Matcha Strawberry Cake

This matcha strawberry cake is made with a soft and fluffy matcha sponge cake with layers of fresh strawberries and matcha buttercream frosting. This recipe also includes an option to frost this cake with matcha whipped cream depending on your taste and decoration preferences. Both are delicious!

This matcha strawberry cake is the most perfect matcha birthday cake that I can think of making. It might just be the one that I make for myself again this year. I piped “i love you so matcha” with buttercream on top of this cake as a cheesy but cute way of making this the perfect Valentine’s Day (or Galentine’s Day) cake.

This cake combines two of my favourite things: matcha and strawberries. They’re a match made in heaven! The sweetness and fruitiness of the strawberries pairs so well with the earthy taste of matcha green tea.

If you make this cake with whipped cream frosting, it really tastes like a bakery quality matcha strawberry cake that you would find at an Asian bakery. It’s light, airy, and so delicious!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• This is the cake for matcha lovers! There’s matcha in the cake layers as well as in the frosting for maximum green tea flavour.
• The matcha sponge cake layers are so soft and fluffy.
• The fresh strawberries in between each layer add a burst of fruitiness, just like fresh fruit cakes from Asian bakeries. The red is a gorgeous pop of colour that stands out in each slice.
• I’ve included two frosting options depending on how you want the cake to taste and how you want to decorate it. Both are delicious!

Buttercream vs whipped cream for frosting

This matcha strawberry cake can be frosted with either buttercream or whipped cream. The one I made pictured in this post is frosted with matcha buttercream. I’ve included the ingredients and instructions for both options in the recipe card below.

Use buttercream if you:

• Want to pipe an elaborate design with the frosting and/or add any writing on the cake
• Need the cake to be stable in the fridge and at room temperature for a long period of time (up to a few days)
• Prefer the sweeter and creamier taste of buttercream

Use whipped cream if you:

• Want a simple frosting design
• Will be serving the cake immediately or within 1-2 days
• Prefer the lighter taste and texture of whipped cream, common in cakes from Asian bakeries

Ceremonial grade vs culinary grade matcha powder

Ceremonial grade matcha is more concentrated, higher quality, and usually a more vibrant green than culinary matcha powder. The tea leaves are harvested in the early Spring season. Ceremonial grade matcha has a fresh and sweet taste that would be lost during cooking or baking. It’s meant to be consumed directly or made into a drink with hot water. This higher grade usually comes at a much higher price point than culinary grade matcha.

Culinary grade matcha is meant to be used in cooking and baking. The tea leaves are harvested late in the Summer season. It’s usually a duller, yellow-green colour and the taste is more earthy and slightly bitter. Culinary grade matcha is designed to be added into food where it can withstand heat and being combined with other ingredients without losing its flavour. The lower grade comes at a lower price point than ceremonial grade matcha.

When baking, I always use culinary grade matcha. There’s no need to use the more expensive ceremonial grade matcha when it will be altered by heat and mixed with other ingredients.

Ingredients

• Eggs - Separate the egg whites and egg yolks into two separate large bowls. You’ll be using both.
• Granulated sugar
• Cream of tartar - Stabilizes the meringue, making it easier to whip up to stiff peaks
• Milk - You can use any dairy or non-dairy milk.
• Oil - Any flavourless or light-tasting oil will work like vegetable oil, avocado oil, or grapeseed oil.
• Vanilla extract
• Cake flour
• Matcha powder - Use a culinary grade matcha powder that is made for baking.
• Powdered sugar
• Unsalted butter - You’ll need either butter or whipping cream depending on which frosting option you’re using. Make sure your butter is at room temperature before using for the buttercream.
• Whipping cream - You only need this if you want to frost your cake with whipped cream.
• Strawberries - Fresh strawberries will work the best in this cake.

How to make a matcha strawberry cake

For the matcha sponge cake

Prep: Preheat oven to 375°F and line three 6” cake pans with a round of parchment paper. Set aside.

Beat egg whites into meringue: In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the egg whites until it becomes foamy. Add in the cream of tartar and continue beating until it becomes frothy soft peaks. Sprinkle the sugar into the egg whites one spoonful at a time, mixing in between each addition, until it becomes stiff peaks. Set aside.

Mix egg yolk mixture: In a separate large bowl, stir together the egg yolks, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Sift in the cake flour and matcha powder. Stir together with a spatula until combined.

Fold egg whites into yolk mixture: Add the egg white meringue into the egg yolk mixture in 3 additions, folding the batter together in an upwards motion in between each addition. Fold the batter until no streaks remain and batter is fluffy and airy.

Bake: Divide the cake batter evenly into your 3 lined cake pans. Bake cakes for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cakes cool in the pans for about 15 minutes before running a knife around the edges of the pan and inverting the pan to release the cakes. Let cool completely before using.

Frosting option 1: matcha buttercream

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat softened butter on medium-high speed for 10 minutes until it becomes very creamy and pale in colour.

Add in the powdered sugar, matcha powder, and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed, working your up to medium-high speed for another 10 minutes.

Frosting option 2: matcha whipped cream

In a large bowl, add whipping cream, powdered sugar, matcha powder, and vanilla extract. Use a hand mixer to beat until it becomes medium-firm peaks.

Assembling the cake

Add strawberry layers: On a cake turntable, lay down your first cake layer. Use an offset spatula to smooth an even layer of buttercream or whipped cream on top. Top the frosting with a layer of diced strawberries, lightly pressing them down into the frosting so that they stay in place. Place another cake layer on top and repeat with the next layer of frosting and strawberries.

Crumb coat & frost: Frost the top and outside of the whole cake with a crumb coat. Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes before frosting with the final layer of frosting. Decorate the top with buttercream lettering and more strawberries, if desired.

Tip & tricks

Sift the cake flour and matcha powder - Both of these tend to be clumpy so sifting prevents clumps in your batter and also adds extra aeration for a fluffy sponge cake.

Fold the meringue in 3 additions - This is an important step! There’s a big difference in consistency between the meringue and the egg yolk mixture. The batter will become lumpy if you mix them all at once. Start by only folding about two dollops of meringue into the cake batter to thin it out before adding more.

Make the cake layers in advance - Layer cakes can be time consuming especially if you’re just starting out. I like to bake my cake layers the night before so that I only need to make the frosting the next day. Store the cake layers wrapped in the fridge or in the freezer if you’re making it far in advance.

Cake tools - Having the right cake tools can make the process easier and more enjoyable. If you don’t already have them, consider picking up some essentials. I would suggest having a cake turntable, offset spatula, bench scraper, piping bags, and a few piping tips. You can check my shop page for all the tools I use.

Silky buttercream - The key to silky and creamy buttercream is to beat it for a long enough time. Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature and beat the butter for 10 whole minutes before you even add the powdered sugar.

Tip: For extra silky buttercream, transfer 1-2 large dollops of buttercream to a small bowl. Warm it in the microwave for about 10 seconds until it becomes shiny and melty on the outside. Add it back into the rest of the buttercream and stir together. Repeat as needed until your buttercream is glossy.

Frequently asked questions

More matcha recipes to try

• Matcha Mille Crepe Cake
• Strawberry Matcha Latte
• Matcha Cream Puffs (Choux au Craquelin)
• Matcha White Chocolate Cookies