Try this amazing Vegan Matcha Cake—a soft and fluffy treat with a matcha aroma. It's as simple as mixing the ingredients together and baking, making it a surefire cake that anyone can successfully make!
If you're a fan of matcha, the Japanese green tea, then you're in for a treat with this delightful matcha cake. It captures the comforting matcha flavor perfectly and boasts a moist, fluffy texture that will leave you craving more.
Whether you're a vegan or prefer lighter, less sweet desserts, this delicious cake is the perfect choice. Give it a try today!
- This recipe is for you if:
- You love matcha desserts.
- You are looking for a easy matcha cake recipe.
- You want to make an vegan matcha cake.
If you want to check the recipe immediately, please visit the link below. Let's get started!
Jump to:
About This Recipe
- Delicious Japanese cake
- Fluffy cake with simple ingredients
- The easy-to-follow recipe that anybody can make
- Enjoy mix-in variations
📋Ingredients
Here are the ingredients (amounts are in the recipe card below).
- Soy Milk: Opt for non-GMO soy milk without added flavors or sugars. In Japan, soy milk is easily accessible and reasonably priced. However, if you don't consume soy milk, feel free to substitute it with your favorite alternatives, such as almond milk or oat milk.
- Oil: For baking sweets, I use taihaku sesame oil, but you can use any oil that suits your preferences, such as vegetable oil or coconut oil.
- Maple Syrup: Any maple syrup will work fine.
- Flour: Both all-purpose flour and cake flour are suitable options for this recipe.
- Baking Powder: I recommend aluminum-free baking powder.
- Matcha Powder: See below.
Matcha Powder (Green Tea Powder)
Matcha powder is made by grinding down Tencha green tea leaves into an ultra-fine powder.
With its vibrant, bright green color and deep, earthy flavor, matcha has become an icon of traditional Japanese culture. Matcha has been beloved in Japanese tea ceremonies, but it is also widely used as an ingredient for desserts and cooking.
Matcha has different grades based on quality. Ceremonial grade matcha has a great flavor and is more expensive than culinary grade matcha powder because it is made from the highest quality tea leaves. While the ceremonial matcha is used for traditional tea ceremonies, the lower grade is a good choice for making matcha latte and dessert at an affordable price.
Additionally, there is matcha powder available with the addition of chlorella. This combination lends a vibrant and solid green color to the cake.
Where to Buy Matcha Powder
If you're in the US, you can find matcha powder at Japanese grocery stores like Mitsuwa Marketplace or Marukai. Alternatively, you can also check out Asian markets in your area for availability.
🥣 Baking Equipment
Having the necessary equipment is very important. Please read through for a brief explanation of each item.
- Spatula: A spatula is an essential tool for mixing ingredients. This particular spatula features a sturdy tip, making scraping the dough from the bowl effortless.
- Whisk: Whisking liquid ingredients together is a breeze with this easy-to-use whisk.
- Strainer: The strainer, equipped with a convenient handle, makes sifting dry ingredients seamless.
- Cake Pan: For this cake, I use an 18 cm (7 inches) loaf pan. However, a round or square pan would work just as well.
- Mixing Bowl: Opt for a deep and generously-sized mixing bowl to prevent the flour from scattering while mixing.
- Parchment paper: Place parchment paper smoothly inside the cake pan for added convenience.
🔪Instructions
I will walk you through how to make it step by step. Click here to watch Matcha Cake recipe video.
Firstly, Preheat your oven to 180°C (356°F) and line a cake pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients - soy milk, oil, and maple syrup. Whisk them together until well blended.
- Place a strainer over the bowl and add the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, and matcha powder.
- Gently sift the dry ingredients into the bowl, allowing them to incorporate smoothly with the wet mixture.
- Using a spatula, carefully mix all the ingredients together.
- Once the cake batter is well combined, pour it into the prepared cake pan, spreading it evenly.
- Score the surface with a knife or skewer.
- Bake the cake in the preheated oven for approximately 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a cooling rack.
It can be challenging to slice the cake while it's hot, so allow the cake to cool completely before cutting it.
Helpful Tips
- Be cautious not to overmix the batter, as this can result in a denser cake. Aim for a light and fluffy consistency.
- If you want to fully enjoy the flavor of matcha, adding an extra teaspoon of matcha powder to this recipe will make such a bright green.
- Enjoy your cake more by garnishing on top of the cake with a delightful matcha glaze, powdered sugar, and melted chocolate.
Storage
Store the slices in an airtight container and keep them at room temperature for about five days.
It's safe to keep them in the fridge during the hot season, but they will dry out quickly if you do so. If this happens, warming them up again in a microwave for 20 seconds should make their texture fluffy and soft!
You can also store them in the freezer by wrapping each slice with plastic wrap. They'll last one month that way. Thaw at room temperature or microwave them before eating.
Mix-in Variations
Here are some mix-in variations you can try for your vegan matcha cake:
- Matcha and Chocolate Chips: Fold in a generous amount of dairy-free chocolate chips into the batter for bursts of rich chocolate flavor throughout the cake.
- Matcha and Nuts: Add a delightful crunch by mixing in chopped nuts like walnuts, almonds, or pistachios. They provide a satisfying texture contrast to the soft cake.
- Matcha and Dried Fruits: Incorporate dried fruits such as cranberries, raisins, or chopped dried apricots, along with a teaspoon of vanilla extract. They add a natural sweetness and chewy texture to the cake.
- Matcha and Coconut Flakes: Sprinkle shredded coconut flakes into the batter for a tropical twist and added texture.
- Matcha and Red Bean Paste (Azuki): Add sweetened red bean paste to the batter before baking. This creates a delightful combination of the earthy matcha flavor and the sweet taste of the red bean paste.
Rice flour (Gluten-Free)
If you are looking for a gluten-free option, you can substitute AP flour or cake flour with rice flour.
Replace the amount of cake flour with the rice flour and add one teaspoon of baking powder. Adding extra baking powder will make the cake rise higher.
Thanks For Stopping By!
This moist cake is super easy to make! I hope you will enjoy this green tea cake as much as I do!
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog♡. If you’ve tried this recipe (or any other recipe on the blog), please give it a star rating below!
Also, feel free to leave comments if you have any questions. I love hearing from you!
Chef JA Cooks is a Japanese food blog that shares simple and healthy Japanese home cooking recipes, including vegan and vegetarian. From traditional Japanese recipes to modern recipes with step-by-step instructions.
More Matcha Dessert Recipes You Might Like
- Vegan Matcha Cookies
- Vegan Matcha Anko Muffins
- Vegan Matcha Pudding
- Matcha Castella Cake
- Matcha Granola
📖 Recipe
Easy Vegan Matcha Cake Recipe (Green Tea Cake)
Print Pin SaveEquipment
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 3½ tablespoon Oil, 50g, 53ml
- 4 tablespoon Maple Syrup, 70g, 60ml
- ⅔ c Soy Milk, 140g, 165ml
Dry Ingredients
- 1⅔ c All-purpose Flour or Cake Flour, 200g, 380ml
- 2 teaspoon Baking Powder, 8g, 10ml
- 2 teaspoon Matcha Powder , 5g, 10ml
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (356°F) and line a cake pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients - soy milk, oil, and maple syrup. Whisk them together until well blended.
- Place a strainer over the bowl and add the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, and matcha powder.
- Gently sift the dry ingredients into the bowl, allowing them to incorporate smoothly with the wet mixture. Using a spatula, carefully mix all the ingredients together.
- Once the batter is well combined, pour it into the prepared cake pan, spreading it evenly. Score the surface with a knife or skewer.
- Bake the cake in the preheated oven for approximately 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a cooling rack.
Video
Notes
- Storage: It will last for five days at room temperature and one month in the freezer.
- Substitute: You can substitute soy milk with your favorite milk, such as oat milk or almond milk. You can use oil that doesn't have a strong smell.
- Be cautious not to overmix, as this can result in a denser cake. Aim for a light and fluffy consistency.
KL
Pretty nice and it's not sweet. I used date syrup instead of maple syrup so the matcha taste is not as intense as I would like.
May I know if I can replace maple syrup with sugar? How much should I use?
Thanks!
JURI
Hi KL, thanks for your comment! I have yet to test it with sugar, so not sure if this works, but you can try substituting it with 3 tablespoons of sugar and also adding 1 tablespoon of soy milk.I hope it helps!
Mark
I have spent weeks trying to find a delicious yet simple matcha cake recipe. Now I found it. Made it today and it rocked my world - Fantastic! Now I am looking into more of your recipes and looking forward to making & eating more of them.
JURI
Hi Mark, thanks for trying my matcha cake recipe! I'm so happy to hear you enjoy it!! I hope you like other recipes as well.
Mady
Hi, will this work with almond flour and flaxmeal? Trying to do low-carb as much as possible. Also want to use less sweetener and less oil.
JURI
I haven't tried it with almond flour so I'm not sure. It might work...let me try then I will let you know the result!
J Inouye
Perfect amount of sweetness! I love that the recipe is so easy to make, uses ingredients I always have on hand, and makes a small batch that is the perfect amount! I will definitely be making this again!
JURI
Thank you for your comment!! I'm so glad you like the recipe!
Sasha
I converted all the measurements into tablespoons and cups, baked for 38 minutes. It came out perfectly! Very soft and fluffy!
JURI
I'm so happy to hear that! Thanks for making it, Sasha!
Miranda
Can you put in the conversions? I tried to make this by converting and it came out sooo bad
JURI
Hi Miranda, I added a measurement spoon and cup to the recipe card. Let me know if conversions work for you!
Renata
It looks so yummy, I want so much to make this cake, but here in my country, syrup is very expensive, and honey it's not really cheap, do you think I can substitute for sugar?
Can't wait to try! 😀
Thanks for the recipe!!
JURI
Hi Renata, thank you for your comment! You can substitute it with sugar! You can add 40g-100g of sugar to your taste. I like moderate sweetness so I usually add 40-50g of sugar for 200g of flour. Just for your reference. And it's better to add milk and oil as syrup is a liquid ingredient, so why don't you add 10g of oil and 20g of milk? I hope it works!
Derek
I like how simple it is . Many vegan recipe call for lots of ingredients.
Chef JA
Thank you so much for your comment! I like a simple recipe. Glad you like it too!
Jen
I just tried this today and wow!! Absolutely loved it an totally recommend. I didnt follow the recipe completely but it came out so cakey and nice. I would recommend putting in some vegan white chocolate!
Chef JA
That white chocolate sounds so yummy! Thank you so much for trying my recipe!
Eleanor
Is the oil in mls?
Chef JA
Hi Eleanor, oil is 56ml in this recipe. By the way, maple syrup is 56ml and soy milk is 147ml. I will add these in the recipe. Thanks for your question!
Justine Kau
Hi, for cake flour, is it 200gm or 360gm. Coz it's written 360ml.
JURI
Oh, sorry>< it's confusing. Cake flour is 200g. I meant to write both all-purpose flour and cake flour are 200g in weight and 360ml in volume. I'm gonna modify that part. Thanks for letting me know, Justine!
Hannah
hii i'd like to try your recipe.. but i dont have a raw sesame oil in my country.. can virgin coconut oil can replace it? and can i use almond milk instead of soy? Thank you so much!
Chef JA
Hi Hannah, Thanks for visiting my site! Yes, you can use both coconut oil and almond milk. Please give me a feedback if you make it!
Jenny
This looks delicious! Would hemp milk work instead of soy milk?
JURI
Hi Jenny, I haven't tried hemp milk but it would work. I hope you like the recipe!
Nayeon
I just tried this recipe and the pound cake came out so yummy! I didn't have oil so I used butter, and I made matcha glaze to drizzle on top. It's amazingly soft and scrumptious. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Chef JA
Hi Nayeon!, Matcha glaze sounds pretty good! Thanks for trying my recipe:)
Mark
Matcha glaze does sound amazing, whats your recipe?
JURI
Hi Mark, Hi Mark, I don' have the glaze recipe (I should make it though!) but you can try this recipe below.
https://cookinglsl.com/matcha-baked-donuts-with-matcha-glaze/
Adriana
Hi ! Matcha powder is 2 tsps or 2 TBPs ?? I’m gonna try on friday
Chef JA
Hi Adriana, it's 2 teaspoons! I hope you will love it!
jaime
OMG baking powder 6 table spoons ! loaf is just growing out of the oven....
This is crazy....
Chef JA
Thanks for making, Jaime! I just realized that the recipe is wrong:( Baking powder is 2 tsp not 2 TBSP.That's crazy amount! Sorry about your cake but hope you will try again!