This delicate Japanese-inspired matcha cake features a vibrant green crumb with a subtle earthy flavor balanced by a light, fluffy texture that melts on your tongue. Topped with a silky matcha glaze and dusted with powder, it's an elegant dessert that brings café-quality sophistication to your kitchen.
⏱️60 min
📊Medium
👥8 servings
🍽️Dessert
vegetarianfestive
Ingredients
200 gall-purpose flour
3 tbspmatcha powder
2 tspbaking powder
0.25 tspsalt
115 gunsalted butter
150 gcaster sugar
2 pieceslarge eggs
120 mlplain Greek yogurt
1 tspvanilla extract
80 mlwhole milk
200 gicing sugar
1 tbspmatcha powder for glaze
50 gunsalted butter for glaze
3 tbspwater
Instructions
1PREHEAT AND PREPARE: Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F) and line a 20cm round cake tin with parchment paper, ensuring the sides are well-covered. Grease the parchment lightly with butter or cooking spray to prevent sticking. This temperature is ideal for matcha cakes as it allows even baking without browning the delicate green color too quickly.
2SIFT DRY INGREDIENTS: In a medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, matcha powder, baking powder, and salt at least twice. This is crucial for matcha cakes because it breaks up any lumps in the matcha powder and ensures the green color is evenly distributed throughout the batter. The double-sifting creates a lighter, more delicate crumb structure.
3CREAM BUTTER AND SUGAR: In a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and caster sugar together for 3-4 minutes using an electric mixer on medium speed until the mixture is pale, fluffy, and resembles wet sand. This creaming process incorporates air bubbles that are essential for a light, tender cake. Scrape down the bowl halfway through to ensure even mixing.
4INCORPORATE EGGS AND FLAVORINGS: Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully combined and the mixture is smooth. Pour in the vanilla extract and beat for another 30 seconds. This step should take about 2-3 minutes total. The mixture may look slightly curdled, but this is normal and will disappear once the dry ingredients are added.
5COMBINE WET AND DRY: Alternate adding the sifted dry ingredients and the mixture of Greek yogurt and milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Add about one-third of the dry mixture, then one-third of the wet mixture, and repeat, folding gently with a spatula rather than beating. This technique prevents overdeveloping the gluten, which would result in a tough, dense cake. The final batter should be smooth and pour easily.
6BAKE THE CAKE: Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 32-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The cake should spring back lightly when touched and have a subtle golden-green color. Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
7PREPARE THE MATCHA GLAZE: While the cake cools, sift the icing sugar and matcha powder together to remove all lumps, which is essential for a smooth, lump-free glaze. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, then remove from heat and whisk in the sifted matcha-icing sugar mixture with the water, one tablespoon at a time, until you achieve a pourable but not too thin consistency. The glaze should coat the back of a spoon but still flow slowly.
8GLAZE AND SERVE: Once the cake has cooled completely, place it on a serving plate or cake stand. Pour the matcha glaze over the top, allowing it to drip naturally down the sides. Dust the top with a small pinch of matcha powder for an elegant finishing touch. Allow the glaze to set for 15-20 minutes before slicing. Serve at room temperature with green tea or alongside fresh berries for a beautiful presentation.