Matcha Green Tea Chiffon Cake

Continuing on the chiffon cake train, here's a variation of chiffon cake I've been wanting to try for ages. Looking at the recipes for matcha chiffon cake available online, I decided to just add some matcha powder to my go-to chiffon cake, up the sugar a bit to balance out the bitterness of the tea, and it worked wonderfully.

Most recipes for matcha chiffon cake advise sifting the matcha powder with the dry ingredients and I have to agree this is the way to go. It's easier since you don't have to bother dissolving the matcha powder and on my first attempt at this cake, I found that dissolving the matcha powder in hot water actually resulted in quite a strong bitter aftertaste in the cake resembling that of overbrewed tea.

Depending on the brand of green tea powder you use, you may want to add more or less and adjust to your taste. I used Maeda-en matcha powder and found 12 g provided a strong green tea flavor while not going over the top.

Matcha Chiffon Cake
Makes One large 10 inch cake

195 grams cake flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
12 g (2 1/2 tbsp) matcha/green tea powder
9 medium egg yolks (8 large or 7 extra large)
Large pinch of salt
205 grams granulated sugar
150 ml (3/4 cup) milk
120 ml (1/2 cup) vegetable oil (any light flavored oil will work)
9 medium egg whites (8 large or 7 extra large)

Preheat the oven to 340°F and have a 10 inch not nonstick tube pan(angel food cake pan) ready, ungreased.

Sift the flour, matcha powder, and baking powder together 3 times, set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, salt, and about 60 g of the sugar (reserve the rest for later). Whisk for several minutes, until it turns pale yellow and thick ribbons fall from the whisk. Mix in the oil and the milk, and whisk well between each. Add in the flour mixture and whisk until well blended, but don't overmix.

In another large bowl with a clean whisk, handheld mixer, or in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium until they start to get foamy. Then, stream in the remaining sugar and beat until stiff peaks.

Add a third of the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk mixture and mix with the whisk until blended. Fold in the rest of the egg whites gently with a spatula until just blended. Be sure there are no large clumps of egg whites left as this will leave wet spots in the finished cake.

Pour the batter into the pan. Bake until set and golden brown, about 45-50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. As soon as it comes out of the oven, invert the pan onto a cooling rack so the cake won't collapse, let cool completely. If your tube pan doesn't have feet for inverting or the cake is higher than the pan, invert the pan onto a funnel or a thin neck bottle.

To unmold, run a knife around the edge and remove the cake, run the knife under the cake to remove the bottom. It's easier to remove if you slice through the cake but you can also just slip the center out or serve it on the pan.

Cake will last several days at room temp in an airtight container or wrapped well in plastic wrap.