Matcha Roll Cake
This matcha roll cake is a soft, fluffy matcha sponge cake filled with a light layer of jam and creamy earl grey mascarpone whipped cream filling.
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 293kcal
Ingredients
Matcha Cake
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour or use all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons matcha powder ceremonial or good-quality culinary
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar optional
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 large eggs room temperature, separated
- ¾ cup granulated sugar divided (½ cup or 100 g for the egg whites and ¼ cup or 50 g for the yolks)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup canola oil or any neutral oil
- 3 tablespoons milk any type, room temperature
Earl Grey Mascarpone Whipped Cream
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream cold
- 3 Earl Grey tea bags
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar add an extra tablespoon or two, according to taste
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest the zest of about ½ a lemon (not using the lemon juice)
- 5 ounces mascarpone cheese drained if needed cold
Jam Layer (optional)
- 3 tablespoons apricot jam optional
Decoration
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon matcha powder
- lemon zest optional, zested overtop before serving
Instructions
Matcha Cake
- Steep the cream: The first step in this recipe is to begin cold steeping the tea in the cream. In a medium sized bowl, combine the heavy cream and 3 earl grey tea bags. Stir gently and make sure the tea bags are immersed in the cream. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours. I recommend steeping it for the full 2 hours. The longer it steeps the stronger the flavor. You can do this at the start and make the cake and let it cool while the cream steeps.
- Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a 12x17 inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Trim the parchment paper to fit, if needed.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk to combine the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Use a small sieve to sift in the matcha powder. Whisk mixture to combine completely then set aside.
- Separate the eggs into two large bowls. Tip: make sure your bowl for beating the egg whites is clean, with no trace of oil. You can wipe the bowl with a paper towel and a bit of lemon juice or vinegar before adding the egg whites. Also, be careful not to get any yolk into the whites. I like to break the white into a small bowl then transfer to the large bowl one at a time.
- Beat egg whites on medium speed until frothy, about 1 minute. Mix in the cream of tartar (or lemon juice/vinegar). Slowly add ½ cup (100g) sugar a little at a time. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 3–4 minutes. The meringue should be smooth and shiny and hold a firm peak. Set aside.
- Using the same beaters without washing, beat egg yolks and remaining ¼ cup (50g) sugar on medium-high until lightened in color and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Add milk, oil, and vanilla, mixing until just combined.
- Use a fine mesh sieve to sift the dry ingredients over the yolk batter. Use a silicone spatula to fold the batter together. Do not over-mix.
- Use a spatula to fold about ⅓ of the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture. (This should help to loosen up the egg yolk mixture). Scrape along the bottom and sides of the bowl with the spatula. Fold another ⅓ of the meringue into the yolk mixture then fold in the rest of the meringue until just combined and no streaks remain. Scrape the bottom of the bowl once or twice with the spatula if needed to be sure the batter isn't sticking. Make sure not to overmix.
- Pour the batter into the lined baking sheet. Quickly spread it evenly with an offset spatula. Bake for 12–14 minutes or until the edges turn lightly golden and the top of the cake lightly springs back when lightly touched with your finger. Do not over-bake.
- While the cake bakes, set out a large sheet of parchment paper on your work surface and use a fine sieve to dust it with powdered sugar. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, dust the top of the cake lightly with powdered sugar. Run an offset spatula along the edges of the pan to loosen the cake. Using oven mitts, carefully invert the pan onto the powdered sugar parchment paper on your work surface. Lift away the pan and carefully peel away the parchment from the bottom of the cake and discard it.
- While the cake is still warm, gently but tightly roll it up (with the parchment paper) from a short end using the parchment to guide the roll. Set it seam side down. Let the cake cool completely in this rolled shape for about 1 hour. (Rolling while warm trains the cake into shape and prevents cracking later).
Earl Grey Mascarpone Whipped Cream
- Once the cake has nearly cooled, make the whipped cream. Take the steeping cream out of the fridge. Press the tea bags well to extract maximum flavor. Discard the tea bags. In a large bowl whip the earl grey cream with the powdered sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 2–3 minutes. Add the cold mascarpone and whip on medium-high until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute more. Don't overwhip once the mascarpone is in.
Assembly
- Unroll the cooled cake. Spread the apricot jam in a very thin, even layer directly on the sponge, leaving a 1 inch border on one of the shorter ends. Spread all of the mascarpone cream on top of the jam, again leaving a 1-inch border on the end. Roll the cake back up starting at the shorter end, this time without the parchment paper. Wrap loosely in plastic wrap, set seam-side down on a baking sheet, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Decorating and Serving
- Unwrap the chilled cake. Use a long serrated knife to cut about ½" off both ends of the cake. Set the cake seam-side down on a serving board. In a small bowl mix together 1 tbsp powdered sugar and ½ tsp matcha, then use a fine sieve to dust the mixture lightly and evenly over the top of the cake. Zest the remaining lemon over the cake if you like. Slice with a serrated knife using a slow, gentle sawing motion, wiping the blade clean with a damp cloth between each cut. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Cake flour: Cake flour gives the cake a nice tender texture. If you don’t have cake flour, you can use all-purpose flour.
Earl Grey: Cold steeping gives the cream a clean, floral bergamot flavor without bitterness. The longer the steep the stronger the flavor. 2 hours is recommended. Make sure to squeeze the tea bags when removing them.
Matcha powder: Quality matters so use ceremonial grade matcha for the best color and flavor. If using culinary matcha, choose a good-quality brand so the flavor isn’t bitter and the color stays vibrant. I can recommend this culinary grade matcha powder.
Cake pan: Use a 12×17-inch rimmed baking sheet. It's the most common large rimmed baking sheet, so you probably have one. No need to grease it. Just line it with parchment paper. Cut the parchment paper to fit the baking sheet if needed. You could also use a 12x17 pan. The cake will be a little thicker with fewer swirls when sliced.
Folding is different than stirring. To fold, slide a spatula down through the middle of the batter, scoop from the bottom, and lift it over the top. Turn the bowl about 90° and repeat. Keep folding just until the mixture looks mostly combined. This gentle method helps keep the whipped egg whites from deflating, so the cake stays light and airy.
Heavy whipping cream: Do not use half and half or light whipping cream. Make sure your cream is cold.
Mascarpone cheese: Use cold mascarpone cheese. Warm mascarpone can cause the filling to go loose or grainy. You can swap in equal parts full fat block style cream cheese in place of mascarpone cheese.
Recipe Notes: This matcha sponge cake is adapted from Gail Ng at Teak & Thyme and Michelle at Sift & Simmer. The earl grey mascarpone cream filling is adapted from my Pomegranate Mascarpone Whipped Cream Cake Roll.
Storage: Since the cake is filled with mascarpone whipped cream, this cake is best served the same day. However, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. It's also delicious the next day.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 121mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 653IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 1mg
