After years of perfecting this recipe, I'm excited to share my ultimate matcha cake guide that captures the elegant, earthy essence of high-quality Japanese green tea powder. This showstopping dessert combines vibrant color with a sophisticated flavor profile that's unlike any other cake. Whether you're looking for an authentic Japanese matcha sponge cake or a modern interpretation with cream cheese frosting, this comprehensive guide will help you create the perfect matcha cake for any occasion.
What Is Matcha Cake?
Matcha cake is a dessert that incorporates matcha (Japanese powdered green tea) into the batter, creating a cake with a distinctive green color and unique flavor. Unlike regular green tea cake, which might use steeped tea or extract, matcha cake uses the finely ground powder made from specially grown and processed green tea leaves. This gives the cake its vibrant appearance and complex flavor profile that balances sweetness with matcha's characteristic umami notes and slight bitterness.
Why You'll Love This Matcha Cake Recipe
- Vibrant color: Natural, eye-catching green that doesn't fade with baking
- Complex flavor: Perfect balance of sweetness with matcha's earthy, umami notes
- Versatile: Works with multiple frosting options and fillings
- Impressive presentation: Unique color makes for a showstopping dessert
- Cultural experience: Authentic taste of Japanese tea tradition in dessert form
Jump to:
Ingredients for Matcha Cake
Key Ingredients
- High-quality matcha powder (ceremonial or culinary grade)
- Cake flour (for a lighter texture)
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Butter or oil
- Milk or buttermilk
- Vanilla extract (to enhance the matcha flavor)
- Baking powder
- Salt
For Japanese Sponge-Style Matcha Cake
- Additional egg whites for whipping
- Cream of tartar (to stabilize egg whites)
- Less butter/oil for a lighter texture
For Frosting Options
- Whipped cream and fresh fruit (traditional Japanese style)
- Cream cheese frosting (Western adaptation)
- White chocolate ganache (elegant option)
- Red bean (anko) paste (traditional Japanese pairing)
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Matcha Cake
Prepare and Mix Dry Ingredients
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
- Grease and line cake pans with parchment
- Sift together 2 cups cake flour, 2 tablespoon matcha powder, 2 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Sifting is crucial to avoid matcha clumps and ensure even color
Cream Butter and Sugar, Add Wet Ingredients
- Beat 1 cup butter until creamy
- Gradually add 1½ cups sugar; beat 3-4 minutes until fluffy
- Add 4 eggs one at a time, beating well after each
- Mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For deeper matcha flavor, add ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures
- Alternate adding dry ingredients and ¾ cup buttermilk to butter mixture
- Begin and end with dry ingredients (3 parts dry, 2 parts liquid)
- Mix just until combined after each addition
- Avoid overmixing to prevent dense cake
- Batter should be smooth with even green color
Bake, Cool, and Frost
- Divide batter between pans
- Bake 25-30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean
- Cool in pans 10 minutes, then on wire rack
- Frost with chosen option when completely cool
- For traditional Japanese style: whipped cream and fresh fruit
- For modern style: cream cheese or white chocolate frosting
Why Is My Matcha Cake Brown Instead of Green?
- Low-quality matcha: Use culinary or ceremonial grade matcha from reputable sources
- Too high baking temperature: Consider reducing by 25°F
- Oxidation: Mix batter just before baking to minimize color loss
- Inadequate amount: Increase matcha powder slightly (but balance against bitterness)
Variations of Matcha Cake
Japanese Matcha Sponge Cake
A lighter version with less fat, often using the genoise sponge method. Typically paired with whipped cream and fresh fruit for a traditional Japanese patisserie style.
Matcha Chiffon Cake
An ultra-light, airy cake that uses oil instead of butter and whipped egg whites for volume. Often baked in a tube pan for maximum height.
Matcha Layer Cake
Multiple layers with various fillings such as white chocolate ganache, red bean paste, or matcha cream. Perfect for celebrations.
Vegan Matcha Cake
Substitute eggs with flax eggs or applesauce, butter with coconut oil, and dairy milk with almond or soy milk. Often has a denser, more moist texture.
Gluten-Free Matcha Cake
Replace wheat flour with a blend of rice flour, almond flour, and a binding agent like xanthan gum. The nutty flavor of alternative flours often complements matcha well.
Equipment
- 8-inch cake pans (round or square)
- Electric mixer (stand or hand)
- Fine-mesh sieve or sifter
- Mixing bowls
- Rubber spatula
- Cooling rack
- Whisk
Storage Tips
Room Temperature Storage
Matcha cake can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 1-2 days, depending on the frosting used.
Refrigerator Storage
For cream cheese or whipped cream frostings, refrigerate the cake. It will keep for up to 5 days. Allow to come to room temperature before serving for best flavor.
Freezer Storage
Unfrosted cake layers can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before frosting.
Tips for Perfect Matcha Cake
- Quality matters: Use the best matcha powder you can afford—lower quality powder can taste bitter and produce a duller color.
- Sift thoroughly: Always sift matcha powder with dry ingredients to prevent clumps and ensure even distribution.
- Don't overmix: Once flour is added, mix just until combined to prevent gluten development that leads to a tough cake.
- Proper measurement: Matcha powder is potent; measure carefully for balanced flavor (generally 2-3 tablespoons per cake).
- Enhance without overpowering: A touch of vanilla or almond extract enhances matcha flavor without competing with it.
Final Thoughts on Matcha Cake
Matcha cake stands at the crossroads of traditional Japanese tea culture and modern dessert innovation, offering a unique sensory experience through its vibrant color and complex flavor profile. Once you've mastered this verdant creation, you'll find the techniques transfer beautifully to other matcha-infused treats. Try your hand at vegan matcha cookies, where the earthy notes shine without dairy or eggs, creating plant-based treats perfect for gift-giving. For chocolate lovers, matcha brownies offer an irresistible contrast where fudgy richness meets green tea's subtle bitterness in perfect harmony. The color-balancing skills you develop with matcha baking even prepare you for working with other naturally-colored ingredients like the purple yam in ube cake, where similar attention to quality ingredients and careful mixing preserves the distinctive hue.
FAQs
What does matcha taste like in cake?
Matcha in cake offers a complex flavor profile that's distinctively earthy and vegetal with subtle grassiness and pleasant bitterness balanced by the cake's sweetness. It provides unique umami notes not found in other desserts, with a sophisticated taste that lingers on the palate. The flavor is more mellow than drinking matcha tea straight, as baking tempers some of its intensity while maintaining its distinctive character.
Can I add matcha to a cake mix?
Yes, you can easily add matcha to a boxed cake mix for a quick matcha cake. Add 2-3 tablespoons of sifted matcha powder to a vanilla or white cake mix, reducing any other dry ingredients slightly if necessary. For best results, first blend the matcha with the dry cake mix before adding wet ingredients. This works especially well with vanilla, coconut, or lemon cake mixes.
Why is matcha so expensive?
Matcha's high price reflects its labor-intensive production process. Shade-growing tea plants for 3-4 weeks before harvest increases chlorophyll and amino acids for better flavor and color. Hand-picking only the finest leaves, removing stems and veins, and traditional stone-grinding methods require significant labor. The slow grinding process prevents heat damage to preserve nutrients and flavor. Higher grades involve even more careful processing, further increasing costs compared to standard green tea cake.
Is matcha ok for weight loss?
Matcha may support weight management as part of a balanced diet due to several properties. It contains catechins (especially EGCG) that may boost metabolism and fat oxidation. Matcha provides caffeine and L-theanine, which can enhance energy expenditure while promoting calm focus for exercise. It's naturally calorie-free as a drink, though added to baked goods like cake, these benefits are offset by sugar and fat content. Always consult healthcare providers for personalized weight management advice.
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this matcha cake:
Matcha Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 2 8-inch cake pans Round or square
- 1 Electric mixer Stand or hand mixer
- 1 Fine-mesh sieve For sifting matcha and flour
- 2 Mixing bowls 1 large, 1 medium
- 1 Rubber spatula For folding and scraping
- 1 Cooling rack To cool cakes evenly
- 1 Offset spatula Optional, for frosting application
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 cups Cake flour Sifted for light texture
- 2 tablespoon Matcha powder Culinary or ceremonial grade
- 2 teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Unsalted butter Softened
- 1½ cups Granulated sugar
- 4 Eggs Room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ¾ cup Buttermilk Or use whole milk
- ½ teaspoon Almond extract Optional, enhances green tea flavor
Frosting (Cream Cheese Option)
- 8 oz Cream cheese Softened
- ½ cup Unsalted butter Softened
- 4 cups Powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two 8-inch pans with parchment.
- Sift cake flour, matcha powder, baking powder, and salt together.
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in vanilla and almond extract.
- Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk to wet mix. Start and end with dry.
- Divide batter into pans and smooth tops. Bake 25–30 minutes.
- Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool fully.
- Beat cream cheese frosting until fluffy. Frost cooled cakes and serve.
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