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This moist chocolate matcha cake consists of three layers of chocolate cake and matcha buttercream. The earthy consistency complements the deep and rich chocolate cake layers beautifully. Make this for any matcha lover’s birthday or special day!
If there’s one thing I love is anything matcha. I love an iced matcha latte, warm cozy matcha latte, strawberry matcha latte and matcha cheesecake and more! This cake is a love letter to matcha because the chocolate and matcha work so beautifully together.
Ingredients You’ll Need for this Chocolate Matcha Cake
- Matcha. For this frosting I like to use ceremonial grade matcha. Good quality!
- Granulated sugar. This is going to give our chocolate cake moistness and sweetness.
- Cocoa powder. I like using a good-quality baking cocoa
- Eggs. This will a richness and fluffiness to the cake.
- Espresso Powder. You will absolutely not taste the espresso powder but instead it will accentuate the deep flavors in the chocolate.
For the rest of the ingredients, please see the recipe index card below!
How to Make a Chocolate Matcha Cake
- Mix together the cake batter. This is a one-bowl chocolate cake so mix everything in a large bowl together until smooth. The batter will be smooth.
- Bake the cake layers.
- Make the frosting. Beat together the butter, powdered sugar, matcha and heavy cream. You’ll end up with a gorgeous green frosting.
- Decorate the cake. Let the cake layers cool completely and then add the frosting between each layer. I left this as a naked cake (no frosting on the sides).
- Slice and serve!
Recipe Tip
- Use ceremonial grade matcha. There are two types of matcha: ceremonial and culinary. For frostings and baked goods, I love using ceremonial. It adds a really beautiful depth and strong matcha flavor (without being bitter).
- Make the cake ahead! I love making cakes ahead. Wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap and store in the fridge. Or you can even freeze them.
Recipe FAQs
Matcha comes from Kyoto, Japan.
Good quality matcha will be bitter. This is a good thing! The sweetness that you add to the latte will help offset the bitterness.
Yes! This should make around 24 cupcakes. And you’ll want to bake them for about 15-17 minutes.
More Cozy Baked Goods to Bake Up
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Chocolate Matcha Cake
Equipment
- 3 (8-inch) cake pans
- 1 Hand mixer
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 cups white granulated sugar
- 1 cup baking cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon espresso powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup warm water
- 3 tablespoons olive oil or neutral oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Matcha Frosting:
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons matcha powder
- 2 teaspoons heavy cream
Instructions
To Make the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease three 8-inch cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment. I always do this just to make sure no sticking will occur.
- This comes together in one large bowl. Whisk all of the dry ingredients together first: all-purpose flour, sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder and kosher salt.
- Next whisk in the eggs, buttermilk, warm water and mix until smooth. I like to scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure there aren't any floury bits hiding.
- Divide the batter amongst the prepared cake pans. and bake for about 30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until a small skewer inserted into the cakes come out clean. Transfer the cake pans to a wire rack to cool completely for about 10 minutes, until the cakes begin to separate from the sides of the pans. Turn over onto a wire rack and tap the bottom of the pan a few times until it releases. Cool cakes completely before assembling and frosting. Just an FYI: feel free to make the cakes the night before. Cakes will be moist and delicious for up to 2 days if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.
To Make the Matcha Frosting:
- Add the butter to the bowl of a stand-up mixer with the paddle attachment. In a separate bowl, sift together the powdered sugar and matcha powder together. Beat the butter until smooth and then add the powdered and matcha powder, in a few batches, to the butter. Pour in a teaspoon of heavy cream and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
To Assemble the Cake:
- Place the first layer on a plate or cake stand. Add a few spoonfuls of frosting and spread as evenly possible. Top with the second layer and repeat the frosting process. Add a few generous spoonfuls of frosting to the very top and smooth it out. This is a naked cake! If you want enough frosting to go all up the sides you’ll most likely need to double the frosting recipe. Slice and enjoy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This chocolate cake is divine! I loved the frosting too.
Hi! I’d like to make this, but was hoping to make a smaller cake (8×8 in square). Would you suggest halving the recipe to make less?
Absolutely delicious! We made it with gf flour and it was so so good!
I didn’t use all the icing because I don’t like too much on my cakes but the matcha flavor really came through 🙂
Ooh, I wanted to try something like that earlier this week but have yet to write up the recipe! Love the use of sparkling water—so creative.
Seem delicious, I’ll try it and I’m sure my kids will like it.
Hi it says not to over beat the flour into the chocolate mix but now the cakes are done and I can see flour in the cake. Someone will bite into a chunk of flour
oh no! the flour should have been fully mixed tho. just not overbeaten. :/
The cake is yum! The only change I made is reduced the sugar to 250 gms. 2 cups will be way too sweet for me. I will definitely make this again. I frost it with Swiss Meringue Butter cream with Matcha. Thank you for sharing.
This cake is fantastic!!!
So I like it!
Love! Made this cake for my husbands birthday. Dare I say a box cake with your frosting! I used our own matcha:
http://www.amazon.com/Ceremonial-Matcha-Tea-Powder-Organic/dp/B00UG4ST1W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429988171&sr=8-1&keywords=Matcha+coastal+tea
If your interested in trying you can use the code 5starcup for a discount!
Thanks again!