This Matcha Marble Chiffon Cake has a wonderful flavor of green tea. Made with simple ingredients like oil, eggs, sugar and flour, a chiffon cake is a light cake with a spongy texture.
What is special about this Chiffon Cake?
The cake does not require the use of leavening agents in the form of baking powder or baking soda, the chiffon cake is mostly leavened by the meringue. This sponge cake is airy, light, fluffy and bouncy. It is very moist and not overly sweet.
The marble effect is quite easy to make. All you have to do is gently stir the batter with a chopstick. I love the different patterns created in a marble cake. So fascinating as each cake looks different.
Tools & Equipment
- 25cm / 10-inch tube pan
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Large bowl
- Matcha bamboo whisk
- Medium bowl
- Offset spatula
- Silicone spatula
- Small bowl
- Stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment
- Whisk
- Wire rack
Recipe Tips
Cake Pan: the best option is an aluminum pan with a removable bottom. Make sure that the pan is NOT non-stick. Do not grease the pan because the cake needs to cling to the sides and center of the pan as it rises in the oven. It will fail if you use a non-stick pan or if you grease your pan.
Cold Egg Whites: most recipes use room temperature egg whites to make a meringue. However, for a Japanese chiffon cake, you use cold egg whites to make the meringue without adding cream of tartar. Chilled egg whites result in a very fine and smooth meringue with tiny and strong air bubbles inside. They stay strong in the oven and help the batter to rise higher.
Cool Upside Down: the cake must be cooled upside down in the pan to stretch toward the bottom instead of collapsing. Take the cake out of the oven and immediately place it upside down on a wire rack lined with parchment.
Ingredients for Matcha Marble Chiffon Cake
Step by Step Guide – How to Make Matcha Marble Chiffon Cake
Preheat the oven to 170°C / 340°F.
Make the Matcha Paste
In a small bowl place the matcha powder and pour hot water over it. Mix well with a matcha bamboo whisk.
Make the Cake Batter
Use a fine-mesh strainer to sift the flour twice. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until just combined, for about 1 minute. Add the water and canola oil and whisk until incorporated.
Add flour and whisk until combined, for about 2 minutes.
Combine sugar and cornstarch. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the cold egg whites on medium-low until fluffy, for about 2 minutes. Add half of the sugar-cornstarch mixture and continue beating on medium for about 2 minutes.
Then add the rest of the sugar-cornstarch mixture and continue beating on medium until the egg whites are glossy and form stiff peaks, for about 2 more minutes.
Add one-third of the meringue to the egg yolk mixture and gently fold in, then add the second-third of the meringue and fold in again. Now add the egg yolk mixture to the remaining meringue and fold in until completely incorporated.
Pour ¼ of the batter into a bowl and add the matcha paste. Mix gently with a silicone spatula.
Create the Marble Look
Spoon the plain and matcha batter alternately into the ungreased tube pan. Gently shake the pan and tap it on the counter to release any air bubbles. Stir the batter carefully with a chopstick to create the pattern. Place in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, for about 45-50 minutes.
Remove the cake from the oven. Turn the pan upside down and let the cake cool in the pan for 2-3 hours before removing the pan. The cake tastes best the day after baking.
Storage: wrap the cake in plastic and store in a cool, dark place for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you store it in the fridge, let the cake come to room temperature before serving. You can wrap individual pieces or the leftover cake in plastic and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
My Summary for Matcha Marble Chiffon Cake
Difficulty: simple-intermediate.
Taste: this cake is not too sweet and has a pleasant, not too overpowering, matcha flavor. It tastes fantastic on its own, but it also works great with whipped cream, powdered sugar and/or some fresh berries.
Texture: it’s fluffy and light, like a Japanese chiffon cake should be. It’s similar to an angel food cake, but a little more moist. Just perfect.
Time: prep time is about 70 minutes, baking time is 50-55 minutes and then after baking, the cake needs to cool in the pan for about 2-3 hours. You see, making this cake requires a bit of planning ahead.
More “Matcha, Marble & Swirl” Recipes
- Angel Food Cake
- Caramel Vanilla Cake Bars
- Matcha Green Tea Caramels
- Pumpkin Marble Cake
- White Chocolate Matcha Cookies
