I baked with matcha powder for the first time last summer when I made matcha cupcakes and a matcha and chocolate cake. I thought it was high time I made another matcha cake!!

But I wanted this version to be a bit easier to make, and less sweet than my matcha drip cake.

This matcha cake is also a bit smaller! It’s made with cute little 6-inch cake layers, which makes it a bit quicker to make and decorate.

What is Matcha?

Matcha is made from special green tea leaves that are ground down into an incredibly fine consistency.

These leaves are specifically grown and processed to make matcha powder.

The tea leaves are special in a lot of ways, but a big part of it is how they’re grown. They’re grown in the shade for the last 3 to 4 weeks before they’re harvested.

Sounds pretty wild, right?? But there’s a method behind the madness. Growing these tea leaves in the shade increases the amount of caffeine they contain and intensifies their color.

You can buy matcha at most grocery stores in either the tea and coffee section, or the international section. I get mine from Whole Foods, but you can also order matcha powder on Amazon.

I’m not going to lie, matcha powder is not cheap. This tiny little can was $13, and there’s not a ton of powder in there!!

The good news is, a little goes a long way. I used about half of my matcha powder to make this cake.

That includes all the matcha that’s in these cake layers, the matcha white chocolate ganache drip, and the powder used to dust the finished cake.

What Does Matcha Matcha Taste Like?

The first time I tried matcha, it was matcha soft serve! I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. Slowly I progressed to matcha pancakes, matcha croissants, and even matcha lattes.

Matcha has a uniquely earthy flavor. It’s rich and smooth, but sometimes it can have a bitter aftertaste. However, good quality matcha should have almost a sweet finish.

A lot of it comes down to how the matcha is prepared and its quality.

Ceremonial grade matcha is used in tea ceremonies and is the highest quality. However, most matcha used for culinary purposes is a lower grade.

When matcha is being mixed with sweeteners in desserts or with milk in lattes, the sugars can balance out any hint of bitterness.

It leaves a wonderful flavor that pairs well with so many different things!

Choosing The Right Frosting for This Cake

Most people that enjoy matcha flavored desserts don’t like super sweet flavors. With that in mind, I knew that my American buttercream wasn’t the right frosting for this cake.

While I love it, I’m the first to admit it is quite sweet. I wanted a fluffy frosting that wasn’t too sweet for this cake.

I’m not the biggest fan of swiss meringue frosting, but it’s usually a great alternative for people who want a frosting that isn’t too sweet.

I decided to try my friend Minette Rushing’s faux Swiss meringue buttercream recently, and thought it would be the perfect frosting for this cake.

I enjoy the texture and taste of it quite a bit more than normal swiss meringue. It also is so much easier to make!

I found I liked it best with a tiny bit less butter than the original recipe calls for, and that’s exactly what I’ve included in my recipe card below.

The texture of this faux swiss meringue buttercream is incredible. It’s fluffy and light, and wonderful to work with.

It also pipes like a dream 🙂 I used an Ateco 869 frosting tip to add these frosting dollops to the top of my cake.

I still love American buttercream, but it’s so fun to play around with different frosting recipes.

There is one thing to note about this frosting recipe though! It doesn’t have a super strong flavor on its own, so be sure to use a good quality vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.

Adding the Matcha Drip To This Cake

Whenever I make a drip cake, there are two very important steps I take to ensure I get the look I’m after! I’ve learned the hard way on this, so please learn from my mistakes.

Tip #1: Chill Your Cake

My first tip is to only add drips to a chilled cake! I mean THOROUGHLY chilled. Your buttercream should be firm to the touch.

This can take up to 30 minutes in the fridge or about 10 minutes in the freezer.

Chilling your cake will help your drips stay in place once they’re added, and help prevent them from running down too far.

Tip #2: Make A Test Drip

My second tip? Make a test drip. Take your ganache and make a single drip. Let it flow and sit for a couple minutes. See what it looks like, and how far it runs.

Are you happy with how it looks? This is your time to make changes to get it just right. Is it too thin? Did the drip run too far down the cake? Maybe you need to let your ganache cool more, or melt in a bit more chocolate.

Is your drip too thick or short? You might need to pop it in the microwave for a couple seconds (seriously, don’t heat it for more than 5 seconds). Or maybe you want to add in a tiny bit more heavy cream.

This is the point in the process where my eagerness can get the best of me, and I mess up sometimes. I think I’ve made the necessary adjustments, and dive right into adding all my drips.

But for all you know, you may have overcorrected! You may have actually heated or cooled your ganache too much.

You need to do ANOTHER test drip. I know it seems excessive, but think about it. You’ve already put all this time into making a cake from scratch!

It’s worth taking the extra five minutes of test drips to make sure your ganache is the perfect temperature.

Tips for Making This Matcha Cake Recipe

• Chill your cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake, to make it easier to stack and frost.
• Mix your cake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated; this will ensure your cake layers are tender and fluffy.
• Be sure to properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
• Use a serrated knife to level your cake layers once they’re fully cooled, to make it easier to assemble and frost your cake.
• I do NOT recommend using this recipe to make cupcakes! Instead, I highly recommend trying my matcha cupcake recipe (I like the texture better for cupcakes).

Making These Cake Layers in Advance and Storage Tips

Make your cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.

Make your frosting ahead of time too, or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious!

If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store in the fridge for up to a week.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try my matcha cake recipe, I’d love to hear what you think of it! Please leave a rating and comment below.

Don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets on social media so that I can see your amazing creations!

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