The Benefits of Matcha - Tea Cake Edition

Photo by Toa Heftiba

The benefits of matcha tea have been touted for quite some time and although I love the tea, I think I love the cake more. Especially the tea cake. There is something to be said about stopping late afternoon for a cup of tea and a slice of cake. I have been doing it most of my adult life and I have no intention of stopping. So welcome to the benefits of matcha – tea cake edition!

When I was a child and arrived home from school, I was immediately met with a cup of tea and two freshly baked cookies. My mom baked everything herself so I was indeed quite spoiled. I would sit there sipping on my tea and munching my cookies whilst recounting my day to my mother. It was a time I enjoyed and look back on fondly as an adult (not so much the chatter as the tea and cookies lol!). Over time my cookies turned to tea cake and so I am always on the lookout for new varieties. Not that I don’t love the old ones but if I can combine my cake with some beneficial ingredient(s) such as matcha, I feel that I’ve got an even better reason to stop and eat cake (did I mention that I love cake?).

After a quick perusal of the tea cake recipes on the internet, I settled on this sponge cake by Jamie of Drivemehungry.com that is flavoured with matcha powder.

Notes:

*This cake can be somewhat difficult so please be sure to read the recipe notes and troubleshooting section here before starting.

**I also used one rectangular pan vs two round pans

Dry ingredients:

⅞ cup cake flour
2 Tablespoons matcha powder – See Note 1
⅞ cup white sugar – (3/4 cup + 2 Tbsps – OR – 14 Tbsps)
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cream of tartar – (optional)

Wet ingredients:

6 eggs – whites and yolks separated
⅓ cup vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons water
2 teaspoons honey
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Beat Egg Whites

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the 6 egg whites with the cream of tartar (if using) on high until it becomes foamy. Next, add ⅓ of the amount of sugar and beat on high until firm peaks form. When lifting the whisk, look for the tip to drop slightly. Set aside.

Egg Yolk Mixture

In a large bowl, add the 6 egg yolks, the remaining ⅔ cup of sugar, salt, water, honey, and vanilla.
Beat on high until fluffy, pale yellow ribbons form when lifting the whisk. The ribbon should remain for 3 to 4 seconds.
Add half the egg whites to the egg yolk mixture and fold gently.

Add Dry ingredients and Oil

Make the batter:

Sift the flour, matcha powder (matcha powder must be sifted as it clumps together easily) and baking powder into the egg yolk mixture in three parts, gently folding after each time.
Next, add the vegetable oil. Tip: To help incorporate the oil better, mix a few spoonfuls of the batter with the oil before adding.
Add the remaining ½ of the egg whites to the batter and fold gently until well combined, taking care not to deflate the batter.

Bake

Line two 6 inch cake pans with parchment paper along the sides and bottom.
Pour the batter into the cake pans and bang each pan twice to remove air bubbles.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the crust is golden brown with a raised center (about 27-30 minutes – see notes for additional baking times).
Remove the parchment paper and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing. You may use a cake leveler for even slices.
Serve with whipped cream and/or fruit or make a layered cake and enjoy!