Matcha Cake with White Chocolate and Pistachios: gently flavoured green tea cake layered with creamy white chocolate frosting and toasted pistachios.
Green food.
Rarely a favourite option, due to its association with childhood vegetable dodging or bitter attempts at juicing diets. However, not one to write off entirely.
As gleefully discovered when filming a video in which I only ate green food for 24 hours, green food doesn’t always have to be loathsome. It can be just as flavourful and desirable as less-natural colours, when you just take a little bit of care.
It could be a green smoothie, sexed up with a touch of mint and a whisper of shaved dark chocolate, or a green salad with just the right balance of delectable salt, fat, and freshness. Far from the thoughts of bitter leaves of kale or the pungency of overcooked broccoli, green isn’t always gross.
The past few years of matcha madness should be a prime example. Exploding in popularity, this intensely green powder has starred in many Instagram-worthy desserts and hundreds of food blogs. But just what is it?
Matcha is a very finely ground powder made from green tea leaves. Originally from China, this vivid green dust has found global fame for its gentle flavour and enticing shade.
Always behind the times, I first tasted this special form of tea leaf just this month. Upon the first bite from a £1 box of green matcha Pocky, I knew I had to bake with this flavour. With little hesitation, this Matcha Cake with White Chocolate and Pistachios was born.
Gloriously green cake, subtly flavoured with green tea. Fluffy frosting, fresh with creamy mascarpone and sweet with white chocolate. Toasted pistachios, a rich savoury crunch amongst softness.
The colours of this Matcha Cake with White Chocolate and Pistachios are truly tempting. The contrast of the bold natural green shade (yes that’s right, this contains no food colouring!) against impossibly white frosting. It evokes a memory of some kind of cartoon food you’d be desperate to taste if it were ever to become real.
If matcha is a new flavour to your palate, let this Matcha Cake with White Chocolate and Pistachios be your first introduction.
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To make this Matcha Cake with White Chocolate and Pistachios, simply follow the recipe below!
Matcha Cake with White Chocolate and Pistachios
Notes
BE A MAVERICK: try adding some lemon zest to the frosting for an even fresher flavour!
This Matcha Cake with White Chocolate and Pistachios will keep well in an airtight container for up to 4 days. No need to refrigerate unless you live somewhere very warm, or you prefer cold cake!
Ingredients
For the matcha cake:
- 200g (13 tbsp) soft salted butter/margarine
- 170g (generous ¾ cup) caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 200g (1 ⅔ cup) self-raising flour
- 1 rounded tbsp matcha powder
For the white chocolate frosting:
- 200g (13 tbsp) soft salted butter
- 225g (1 ¾ cups) icing sugar
- 100g (3 oz) mascarpone cheese
- 100g (3 oz) melted white chocolate
- 1 tsp matcha powder (optional)
To assemble:
- 50g (⅓ cup) pistachios
Instructions
For the matcha cake:
- Preheat your oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / 350°F / gas mark 4.
- Grease two 15cm (6 in) cake tins thoroughly, and line their bases with some greaseproof or parchment paper.
- Measure your butter/margarine and sugar into a large bowl.
- Beat well with a freestanding mixer, electric whisk, or wooden spoon, until light and fluffy. This should take 1-2 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition.
- Add the flour and matcha powder and stir gently until just smooth and combined into a thick green batter.
- Pour the mixture evenly between the 2 tins and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until risen, and a skewer inserted into the centre can be cleanly removed.
- Allow the cakes to cool in their tins for about 15 minutes before removing them and allowing them to cool completely on a wire rack.
For the white chocolate frosting:
- In a large bowl, beat together all the frosting ingredients, except the matcha powder (if using), until you have a fluffy white frosting. This can take up to 5 minutes.
- If you would like to have a pale green marble to the frosting, halve the frosting and mix the matcha powder with one half. This way you can play around with the white and pastel green shades!
To assemble:
- Set a small frying pan over a medium heat.
- Tip your pistachios into the pan, rolling them around in the dry heat for up to 8 minutes. By this point you should smell their delicious savouriness, but not burnt bitterness!
- Allow the nuts to cool for 5 minutes before chopping into small pieces.
- Once all components have been prepared, place one cake onto your serving plate and slather the top with some of your frosting.
- Scatter over half of your chopped pistachios.
- Top this with the second cake layer.
- Spread or pipe your remaining frosting all over the top and sides of the cake, decorating however you like with the remaining pistachios.
- Slice up and enjoy!
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hi Maverick Baking, are you based in London by any chance? Can I order this cake from you at all?
Hi there! Sorry, I’m not based in London, and this site is just for sharing recipes!