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A very easy-to-put-together cake made with Greek yogurt and flavored with matcha powder. It’s perfect to start the day with it or to accompany that afternoon coffee or tea.
Why you’ll like this recipe
1. Easy and quick
I’m constantly looking for easy cake recipes that I can whip up for the family to have for breakfast. This matcha yogurt cake couldn’t be easier. It requires no special kitchen equipment like a mixer. You can pretty much prepare the cake batter all in one bowl.
2. Love the texture
This cake has a substantial feel to it, but it’s not dense. It is light in texture and fluffy
3. If you love matcha, you will enjoy this
I love matcha in pretty much anything. The matcha flavor is there without being too overpowering and the cake has the right amount of sweetness, making it perfect for breakfast
Easy Matcha Yogurt Cake
Ingredients
- 125 g whole milk Greek yogurt room temperature
- 150 g eggs room temperature, from 3 large eggs
- 10 g matcha powder
- 100 g sugar
- 108 g cooking oil
Dry ingredients:
- 180 g cake flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
Prepare the cake batter:
- I take the eggs and Greek yogurt out of the fridge an hour or so before I plan to bake. In a pinch, you can soak the eggs and Greek yogurt (in a container or a bowl) in warm water to bring the temperature up faster
- Preheat the oven to 325 F (160 C) for conventional oven, 300 F (150 C) for convection oven
- Brush 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pan with oil or use non-stick spray. Line parchment paper sling for easier removal later
- Whisk the yogurt, sugar, and eggs until combined. Add matcha powder and oil and continue to whisk again.
- The oil and the other ingredients should be well combined and shouldn't be separated. The eggs help to emulsify everything too
- Sift in the dry ingredients into the yogurt mixture.
- Use a spatula to fold the dry into the wet as you rotate the bowl. Fold until just combined. As long as you don't see any more streaks of flour, you are done mixing.
- It's okay if the mixture is a bit lumpy
- Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the surface with rubber spatula. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to pop any large bubbles that got trapped inside the batter
Baking:
- Place the pan on the middle rack and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean with a few sticky crumbs is okay as long as it's not wet. If it is, bake another 5 minutes and check again
Cooling:
- Put the pan on top of a cooling rack and let the cake cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Grab the parchment paper to lift the cake out from the pan and set on a cooling rack to let it cool down completely
The cake tastes better the next day:
- I strongly encourage you to wait the next day if you can. I've made this cake several times and it got better each day. The first day I found it a bit dry and lack of flavor. The next day, the matcha flavor came through and the cake was moist.
Store:
- The cake can be kept at room temperature in an air-tight container for 2-3 days. I don't usually keep cakes in the fridge because it dries out the cakes. I usually wrap the cake well with cling wrap and another layer of aluminum foil and freeze them for longer storage (for up to one month). Simply thaw at room temperature before serving
RECOMMEDED TOOLS
*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*
Ingredients and substitutions
1. Whole milk Greek yogurt
I don’t recommend substituting whole-milk Greek yogurt with a non-fat or low-fat version. The fat in the Greek yogurt helps to keep the cake moist. You can also substitute with the same amount of full-fat sour cream
2. Matcha powder
I used to buy just any cheap matcha powder as long as it’s matcha powder. I realized that it makes a big difference when it comes to baking. The color and the flavor weren’t there when I used low-grade matcha powder. I highly recommend ceremonial-grade matcha powder. It’s a bit more expensive but I think it’s worth it.
3. Sugar
I use granulated sugar, but you can use fine sugar like caster sugar. It’s not common to find caster sugar here in the U.S.
4. Oil
I use neutral-tasting oil like avocado oil. Feel free to use any oil of your choice. If you use EVOO, the flavor may compete with the matcha. So I don’t recommend it.
5. Cake flour
Cake flour gives the cake a soft fluffy texture. All-purpose flour may not give the same result, though in a pinch, can be used as a substitute, but it just won’t be as soft
6. Baking powder
This is the only leavening agent in this cake. Please make sure the baking powder is fresh and active
7. Salt
I use fine sea salt. A small pinch of salt helps bring out the overall flavor of the cake
Few tips to take note of for a successful bake
1. Weigh with a scale
I highly recommend weighing your ingredients instead of measuring them by volume.
2. Use good-quality matcha powder
As I mentioned above under ingredients and substitutions
3. Room-temperature ingredients
When the yogurt and eggs are at room temperature, the ingredients can mixed better and also give you a better crumb texture
4. Don’t overmix or undermix
Overmixing the batter can result in a dense and tough cake. Undermixing can be a problem too. You don’t want to bite into pockets of flour or other dry ingredients. If ingredients not mixed properly, the cake may not turn out as it should too
5. Know your oven
Cakes are more sensitive to over or under-baking. So, if you know your oven (running hot or running low), then you may need to watch the baking time and adjust as needed. The temperature and time I provided are just for reference and it’s accurate with my oven
