Hello people and happy new year ! Yes , I am totally aware that its February already but most of January was such a slump for me that I only just am regrouping .
So finally pressing reset on 2022 and powering on !
And baking wise , nothing puts me in a better mood than making a layer cake !
This matcha and honey pairing idea hit me by the simple fact that most green teas are sweetened with honey. So why not bring the two flavours together in a cake . The earthy grassiness of the matcha against the sweet floral tones of the honey .
The matcha sponge is a classic style sponge with no fat and the volume from whipped eggs. The result is an absolutely light , airy cake which stays true to the name of ” sponge “. A fatless sponge is a great addition to any baker’s repertoire as its an awesome building block in assembled desserts. See how I make my fatless Matcha sponge here.
And since there is no fat , what this cake needs is some syrup. And a syrup is the best way to get some more Matcha in there !
The buttercream is an American style one made with butter and lots of icing sugar. Some honey is added for a depth of flavour . But don’t worry , its not overpoweringly sweet .
You can stop right there with the frosting but I went ahead and added some toasted almond bits to it for some crunch. Almonds again pair wonderfully with both Matcha and honey. And you will be surprised how just some added nuts can elevate a buttercream and hence the whole cake to a whole new level ! I do understand that if you want to pipe over the cake, the nuts may clog your icing tips but I have a couple of ways to circumvent the issue in my recipe notes.
So there you have it – a super duper light sponge soaked in some delicious Matcha syrup , filled and frosted with some almond honey buttercream . Pretty sure , you haven’t seen this one in any menu yet !
Matcha layer cake
Ingredients
For the matcha cake
- 125 grams or 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons matcha powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt optional
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- 100 grams or 1/2 cup granulated or castor sugar
For the matcha syrup
- 240 ml or 1 cup water
- 100 grams or 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon matcha powder
For the almond honey buttercream
- 2 tablespoons honey or more
- 150 grams or 1 1/2 cups icing or powdered sugar
- 112 grams or 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 60 grams or 1/4 cup almonds
Instructions
To make the cake :
- Preheat oven to 180 C or 350 F.
- Butter and flour a 6 inch round pan and line the bottom with parchment ( optional )
- In a bowl , whisk together or sift the flour and matcha. Keep aside
- In a large bowl , beat the eggs , salt and sugar until light and fluffy . The mixture should triple in volume and if you lift and move your beater ( or whisk ) in a 8 shape , the dripping batter should form a clear 8 on top of the batter in the bowl before disappearing.
- Gently add or sift on the flour mixture and using a spatula , fold it into the beaten eggs. Gently mix and scrape the bottom until no more flour is seen.
- Immediately pour batter into prepared pan and tap against counter .
- Bake in the preheated oven at 180 C / 350 F for 30-35 minutes until The cake springs back on touch and the edges leave the side of the pan. A toothpick or skewer inserted in the centre of the cake should come out clean
- Remove from oven and cool in pan for 5 minutes
- Gently , run a knife along the edge of the pan , release the cake upside down , remove parchment ( if using ) and cool on wire rack right side up.
To make the matcha syrup :
- In a saucepan , measure out the water , matcha and sugar
- Bring to boil and then lower the heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes
- Remove from heat and cool completely before using
To make the almond honey buttercream :
- Chop the almonds into small pieces or pulse them in your food processor or mixer. You want small pieces ( don't have to be uniform ) but not a powder.
- In a pan , toast the chopped almonds over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes. You can also toast them in the oven at 180 C / 350 F for 4 -5 minutes but mix up in between to avoid burning.
- Let the almonds cool
- ln a bowl , Beat the butter until smooth ( about 2-3 minutes)
- Sift in half the sugar ( 3/4 cup) , the salt and one tablespoon honey . Beat for several minutes until smooth.
- Sift in 1/2 cup of the sugar and the remaining tablespoon of honey. Beat well for several minutes until smooth.
- Now check the buttercream for flavour and consistency. If you want a stiffer buttercream , sift in and beat the remaining icing sugar .
- Add honey one teaspoon at a time and beat well after each addition . Be careful about adding too much honey , as the buttercream may become too loose.
- When you have desired consistency and flavour , mix in the toasted almonds.
To assemble the cake :
- Using a serrated knife , remove the top crust of the cake (thin layer ) and slice the cake horizonatally into three layers
- Place one layer on your serving dish or cake board.
- Using a pastry brush or spoon , soak the layer with about 1/3 of the matcha syrup.
- Using a spatula, spread about 1/4 cup of the buttercream on top of the layer as evenly as possible.
- Place another cake layer on top , press gently. Soak with 1/3 of the syrup and then spread 1/4 cup buttercream on top.
- Place the last cake layer , press gently and soak with the remaining syrup.
- Spread about half cup buttercream on top and smoothen the excess along the sides using a offset spatula or a straight knife.
- Spread and smoothen the buttercream as much as possible so that no cake is seen from underneath.
- Chill in the fridge for about 15 minutes
- Now using a spatula , smoothen further . Remove any excess buttercream or add more as needed.
- Decorate cake as desired
Notes
This is a grown up cake , not only because of all that tea but because I think Matcha is an acquired taste or maybe a subjective one. Texture wise , this layer cake hits it out of the park . Moist and flavourful sponge with an interesting crunchy and luxurious frosting ! Try this for sure if you are in the mood for something offbeat but delicious.
And if you like Matcha or bought a jar and are looking for ways to use it up , do check out my matcha eclairs :
