Matcha Chiffon Cake Recipe

Once I lived in Toronto, there was a Japanese espresso store referred to as NEO Espresso Bar a number of blocks away from my condo. They made beautiful sweets and sandwiches: Their glass case was crammed with sandos, mochi, choux pastries, and roll truffles. I spent hours there studying, sipping on hojicha lattes, and nibbling on their matcha roll cake, a young, bittersweet inexperienced chiffon sponge swirled with evenly sweetened whipped cream. It has been nearly a decade since I’ve lived in Toronto, however I nonetheless take into consideration that matcha cake.

Impressed by the cake I miss a lot, I made a decision to make my very own. Like all chiffon truffles, I separate the egg yolks and whites, whip the whites with sugar till they’ve doubled in quantity, then gently fold them into a mix of egg yolks, oil, and the dry elements. The recipe beneath borrows from former editor Stella Parks’ traditional chiffon cake recipe: I take advantage of the same ingredient ratio however tweak the tactic barely. 

Whereas Stella begins her batter by combining egg whites and all of the sugar from the get-go for a dense meringue, I take a unique route by dividing the sugar: I scale back the quantity added to the egg whites and incorporate the sugar progressively to create a barely lighter foam that is each simpler to fold with the remaining elements and unfold right into a even layer when it goes into the rimmed baking sheet. That constant thickness is essential for rolling the cake later and offers you probably the most uniform swirl.

One other important component of constructing the batter is the sort of matcha you utilize. I like to recommend utilizing a good-quality matcha powder, as that may decide how flavorful your cake shall be. Whichever route you go, make sure the matcha you utilize is not blended with sugar or milk powder, as that introduces variables you possibly can’t management for and can impression how your cake seems. Final however not least: Sift, sift, sift. A lump or two of matcha will not make or break your cake, but it surely’s price taking the time to sift the matcha—together with the flour and baking powder—for the smoothest potential batter. 

As soon as the cake is baked, you may need to maintain it good and moist so it stays pliable for rolling. This can be probably the most intimidating step, however I guarantee you it is something however, because of one in all Stella’s intelligent methods. Merely cowl the rimmed baking sheet with foil to tightly seal the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven, which can entice steam because the cake progressively cools. As soon as the cake is completely cooled, it will nonetheless be moist and pliable sufficient to roll. 

Although the matcha cake I really like a lot from NEO Espresso Bar is crammed with evenly sweetened whipped cream, I needed to provide it much more matcha taste by incorporating the tea into the filling as effectively. By itself, whipped cream may be very gentle and may be tough to roll with out making an enormous mess. Right here, I embrace mascarpone, which offers a refined tanginess and simply sufficient construction to make rolling and assembling the cake a contact simpler. 

Now I must excellent my hojicha latte recreation.