This easy Matcha Cake is a delightful fusion of traditional Japanese flavors and classic baking techniques, making it a must-try Japanese cake recipe for any dessert enthusiast. With its vibrant green hue and subtle earthy taste, this simple green tea cake is both visually stunning and incredibly delicious.
If you enjoy matcha desserts, you'll love my whipped matcha dalgona and matcha buttercream!
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✔️ Why This Recipe is Great
Packed with Matcha Goodness: this recipe is not only delicious but also packed with the health benefits of matcha powder, known for its high antioxidant content, which can help improve brain function.
Simple Ingredients: With just a few ingredients, this recipe for green tea cake is easy to whip up in no time! It's perfect for those busy days when you want something easy but still tasty and healthy as a snack, breakfast, or even dessert.
Beginner Recipe: Whether you're an experienced chef or just starting in the kitchen, this Korean cake recipe is perfect for all skill levels. It's straightforward, making it a great option for anyone looking to add some variety to their cooking repertoire.
🧈 Ingredients
All-Purpose Flour: this is the base of the cake and responsible for giving it structure. Make sure to use good-quality flour for best results.
Matcha Powder: there are different grades of matcha powder, so choose the one that fits your budget and preference - the higher the grade, the more vibrant the green color, the higher the antioxidant concentration, and the more intense flavor it will have.
Baking Powder: this is what makes the cake rise and become light and fluffy; be careful not to use too much or too little.
Granulated Sugar: this adds the balanced sweetness necessary for the cake, and you can adjust the amount based on your preference.
Large Eggs: these bind the ingredients together and add moisture to the cake. Try to use room temperature eggs for better incorporation.
Melted Butter: making cake with melted butter adds moisture and richness to the cake. Make sure you use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt in the cake, which you'll add additionally later on.
Vanilla Powder or Extract: this adds a subtle floral flavor to the cake and balances out the bitterness of the matcha- a little goes a long way.
Whole Milk: this is what makes the cake moist and tender. You can use other types of milk such as coconut milk or oat milk, but the texture and flavor may be slightly different.
See recipe card for exact ingredients and quantities.
🥣 How to Make Matcha Cake (Step-by-Step)
Step 1) Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease an 8-inch cake pan or a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan, lining the bottom with parchment paper for easy removal (image 1), then measuring out your ingredients.
Pro Tip
I highly recommend weighing the dry ingredients in grams rather than scooping them into your measuring cup, as using too much flour will result in too dense of a matcha cake.
Step 2) In a large bowl, sift together the flour, matcha powder, baking powder, and salt to ensure there are no lumps and everything is well incorporated (image 2).
Step 3) In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened (images 3 & 4).
Step 4) Slowly pour in the butter and vanilla extract into the sweet egg mixture, continuing to whisk until everything is well combined (images 5 & 6).
Step 5) Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating adding the flour mixture with adding the milk. Start and end with the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined after each addition. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to a dense cake (images 7 to 11).
Step 6) Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth out the top with a spatula (image 12).
Step 7) Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely (image 13).
🌟 Variations
- Light Matcha Cake - for a lighter cake, you can use half the matcha and substitute the whole milk with almond milk or another nut milk, then serve it with a dollop of whipped cream on top.
- Fruity Matcha Cake - serve the matcha cake with some fresh sliced pineapple or strawberries, and a fruity icing like yuzu frosting.
🎂 Storage and Serving
This matcha cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can also freeze individual slices wrapped in plastic wrap or with a piece of wax paper between slices, and then place them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months.
👨🏻🍳 Expert Notes & Tips
Benefits of Sifting: Always sift your matcha powder with the flour to avoid any green lumps in your cake.
For a Lighter Cake: substitute the whole milk with almond milk or another nut milk.
More Matcha: If you want a stronger matcha flavor, feel free to add an extra teaspoon of matcha powder, but be careful, as it can become bitter.
🍰 Filling & Topping Ideas
This cake pairs beautifully with a simple dusting of powdered sugar or a dollop of whipped cream on top. If you're feeling fancy, a coconut frosting or matcha buttercream would take this cake to the next level.
I recommend you serve the matcha cake with some fresh sliced strawberries; it’s a perfect pairing and adds freshness, even if it's not frosted.
❓ Other Delicious Asian Desserts
🙋 Frequently Asked Questions
Matcha cake is made of the usual cake ingredients: flour, matcha powder, baking powder, salt, sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla extract, and milk.
Matcha provides a slightly earthy and vegetal taste in baked good, with subtle notes of sweetness and bitterness. The flavor can be delicate and may be easily overpowered by other strong ingredients.
Your matcha cake likely turned brown due to the quality of the matcha powder or the baking process. Cheaper culinary grade matcha can become brown when baked, especially if exposed to high temperatures for an extended period.
Yes, kids can eat matcha cake, but it should be consumed in moderation due to the caffeine content in matcha powder. It's generally safe, but parents should be mindful of the caffeine intake depending on their child's sensitivity.
Have you tried this recipe?
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📖 Recipe
Easy Matcha Cake Recipe (Green Tea Cake)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (260g)
- 2 tablespoon matcha powder
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
- 3 large 160g eggs
- ½ cup melted butter (1 stick or 113g)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract alt. 1 teaspoon vanilla powder
- 1 cup whole milk (240ml)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease an 8-inch cake pan or a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan, lining the bottom with parchment paper for easy removal. I highly recommend weighing the dry ingredients in grams rather than scooping them into your measuring cup, as using too much flour will result in too dense of a matcha cake.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, matcha powder, baking powder, and salt to ensure there are no lumps and everything is well incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened.
- Slowly pour in the butter and vanilla extract into the sweet egg mixture, continuing to whisk until everything is well combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating adding the flour mixture with adding the milk. Start and end with the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined after each addition. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to a dense cake.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth out the top with a spatula.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
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