Matcha Snack Cake

I’m back! It’s been a while since I posted, but for good reason. In case you missed it (a.k.a., you don’t follow me on Instagram), I bought a house! After three and a half years of searching, I finally found the house I was looking for at the end of January, and by the end of February I had closed on the house, packed up, and moved! It was a whirlwind, to say the least. Now, after another month and a half of unpacking and settling in, I’m finally getting back into the swing of blogging things, and it feels great!

I’m still trying to get used to my new-to-me oven (it’s 10 years old and verrrry finicky…time to save up for a new one I think), but I did manage to make a delish new cake that I just had to share. If you’re a fan of green tea-flavored things, you’ll love this Matcha Snack Cake.

What Is Matcha?

If you’re not familiar with matcha, let’s get you on the same page. Matcha is very finely ground green tea powder that you furiously whisk together with hot water to make (DELICIOUS) tea. It originated in China, but is now mostly produced in and associated with Japan.

You can drink matcha as-is or add your sweetener and/or milk of choice. I love it with some soy milk and just a liiiiiittle sugar (and a splash of rosewater if I’m feeling fancy). You can also use it to flavor other things like ice cream, mochi, cookies and, of course, cake … like this one!

“Snack Cake” vs Regular Cake

Ok now that we’re all caught up on matcha, let’s talk snack cake.

Snack cake is exactly like a regular cake…there’s just less of it. It’s typically a one-layer cake that can be made with or without frosting. Loaf cakes could fit into this category as well. This isn’t the fancy, over-the-top cake you’d make for a special occasion (though, in my opinion, any kind of cake can make an occasion special). It’s a simple, everyday cake that’s quick and easy to throw together — perfect for dessert, tea time, midnight snacking…etc, etc.

This particular snack cake is a one-layer situation with a creamy, delicious frosting. It’s fabulous on its own, but is even better topped with fresh berries (I opted for strawberries, but raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries would be amazing as well).

How To Make Matcha Snack Cake

Ready to make your Matcha Snack Cake? Let’s do it!

Make the Cake Layer

First, grease an 8-inch cake pan (round or square), line the bottom with parchment paper, and grease the parchment. I like to use a baking spray, because I’m lazy, but you can use butter or a little vegetable oil if you prefer. The parchment paper is optional, but it does make getting the cake out of the pan much easier, so I’d recommend using it.

Next, in a small bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients — the flour, baking powder, and matcha powder. Set that aside for later.

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until it’s light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). You’re not just mixing the ingredients here, you’re whipping air into them as well.

Then add the eggs one at a time, beating just until combined. Add the vanilla extract and beat on low speed until combined. Don’t forget to scrape the bowl periodically.

Next, add the flour mixture, mixing on low speed just until combined. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure there are no stray bits of flour mixture hiding there. Finally, add the buttermilk and mix on low speed until combined. Pour the finished batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean (or mostly clean with a few moist crumbs on it). Move the pan to a cooling rack, letting it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then carefully remove the cake from the pan, remove the parchment paper, and set the cake on the cooling rack to cool completely.

Make the Frosting

Once your cake is cool, make your frosting.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl using a hand mixer), beat butter and powdered sugar on low speed until combined, about 1-2 minutes.

Next, add the vanilla extract and matcha powder, and mix until combined.

Then, add the heavy whipping cream. Side note: yes, you need heavy whipping cream for this. The whipping cream expands as you beat it, making the frosting light and fluffy. Milk or milk alternatives won’t work the same. (But if you want a dairy-free version you could try coconut cream — it might work. No promises, though.)

Anyway, once you add the cream, mix on low speed until it’s combined, then increase the speed to high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Once your cake is COMPLETELY cool (trust me, you don’t want to frost a warm cake), spread all the finished buttercream on top of the cake. Decorate with berries, if you like. Then cut, serve with a hot cup of matcha or other beverage of choice, and snack away!

Want More Snack Cakes?

If you love the idea of a snack cake, you might like these other recipes:

• Toasted Coconut Snack Cake
• Sunken Plum Snack Cake
• Fig Cake (ok, so I didn’t call this one a snack cake…but it totally is)
• Devil’s Food Snack Cake

Happy snacking!

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