Green Matcha Sponge cake

Very easy to bake. Green ecoMatcha gives fantastic taste to this Sponge cake. The green vibrant colour demonstrated in the photo was achieved by adding 3 tablespoons of matcha into the dry ingredients of the dough. This gives a very pronounced matcha aftertaste.  Of course, the amount of matcha can be regulated to achieve a mild or strong aftertaste as per your own taste. The beauty of this receipt is in the fact that the sponge it selves (without cream) can be prepared and kept in the freezer up to two months. This cake would be a fantastic treat for your short-notice guests or yourself.

Ingredients for the sponge:

Eggs - 6 pcs.

Sugar - 150 g

Flour - 180 g

Green ecoMatcha – 2 tablespoon

Baking powder - 2 teaspoons

Vanilla sugar 10 gr or vanilla essence 1 teaspoon (it is not compulsory)

Pinch of salt

Ingredients for Cream:

Fresh cream or heavy whipping cream 500 ml

Sugar 2-3 tablespoons (or as per your likeness)

Ingredients for Syrup

Sugar - 50 g

Water - 100 ml

Lemon juice - 2 teaspoons (if you like)

Sponge:

1)      Preheat an oven at 165-170 C temperature (adjust to your oven type)

2)      Prepare cake mould (about 20 to 24 cm in diameter). It is recommended to cover the bottom of the mould with baking paper.

3)      Carefully separate yolks and whites.

Tip: be very careful while separating whites and yolks. Even a very small amount of yolk can prevent proper whites whipping.

4)      Whisk the whites with a pinch of salt for just 1-2 minutes on slow speed.

Tip: a pinch of salt helps the whites to be whipped faster.

Tip: whisking the white at the slow speed at the very beginning will help to create a more stable mix.

5)      Slowly add to the whites 2/3 of sugar. Gradually increase the speed of a mixer.

Tip: white sugar can be replaced with another ingredient. 1 cup of sugar equals3/4 cup honey, or 3/4 cups maple syrup or 2/3 cup agave or 1 teaspoon stevia. Make sure, that you are not prone to allergy on those ingredients.

6)      Add vanilla sugar (or vanilla essence) to the mixture.

7)      Continue whipping until the mixture is doubled (or even tripled) and get a thick and stable structure with stiff peaks.

Tip: make sure the whites are in a clean glass or metal bowl completely dry and free from any oil. Otherwise, the whites might not be whipped properly.

8)      Combine carefully yolks and whites mixture.

9)      Mix all dry ingredients into a separate bowl. Sift the all-purpose flour and #Green ecoMatcha. Add baking powder to the dry mixture. If you like the stronger taste of matcha, add 1 (one) more tablespoon of #Green ecoMatcha, but decrease all-purpose flour for 1 tablespoon accordingly.

10)   Gently mix dry ingredients into the egg mixture.

Tip: to maintain a fluffy structure of the mixture while combining the mixtures, move spatula carefully from the bottom up. Do not use a mixer.

11)    Pour the mixture to the cake mould.  Slightly tap the cake mould to release air bubbles.

12)   Bake the cake in preheated oven for 25-30 min (the time will depend on your oven).

13)   Check if the sponge is backed properly.

Tip: How to understand if the sponge is cooked? First of all, make sure the top got slightly brown, and:

Option 1:  lightly press the middle of sponge to see if it springs back.

Option 2: Insert a toothpick in the middle of the sponge. If it comes out clean and non-sticky, the sponge is ready.

14)   Take the baked sponge out from the oven and let it stay in the backing mould for a few minutes. Then gently take it out from the mould and let it completely cool down on the cooling rack.

Cream:

This is a very simple option of cake cream. Alternately you can use any of your favourite creams.

Whip fresh cream or heavy whipping cream and sugar. Just a few minutes are required to achieve a creamy structure.

Tip: the fresh cream or whipping cream should be cold before whipping.

Syrup:

This step can be skipped if dryer cake texture is your preference. If the opposite is true, the cake’s sponge layers should be moistened with syrup.

Combine sugar and boiled water. Stir the mixture till sugar dissolves completely. Let it cool down to room temperature. 2 teaspoons of lemon can be added per your taste.

Assembling:

1)      Cut the sponge into 3 layers.

Tip: To avoid sponge crumbling while cutting, bake the sponge a day in advance and keep it in the fridge over the night. It is important to put the sponge in a container or food wrap after it is cooled down and before placing in the fridge. This will help the sponge to not absorb other smells in the fridge   

2)      Slightly moist the sponge layer with syrup (this can be skipped). Wait till the syrup is absorbed. Then add ¼ portion of the cream and distribute evenly on the layer of the sponge.

3)       Repeat the same steps for the other layers.

4)      Decorate the cake with leftover cream. My preference in decoration is edible flowers -calendula, lavender, manuka, thyme flowers and many other.

Enjoy Green ecoMatcha Sponge cake.

With Love

ecoMatcha Naturally Organic Team