 8 paper liners (regular size) and preheat the oven to 360 °F (ca. 180 °C). If using a mini muffin pan, you will need more paper liners.

Muffins:

• Add all dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir thoroughly with a spoon. I recommend sifting the baking powder and matcha. You can also process all dry ingredients in a food processor or blender to distribute the matcha evenly.

  I used 1 1/2 tablespoons of ceremonial matcha (which is less bitter). Feel free to use just 1 tablespoon if using culinary matcha.
• Combine the wet ingredients in a different medium-sized bowl and stir with a whisk.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a whisk. You can also use a hand mixer. Do not over-mix the batter if using all-purpose flour.

  If your flour is very fine, you might need to use 3/4 cup of dairy-free milk, otherwise, your batter might be too thick. Start with 2/3 cup and add more if needed.
• Divide the batter among the wells of the muffin pan. I used an ice cream scoop and about 1 - 1 1/2 scoops per muffin (1 scoop for the AP flour version and 1 1/2 scoops for the gluten-free version).
• Bake for about 20-24 minutes. To make sure the muffins are done, insert a toothpick into the center of one muffin. It should come out almost clean (it's ok if there are some crumbs attached to the toothpick, but it shouldn't come out wet).
• Let the muffins cool completely. You can enjoy them plain or with icing (e.g. a few tablespoons of powdered sugar or powdered Erythritol mixed with a tiny bit of plant-based milk + lemon juice until it has your desired consistency). You can also use dairy-free whipped cream (e.g. whipped coconut cream), or make my frosting recipe.

Frosting (optional):

• Add all frosting ingredients, except the cashews, to a medium-sized bowl and stir with a whisk until there are no lumps.
• Transfer this mixture to a saucepan and bring it to a boil, stirring frequently. Let it boil for 30-60 seconds (it will get super thick, that's normal), then turn off the heat.
• Add this mixture to a high-speed blender along with the soaked cashews. Blend until completely smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the blender from time to time.

  Depending on your blender you might need to add a few tablespoons of plant-based milk in addition. If you have a powerful high-speed blender you'll need just about 120-140 ml, but if your blender is not powerful, you'll need a bit more milk (up to 160 ml). Try not to add too much though, otherwise, the frosting will be too thin.
• Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour (or freeze it for about 30 minutes) until thickened which helps to pipe it onto the muffins. Since it's not as thick as buttercream, I recommend refrigerating it.
• Pipe it onto the muffins and enjoy! Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 1 month.