Vanilla Matcha Marble Pound Cake

This moist and fluffy Vanilla Matcha Marble Pound Cake drizzled with a vibrant green matcha glaze will delight a tea-time crowd!

Small amounts of matcha green tea combined with a regular vanilla sponge have the powerful ability to transform the simplest cake to a completely new flavorful and vibrant level!

This Vanilla Matcha Marble Pound Cake is the latest addition to my matcha dessert recipes collection. Being a fan of both simple vanilla sponge cake as well as a matcha lover, this recipe has been long due! This matcha green tea cake is soft, fluffy, and super moist. A perfect tea-time treat that will certainly wow your guests. The cake is finished with optional but simple Matcha glaze, drizzled for more green tea goodness!

What is Matcha and How is it Used?

Matcha is a type of powdered green tea, traditionally used by the Japanese during tea ceremonies. Nowadays, matcha is consumed as a healthy beverage worldwide. It is also added into desserts as flavoring. There are different grades for matcha, with the highest quality being ceremonial grade matcha, which is used in tea ceremonies. Premium type matcha has a smooth, earthy, and mildly sweet flavors, with a slight bittersweet and nutty aftertaste.

Can you Bake with Matcha Powder?

Absolutely! Incorporating matcha into baked goods provides hints of green tea flavors and a popo of vibrant green color! Matcha pairs well with vanilla, almonds, ginger, lemon, and chocolate. It's great to be used in sponges, glazes, frostings, and cookie dough!

When using matcha in baking, always use ceremonial (more expensive) or premium (cheaper option) grade matcha. Avoid using culinary grade matcha as this tends to lose its color and brown once baked.

Why This Recipe Works

This Vanilla Matcha Marble Pound Cake:

• Combines the flavors of vanilla with swirled matcha green tea for the ultimate moist and fluffy vanilla matcha marble pound cake.
• Is quick and easy to do, with less than 15 minutes of hands on time required and requires no special skills or techniques, perfect for the beginner baker.
• Requires 8 basic pantry ingredients you probably have right now and good-quality matcha powder.
• Is the perfect tea-time treat for any matcha lover, great with tea, coffee, or a matcha latte!
• Can be easily made ahead and keeps moist for up to 4 days.

Ingredients for Vanilla Matcha Marble Pound Cake

Along with good-quality matcha powder, to make this matcha swirl cake, you will need 8 basic pantry ingredients (flour, butter, milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt). For the optional glaze, you will need extra matcha powder, icing sugar, and milk.

How to Make Vanilla Matcha Cake (Step by Step)

First, start by preheating the oven to 180°C (356F) and line an 8" to 10" loaf pan with baking paper or grease it with butter. Sift and mix your dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder) in a medium-sized bowl.

Mix softened butter and sugar in a stand mixer fixed with the paddle attachment until pale and fluffy. Then, add vanilla extract and eggs. Eggs should be added one by one and beaten well after each addition. Add the milk and mix the batter well to incorporate.

Add the dry ingredients to your batter and fold in using a spatula. You can add these in two additions but be careful not to overmix the batter. Then, transfer approximately ⅓ of the batter to a separate medium-sized bowl.

To dissolve matcha, sift 2.5 tsp of matcha powder into a microwave safe bowl. Add 2 tbsp. of milk and heat for 20-30 seconds on medium-high heat. Bring out of the microwave and stir or whisk until matcha has dissolved and formed into paste, making sure there are no lumps.

Pour the matcha-milk paste mixture into the ⅓ divided portion of the batter and mix until just combined. The batter should turn into a nice vibrant green color.

Transfer some of the plain batter into the bottom of your loaf pan, then using a tablespoon, place some random dollops of matcha batter. Repeat until both batters are used up. Use a long wooden skewer to "swirl" the batter using a figure of 8 motion. Swirl your mixture up to a maximum of five times.

Bake the matcha pound cake for 50-60 minutes until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in loaf tin for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before glazing.

Tips for the Best Matcha Pound Cake

• For best results and accuracy, always measure your ingredients using a kitchen scale. Baking requires a degree of precision, and if you're a baking fan, investing in good digital kitchen scales (which doesn't need to be expensive!) will avoid wasting ingredients and failed baking recipes.
• Use room temperature ingredients (particularly flour, eggs, and butter).
• Do not overmix the batter once you add the dry ingredients. I like using a spatula for this step rather than the stand mixer as it gives me more control when mixing.
• It might be tempting to increase the amount of matcha so as to achieve a more vibrant green; however, over-addition of matcha will result in a chalky flavor.
• Do not over-swirl the mixture. Only swirl your mixture to a maximum of 5 times otherwise you'll end up with an over-blended cake which will lose the "ripple" pattern.
• I suggest diving the batter into ⅓ and ⅔ amounts and adding matcha to the smallest portion; however, feel free to divide the batter amounts as you please.
• For best results and to prevent clumping, sift matcha before using (for both the cake and glaze).
• Make sure the cake has cooled completely before glazing (this might take some time). After glazing, transfer to a refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to set.
• If you're not a fan of matcha drizzle, sprinkle cake with powdered sugar instead!

How to Make Matcha Glaze

This matcha glaze is completely optional, but will definitely boost up the green tea flavors of the cake. It's also super simple to do:

Heat the matcha powder + 1 tbsp. milk in a microwave safe bowl for 20 seconds and whisk to a smooth paste (similar to what we do for the cake mixture). Place sifted icing sugar into a medium-sized bowl and add matcha paste and mix well to incorporate. Add more milk as needed until the desired glaze consistency is reached.

If the glaze is too runny, add more icing sugar. If glaze is too thick, add more milk. Drizzle the matcha glaze over the vanilla-matcha loaf cake and allow to set completely before serving.

What to Serve with Vanilla Matcha Marble Pound Cake

Although this fluffy matcha cake is ideal for tea-time, it's a great treat at any time of day! Serve this green tea matcha cake with a cup of coffee, hot chocolate, herbal or green tea, or even matcha latte! Alternatively, serve with a glass of light sweet sparkling wine, elderflower spritzer, or as simply as dessert!

You can also serve this vanilla matcha marble pound cake with a side of whipped cream and/or fresh fruit.

This recipe yields 8 to 10 servings of cake.

Making Ahead and Storing

This matcha green tea cake recipe is a perfect make ahead recipe, because it simply tastes even better on the second or third day! The matcha flavor is boosted whilst the cake still retains its moisture and fluffiness.

Once the cake has completely cooled and before slicing, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

You Might Also Like

Check these other matcha dessert recipe ideas from the blog:

Matcha Chocolate Chip Cookies
Fudgy Matcha White Chocolate Brownies

Did you try this recipe? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and do not forget to rate this recipe!