The texture of matcha cotton sponge cake (Japanese sponge cake) is as soft as cotton, cotton sponge cake flavoured with matcha powder is definitely a must-try recipe for matcha lovers.
Making cotton sponge cake is quite tricky actually, don’t give up if you fail when trying for the first time as you are not the only one. The common problem faced when baking cotton sponge cake is the cake tends to shrink terribly. To avoid this problem, cotton sponge cake should always be baked at lower temperature for longer period. The cake should rise slowly during baking to prevent it from over-rising then collapsing when out of oven.
Check out our cotton sponge cake (Japanese sponge cake) recipes.
CHINESE VERSION: 抹茶棉花海绵蛋糕
Matcha Cotton Sponge Cake (Japanese Green Tea) | MyKitchen101en
Yield: 24 pieces
Ingredients:
- 60 g butter (salted)
- 120 g full cream milk
- 110 g cake flour
- 15 g matcha powder
- 7 egg yolks (grade A/size: L)
- 1 whole egg (grade A/size: L)
Ingredients for meringue:
- 7 egg whites (grade A/size: L)
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- 150 g fine sugar
Instructions:
1 If the mould has joining parts at the bottom that water may seep in, line the bottom of the baking pan with a thick layer of of kitchen towels (6-7 pieces) and wrap with 2 layers of aluminium foil. The paper kitchen towels can absorb any water accidentally seeping in as well as preventing the baking pan with batter from contacting with the larger pan, so that it is not too hot. Grease and line 8-inch/20-cm square baking pan with parchment paper. (Reminder: If the mould is without joining parts, no need to wrap with foil, just put a piece of cloth at the bottom of the baking pan with batter to replace the kitchen towels.)
Related: Is Parchment Paper the Same as Wax Paper?
2 Preheat oven to 150°C/300°F.
3 Sieve together cake flour and matcha powder. Combine milk and butter in stainless steel mixing bowl, dip bowl in hot water and mix until butter has melted (about 1 minute). Sieve in flour mixture, mix well.
4 Combine egg yolks and whole egg, add to batter gradually, mix until smooth.
5 In a clean mixing bowl, whisk egg whites on low speed until foamy. Add in salt and cream of tartar, whisk until small bubbles are formed. Add in fine sugar gradually, whisk on low speed until soft peak (meringue is shiny with arch shape). (Reminder: Egg whites and equipment used to beat egg whites must be grease-free and water-free, including egg yolk. It is advisable to clean the egg shells and equipment with dishwasher detergent, then dry with a clean cloth. Use a clean small bowl to separate the egg yolk and egg white, if the egg yolk cracks, don’t use that egg white.)
6 Add meringue to batter in 4 batches, mix gently with hand whisk.
7 Fold gently until well mixed with spatula. Tap mixing bowl a few times on countertop to burst large bubbles. (Reminder: Do it quick but gentle to avoid deflating the meringue. Scrape the bottom of mixing bowl with spatula and fold over, repeat folding motion until just well mixed.)
8 Pour the batter into baking pan, tap a few times to break large bubbles.
9 Fill a larger (I use 10-inch) baking pan with plain water (about 1″ high) for water bath, put in the baking pan with batter.
10 Bake in the preheated oven at 150°C/300°F for 1 hour 50 minutes, or until fully cooked. (Reminder: If your cake does shrink when out of oven, then your oven temperature is too hot. Try reducing baking temperature to 140°C. The cake should rise slowly during baking to prevent it from over-rising then collapsing when out of oven.)
11 Drop the baking pan from 1 foot high onto countertop to minimise shrinkage.
12 Unmold the matcha cake and cool completely on wire rack (at least 6″ from countertop).
13 Cut matcha cotton sponge cake into pieces with a serrated knife when completely cooled.
Matcha Cotton Sponge Cake (Japanese Green Tea)
Rate
Equipment
- 1 square baking pan 8-inch/20-cm
- 1 square baking pan 10-inch/25-cm
Ingredients
- 60 g butter salted
- 120 g full cream milk
- 110 g cake flour
- 15 g matcha powder
- 7 egg yolks grade A/size: L
- 1 whole egg grade A/size: L
For meringue:
- 7 egg whites grade A/size: L
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- 150 g fine sugar
Instructions
- If the mould has joining parts at the bottom that water may seep in, line the bottom of the baking pan with a thick layer of of kitchen towels (6-7 pieces) and wrap with 2 layers of aluminium foil. The paper kitchen towels can absorb any water accidentally seeping in as well as preventing the baking pan with batter from contacting with the larger pan, so that it is not too hot. Grease and line 8-inch/20-cm square baking pan with parchment paper. (Reminder: If the mould is without joining parts, no need to wrap with foil, just put a piece of cloth at the bottom of the baking pan with batter to replace the kitchen towels.)
- Preheat oven to 150°C/300°F.
- Sieve together cake flour and matcha powder. Combine milk and butter in stainless steel mixing bowl, dip bowl in hot water and mix until butter has melted (about 1 minute). Sieve in flour mixture, mix well. Combine egg yolks and whole egg, add to batter gradually, mix until smooth.
- In a clean mixing bowl, whisk egg whites on low speed until foamy. Add in salt and cream of tartar, whisk until small bubbles are formed. Add in fine sugar gradually, whisk on low speed until soft peak (meringue is shiny with arch shape).
- Add meringue to batter in 4 batches, mix gently with hand whisk. Fold gently until well mixed with spatula. Tap mixing bowl a few times on countertop to burst large bubbles. (Reminder: Do it quick but gentle to avoid deflating the meringue. Scrape the bottom of mixing bowl with spatula and fold over, repeat folding motion until just well mixed.)
- Pour the batter into baking pan, tap a few times to break large bubbles.
- Fill a larger (I use 10-inch) baking pan with plain water (about 1″ high) for water bath, put in the baking pan with batter.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 150°C/300°F for 1 hour 50 minutes, or until fully cooked. (Reminder: If your cake does shrink when out of oven, then your oven temperature is too hot. Try reducing baking temperature to 140°C. The cake should rise slowly during baking to prevent it from over-rising then collapsing when out of oven.)
- Drop the baking pan from 1 foot high onto countertop to minimise shrinkage.
- Unmould the matcha cake and cool completely on wire rack (at least 6″ from countertop).
- Cut matcha cotton sponge cake into pieces with a serrated knife when completely cooled.
Video
Notes
Nutrition (per serving)
Rate this recipe
Click to rate
Trackbacks/Pingbacks