Strawberry Matcha Cake

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If you love your cakes to be indulgent and a little unexpected, this Strawberry Matcha Cake is about to become your new favourite bake! 

Filled with a strawberry ganache made from real strawberries, and silky smooth matcha buttercream encasing a moist and earthy matcha cake – every bite tastes fresh, light, and just sophisticated enough to feel special.  It’s the kind of cake that turns an ordinary afternoon tea into a small celebration.

Elegant yet approachable.  While it may look like something that belongs in the window of a boutique bakery, this recipe is actually much simpler to make than it appears.  With simple steps, ordinary ingredients, and no complicated techniques, you will be surprised how effortlessly it comes together.  The natural blush of the strawberries and vibrant green from the matcha creates a beautiful contrast, making this cake pleasing to the eyes.  The freshness from the strawberries, richness from the white chocolate, and delicate yet fragrant matcha flavour creates a perfectly balanced tasting cake. 

Whether you are baking for a special occasion (I made this cake for a baby shower for a dear friend), a simple weekend brunch, or simply because you are craving for something a little different, this Strawberry Matcha Cake delivers a delightful twist on classic flavours. 

What is matcha?

Matcha is young green tea leaves that is ground into a fine powder.  Matcha is traditionally from East Asia.  You can find the finest matcha in Japan, where it has been grown for centuries and is a part of the traditional Japanese tea ceremony.

Is matcha good for you?

Matcha has lots of nutritional benefits.  Matcha is high in antioxidants.  It also contains less caffeine than coffee (if you are sensitive to caffeine, it might be worth noting that matcha is not caffeine free).  Lastly, matcha is known to boost relaxation and alertness. 

What does matcha taste like?

Matcha has a delicate, earthy, and gentle bitter flavour.  Its flavour profile keeps this matcha cake recipe from being overly sweet.  If you have any Asian aunties, they will give you the ultimate Asian compliment – “not too sweet”! 

What you’ll need for this recipe

Before we get started, I am aware that this is a long recipe. However, do not be overwhelmed by it! This Strawberry Matcha Cake recipe can be broken down to 3 simple components.

For the matcha cake:

Eggs

Caster sugar

Thickened cream, full fat. None of that lite cream here! We need a fat content of at least 35% to keep the cake moist and tender, and also improve the flavour of the cake.

Vanilla bean paste or vanilla essence – whichever you use, make sure it is of good quality as this will show in the flavour of your cake.

Salt – all you need is a pinch. Salt will enhance the matcha flavour in the cake.

Matcha powder, sifted – cooking grade is fine, don’t waste your ceremonial grade matcha here!

Self-raising flour – as long as there are no large clumps in your flour, sifting is not necessary.

For the strawberry ganache:

Strawberries, frozen. I prefer to use frozen strawberries for one reason, they are cheaper than fresh ones! Additionally, the quality of frozen strawberries are generally just as good (if not better) than fresh strawberries, as they are picked when there are at their peak ripeness. However, if you do find a good deal on fresh strawberries, or simply prefer to use fresh ones, add a little water when cooking down the strawberries. Frozen strawberries have a higher water content than fresh strawberries.

Thickened cream, full fat. None of that lite cream here!

Butter, unsalted. We use unsalted butter, so we can control how much salt is going into our cake. Most ganache recipes only use cream and white chocolate. However, I always like to add a small knob of butter to my ganaches, as I love the richness it brings.

White chocolate, roughly chopped. Use any high quality cooking white chocolate. We chop the chocolate up to increase its surface area, making it easier to melt in the heated cream later on.

For the matcha buttercream:

Eggs, whole. Yes, you read that right! We won’t need to separate any eggs today! YAY!

Butter, unsalted. We use unsalted butter, as we don’t want to end up with salty buttercream!

Caster sugar

Water, room temperature, either tap or filtered water.

Matcha powder, cooking grade is fine here too.

How to make Strawberry Matcha Cake?

For the matcha cake:

Step 1: Preheat oven at 160C.

Step 2: Grease two 7 or 8 inch round cake tins with vegetable oil.  Line the sides with baking paper, and flour the base with flour.

Step 3: In a large mixing bowl, using a whisk, combine eggs, caster sugar, thickened cream, vanilla bean paste, and salt until well incorporated. 

Step 4: Add in matcha powder and self-raising flour, mix until just combined.

Step 5: Divide the batter into the two prepared cake tins.  Bake for 90 minutes.  To check if the cake is completely baked, poke a wooden skewer in the middle of the cake, if it come out clean.  If not, continue to bake for another 10 minutes, and check again. 

Step 6: Once baked, remove cakes from the oven and place cake tins on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes.  Flip the cake tins upside down to unmould the cakes.  Individually wrap the cakes in cling wrap and set aside to cool completely.

For the strawberry ganache:

Step 1: In a large pan, cook strawberries until reduced into a coarse puree.  As the strawberries cook, smash the strawberry pieces with the back of a wooden spoon to break it down.  Set aside.

Step 2: In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, bring cream and butter to a simmer.  Add in strawberry puree, and stir until combined and heated up to a simmer again.

Step 3: Remove the saucepan from the heat and add in white chocolate.  Stir with a wooden spoon until white chocolate is melted and fully incorporated.  Transfer to a heat-proof and air-tight container, set aside until cooled, then refrigerate. 

For the matcha buttercream:

Step 1: Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat eggs on high speed until volume triples, the mixture should be pale in colour and foamy in texture.

Step 2: Continue to mix the egg mixture while executing this step.  In a small saucepan, over medium heat, combine sugar and water.  Occasionally, gently swirl the saucepan so heat is evenly distributed, but do not stir the mixture.  Heat mixture up until bubbles begin to form at the bottom of the saucepan.  Remove from heat.

Step 3: Lower speed on the stand mixer, and carefully drizzle in the sugar mixture.  Bring the stand mixer back on high speed, continue to mix until mixture is completely cooled.

Step 4: The consistency of the butter should be soft enough that it would be easily spreadable.  If butter is still hard, microwave in a bowl for 30 secs until desired consistency is reached. 

For the stand mixer, change from a whisk attachment to a paddle attachment.

Add in 500g butter, mix at medium speed until mostly combined.  Add the remaining 500g butter.  Continue to mix at medium speed, for about 10 minutes, until buttercream is pale in colour.  To check if buttercream is ready, scoop some buttercream with a spatula and slightly flick it back into the bowl.  The buttercream is ready when it feels light and easily drops back down to into the bowl.

Step 5: Add in matcha powder, and continue to mix until incorporated.   

How to assemble the cake?

Now for the fun part…

Step 1: Create level cake layers.  I like 1.5cm tall layers.

It is important to create a level cake. Look at this like your foundation to creating a beautiful cake.

The easiest and most efficient way to create level cake layers is to use a cake leveller.  I use my Agbay cake leveller, but any cake leveller will do the job. If you do not have one, you can use a serrated knife.  Here are some steps to divide a cake into layers without a cake leveller:

• Place the cake on a piece of parchment paper.
• Simply score the side of the cakes at your desired height with a knife.  If you are extra pedantic like me, measure your desired height and stick toothpicks into the side of your cake to use as a guide when scoring and cutting. 
• Place the cake on a turn table.  Using a long serrated knife, carefully cut along the scored line you made earlier.  Do not cut through the cake straight across (eg: from left to right).  Instead, follow the scored line, cutting deeper around the cake.  Remember, take your time and care during this step to maintain accuracy.
• Once the layer is cut through, gently hold the sides of the top layer, and remove it to a large plate, board or another parchment paper. 

Step 2: Stacking

Place a 10-inch cake board on a turn table.

Smear a dollop of buttercream on the cake board, and firmly place one cake layer on the board.

To ensure even buttercream distribution across the layers, pipe one layer of buttercream on the cake.  Use a palette knife to smooth the buttercream. 

Create a dam by piping a border at the edge on top of the layer of buttercream. 

Fill the middle with strawberry ganache.  Use a palette knife to gently smooth and level the ganache.  Do not over fill the cake, as too much filling will affect the integrity of the cake when stacked.

Repeat for the remaining layers.

Step 3: Coating with buttercream

Notice how I did not use the word crumb coat?  That’s right, no extra step of crumb coating here!  Since we are not removing the brown edges of our cakes, the crumbs will stay relatively intact, thus we can save time and effort by skipping the crumb coat.

Now, there are two ways you can apply buttercream to your cake. 

First option:

Pipe buttercream all around the cake.  Fill a piping bag with buttercream, then cut the tip of the piping bag (about 1cm).  Firstly, pipe an even layer on the top of the cake, use a palette knife to smooth it out.  Then, pipe the side of the cake, ensuring your pipe slightly above the edge on the top (you will need this extra bit to create a sharp edge later on). 

Second option:

Use a palette knife to apply buttercream on the cake.  Place about ½ cup buttercream on top of the cake, use a palette knife to spread and smooth the top.  Using the same palette knife, generously apply buttercream to the side of the cake, make sure you apply some buttercream slightly above the edge on the top (you will need this extra bit to create a sharp edge later on). 

For both options:

Smooth the buttercream

Using a cake scraper (it should be at a 45-degree angle from the side of the cake, but perpendicular to the cake board), gently smooth the buttercream by rotating the turn table slowly.  Fill in any large air bubbles or indentations as required, use the cake scraper and continue to smooth the buttercream until desired look is achieved.  Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour for the buttercream to harden.

Note – As a perfectionist, I can always see some sort of imperfection on my cake.  However, it is important to know when it is good enough and to stop smoothing the buttercream.    

Step 4: Get that sharp edge!

If you are going for a more rustic look, you can keep the edge of your cake as is (ie the wavy buttercream edge), and begin decorating. 

However, if you are going for a clean look, you will need to sharpen the edge of your cake.  To do so, get a small sharp knife (eg a fruit knife), place the blade on its side and carefully and gently carve away the buttercream at the edge of the cake.  Go slow, start by shaving off higher than the level of the cake top, taking a little off at a time.  If you go straight down to the level of the top of the cake and remove too much at a time, you might put too much pressure on the chilled buttercream.  This may cause you to remove more buttercream than anticipated.  However, if this happens, don’t fret, simply reapply some buttercream back onto the part of the cake where needed.

Return cake to the fridge for at least another 30 minutes before continuing to decorate.  This will ensure the buttercream is hard when you decorate.

Step 5: Decorate

For this cake, I used a plastic stencil to create the white leave design.  If you are using a stencil, it is crucial that the cake is fresh out of the fridge, and the buttercream is hard.  Place the stencil at your desired position, use a palette knife to apply a small amount of buttercream, lightly spread it, then remove the stencil carefully.

If you are decorating with flowers, make sure the flowers you are using are not poisonous.  Prepare your flowers by wrapping the stems with florist tape.  If you are decorating with flowers the night before the event, write the flowers to ensure they do not flop.

Pipe buttercream using different nozzles and create your own unique design.

FAQ’s

How do I store the cake?

As a former cake decorator, I strongly recommend decorating your cake (at least fully icing it with buttercream) the night before. Clear an area of your fridge, place a clean tea towel directly on the shelf of your fridge. Place the fully iced cake onto this tea towel. Store the cake in your fridge over night.

The reason why I recommend icing your cake in advance is to ensure (1) the buttercream will be solid during transport, and (2) the cake will be able to maintain its integrity throughout the event, this is especially important on warmer days. We do not want melting buttercream!

How do I cut and serve the cake?

Cutting into a tall cake can be daunting, but it is simpler than you think. All you’ll need include: a light-weight cutting board and a large knife.

Place the cutting board along the side of the cake. Using the large knife, about 1-2 inches away from the edge of the cake, cut a straight down to the cake board. Now, you have a slab, lean it against the board and place the board on the table. Slice the slab into individual portions. Repeat for the rest of the cake. Clean your knife with a kitchen towel in between cuts.

How long can I keep the leftovers?

This strawberry matcha cake will keep well for up to one week when stored in the fridge, in an air tight container. Before eating the chilled cake, you will want to leave it out of the fridge in room temperature for at least 30 minutes. This will allow the cake to ‘defrost’, as it tastes best when it is at room temperature.

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