Matcha Cake Roll

For a luncheon, Family Sunday dinner, Christmas or Valentine’s day.

So go bake yourself a cake sweetheart!

This beautiful Matcha Cake Roll is like one of your most versatile pieces of clothing. 

You can dress it up or down.  A picnic or party, or they used to say, office to happy hour.

It’s easier than you think, and aside from the chilling time, comes together quite quickly.

It is unfussy, yet elegant.  

It is not too sweet, or heavy, but creamy and delicious, always looks good and any flaws can be concealed with a bit of powdered icing sugar.

How To Make this Matcha Cake Roll

For the White Chocolate Cream Filling

1.  In a small saucepan, heat ½ cup of the whipping cream.

2.  Add the white chocolate.  You don’t have to chop it, I just swirl the milk around a bit and slowly stir it so it starts to melt.

Remove from heat, and stir to melt it in completely.

3.  Combine this with the rest of the whipping cream and refrigerate it, to be whipped later for the filling.

For the Matcha Cake

Line an 11”x15” (29 x 39 cm) jelly roll pan with non stick parchment paper.

1. First things first. Separate your eggs while they are cold.  It is easier because the yolks are stronger.

Make sure the bowl used for the egg whites is completely grease free.  

I wash it out before using just to be sure, and/or wipe it out with vinegar.  Don’t forget to do the same for the beaters because you will be beating the yolks first.

Crack each egg, one at a time, into a bowl.  You can use the shell, but I find it better to fish out the yolks with slightly wet hands and put it into a mixing bowl and pour the white into another bowl.  Repeat with each egg.

Then let the yolks and whites come to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C)

2.  Sift together, the cake flour, baking powder, matcha powder and salt. Stir it to combine and set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks with the milk and oil.

4.  Gradually add ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar.  Using an electric mixer (not an immersion blender) , beat for 7-10 minutes until it is thick and pale yellow.

5. Mix in the vanilla.

6.  Make sure your beaters are clean, and beat the egg whites until frothy.

7.  Add the cream of tartar, which is an acid, or vinegar, which will help to stabilize the egg whites once they have been beaten.

8.  Add the ⅓ cup (70g) granulated sugar in three increments, beating each addition in gradually.

After the last addition, beat until you have soft peaks.  When you pull up the beaters, the whites will come up and droop over.

Set the whites aside.

9.  Using a large whisk, or spoon, fold the flour mixture into the yolk mixture in thirds, folding gently, but thoroughly.

10.  Add a big scoop of the whites and fold that in.

Fold in another big scoop of the whites, then combine the rest all together.

It can be combined completely, but don’t mix vigorously. Just make large scoops, scraping around the whole bowl.

11.  Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

Bang the pan, sharply to release any large bubbles.  This will not deflate your cake, it will make an even surface.

12.  Bake for about 18 minutes.  Although the cake is thin, it should still bounce back.

Remove it from the oven and bang it on the counter.

Amy says that this helps to reduce shrinking.  

I don’t know why, she doesn’t know exactly why.

After much thinking and gesturing, we guessed that when you bang it you have released air deliberately and forced it to settle where you want it to.  

Shocking it to the sides instead of it deflating on its own and imploding, it explodes out to the sides.

Some people say to roll it right away while hot then let it cool completely.  It is easier to roll up and reduces cracking.  

It also gets a bit moist, like damp, when you roll it up hot. This is a bit helpful when peeling off the paper if you want the surface to peel off.  

I leave the cake to cool for at least 10 minutes. It’s too hot to handle and I’m probably not ready to receive it anyway.  This is also a spongy cake and doesn’t crack too easily.

If you want to try to keep the cake “crust” on, let it cool a bit and let the top dry, just for about 15 minutes.  Sprinkle a bit of powdered icing sugar on and smooth it around before turning it out onto another piece of parchment.

13.  Flip the cake over on another piece of parchment. Remove the bottom parchment, which is now on the top, by peeling it away.

Trim the very edges of the sides off if they are harder and may make rolling just a bit more difficult.  They may be trimmed at the end as well.

14. Cut the 11”(29cm) side end on a 45° angle.  This makes a smooth finish after it has been rolled.

15. Starting at the other end, patiently start rolling the cake up with the parchment paper inside.  It may take a bit of time to get it started.

If you have the graduated end against the counter or cutting board, it will stop it from trying to get away from you.

Once it gets started, it gets easier.  Leave it to cool, but not in the refrigerator.

Cut the 11″ (29cm) side end on a 45° angle.

Roll it up with the parchment inside

Cutting one of the 11″ (29cm) side ends on a 45° angle makes a smooth finish after it has been rolled.

16.  In the meantime, whip the cold white chocolate cream.  Set aside some of it for garnishing the top of the matcha cake roll. A fifth maybe.

17.  When the cake has cooled, slowly unroll and spread it generously with the cream, being a little thicker on the part that will be the very inside of the roll.  As you roll, the cream will get pushed out and away.

Using the parchment again, roll up the cake with the cream inside, all the way.

Wrap the parchment completely around it and refrigerate at least 2 hours before cutting.

Tucking in the end will help start the rolling along.

When ready to serve, unroll and plate the Matcha Cake Roll. Trim the sides if necessary or any brown bits if you aren’t covering the cake entirely.

Spread or pipe the extra cream over it and garnish with strawberries, or other fruit, or a dusting of powdered sugar is nice.

Pipe cream on the Matcha Cake roll or dust with powdered icing sugar.