Chocolate Matcha Cake

5 from 4 votes

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.

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Cooling Time30

Total Time1 20

Course: Cake, Dessert

Cuisine: American, Japanese

Diet: Low Salt

Servings: (three-layer) 8-inch cake

Author: Adrianna Adarme

Cost: $9

Equipment

3 (8-inch) cake pans
1 large bowl
1 Hand mixer
1 Wilton #1 piping tip

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups white granulated sugar
1 cup baking cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup olive oil or neutral oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup hot coffee

Matcha Frosting:

2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
5 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/2 tablespoons matcha powder
2 1/2 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, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.
Next whisk in the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract mix until combined. Then pour in the hot coffee 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, about 503 grams of batter per pan. 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. Then, add the powdered sugar and matcha powder in batches to the butter. Pour in the heavy cream and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.

To Assemble the Cake:

To decorate the cake with little clovers, add 2/3 cup of frosting to a small bowl. Add a few drops of dark green food coloring to resemble a leaf-green color. Add this to a piping bag a Wilton #1 tip and set aside.
Place one cooled cake layer on a cake board. Add about 1/3 cup of the frosting to the top of the first layer and smooth out into a thin even layer. Place the second cake layer on top. Repeat with the third layer. Add a thin crumb coat of frosting to the cake and smooth the top and sides. Transfer the cake to the fridge to chill for about 20 minutes. Then add a second layer of frosting to the cake.
Now, pipe on the clovers. I made the clovers by making 3 or 4 petal shapes that meet at the center and a stem that starts at the center and points downward. Continue decorating the cake with clovers all over. Wet your finger with a tiny bit of water to smooth any imperfections.
Chill your cake for 20 minutes to set the frosting. Slice and serve!

Notes

Quick Tips

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 this recipe into cupcakes! This should make around 24 cupcakes. And you'll want to bake them for about 15-17 minutes.

Make Ahead & Storage

Make the cake ahead! Wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap and store in the fridge. Or you can even freeze them.
Once cake is assembled, store it in an airtight cake container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition