Tea Time – Easy Matcha Cake

One thing you may not know about me is that I love to cook. There is something comforting to me about the alchemy of it all, and feeding the people I love makes me very happy. I like to find new recipes and then improvise and put my personal spin on old classics. I was in the mood for a matcha-based cake and thought I would experiment a bit. My first attempt was a bit of a disaster because I wasn’t paying attention and burnt it, but the second try turned out well, so I have decided to share it with you.

This recipe is adapted from my favourite simple chocolate cake recipe, Margaret Fox’s Amazon Chocolate Cake. I love this recipe because it comes together incredibly quickly and uses only pantry staples, so you’re pretty much assured you’ll have the necessary ingredients. It’s also vegan and pareve, which makes it great to take to parties or gatherings where there may be dietary restrictions to consider. This matcha variation of the cake is not overly sweet, has a lightly earthy taste from the matcha, and would be lovely with a cup of tea. It may not be the prettiest cake, but it’s quick and satisfying. If you would like the recipe, please keep reading!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup fine-ground matcha
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons neutral oil (like corn, canola, or vegetable)
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 tablespoon cider or white vinegar
• Confectioners’ sugar (optional, for dusting)

Steps

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C).

Grease an 8″ or 9″ round cake pan or Springform pan. It’s much easier to get the cake out of the Springform, so if you have one on hand I highly recommend using it.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and matcha powder. If you’re in a particularly humid climate you can sift them, but in a dryer area simply whisking them together will suffice.

In a separate vessel (a large Pyrex measuring cup works well for this), mix together the water, vinegar, oil, and vanilla. Mix them quickly to incorporate the oil and water, and then pour the liquids into the dry ingredients and whisk until you have an evenly green batter. You may need to add a tablespoon or two more of water at this point, if the batter is too stiff. It should be thick but still liquid enough to pour.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan and place on the middle rack of the oven.

Bake it for approximately 25 minutes, depending on your oven. I warn you now – the cake will be brown around the edges and possibly even all the way through; it’s simply the matcha exposed to the heat getting slightly toasted and it won’t impact the taste. A skewer inserted in the middle of the cake should come out clean (or with a few dry crumbs), and the top should bounce back if pressed on.

Once it’s cool, you can serve it as-is or dust the top with confectioner’s sugar if you’ve got a sweet tooth.

This cake is the perfect delicate afternoon snack, not overly sweet or cloying. If you make it, please let me know if you like how it turned out!