Today, I’m sharing how to make an amazingly fluffy matcha sponge cake with 6 simple steps. Use this matcha sponge for any dessert and enjoy it in many ways!
🍵 I love this matcha sponge cake because:
- The texture is so fluffy and light - It feels perfect for any matcha dessert.
- It's easy to make - Follow the 6 steps!
- It tastes perfectly sweetened.
- The matcha is not overpowering. Just enough amount is added to enjoy the flavor!
Genoise sponge cake is the go-to sponge cake I use most often. I love the texture and how easy it is to make. I also have the vanilla and chocolate versions as well!
In this post, you'll learn essential baking tips such as:
- Essential tips to make fluffy sponge cake
- How to make the texture fine and silky
- What type of matcha should we use?
- How to bake it as cupcakes
... and so on.
Let's get started!!
Jump to:
📌 What's In Matcha sponge cake?
The 6 Ingredients:
- Egg
- The whipped egg rises in the oven and creates a fluffy texture.
- Granulated sugar
- Sugar helps to create a fine and moist texture.
- Cake flour
- For this cake, use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour to make a fluffier texture with more volume.
- Matcha powder
- Use dark high-quality matcha if you want to enhance the color and flavor.
- Milk
- It makes the sponge moister. It also adds a nice flavor!
- Oil
- Any regular oils work, such as canola oil and vegetable oil. I always use olive oil.
📌 How to make matcha sponge cake
The 6 simple steps:
- Warm whole eggs and sugar with a water bath, constantly mixing until it feels warm, like a baby bath.
- Whip whole eggs and sugar.
- Whip it at high speed until it gets very fluffy.
- Drop the batter with a whisk and check: It should flow slowly, and the lines stay on the surface when it's whipped enough.
- Whip it at low speed until it looks shiny to make air bubbles smaller.
- Whip it at high speed until it gets very fluffy.
- Add sifted cake flour and matcha and fold until you don’t see any of them.
- Add milk and oil and fold until everything is evenly incorporated.
- The batter should flow smoothly when you drop it with a spatula.
- Pour it into a pan immediately and bake at 355 F | 180 C for about:
- 25 mins for 1 6’ pan with 1 batch
- 30 - 35 mins for 1 6” pan with 1.5 batches (If you want to make it taller!)
- 15 mins for regular-size cupcakes
- After it's out of the oven, flip it and let it cool completely before slicing it.
📝 More Tips With Images
Now, let me share detailed tips on each step, which are crucial for making the matcha sponge cake successful.
Preparation
- Preheat the oven: to 355F | 180C
- Prepare hot, gently simmering water to warm eggs.
- Set up cake liners inside a pan. (Or coat a thin layer of butter, dust flour, and toss the excess flour.)
- Sift cake flour and matcha powder together.
💬 Matcha powder is very lumpy. I recommend using a fine sieve.
Step 1: Warm up whole eggs and sugar.
First, mix egg and granulated sugar in a bowl and warm them in a water bath until it feels warm.
💡 By warming up the egg, it gets whipped in a shorter amount of time. When you do not warm eggs, it takes A LONG time for them to get whipped enough, and you'll also need a powerful stand mixer to do the job.
As soon as you add sugar, mix with a whisk so egg yolks do not absorb it and create lumps:
(You can also mix eggs ahead to avoid that!)
To make sure that we are not cooking eggs with simmering water, there are some other things we can do:
How to heat egg and sugar
- [Water Bath] Try not to use boiling water while warming eggs to ensure you will not cook them. Once the water starts simmering and you see lots of steam from the pot, turn off the heat or lower it and place the bowl of eggs.
- Ensure that the egg bowl is NOT dipped in the hot water. That can partially cook the eggs in the bottom of a bowl.
- Mix constantly and evenly as you heat to prevent eggs from getting cooked partially.
- Heat until it reaches between 35 - 45 degrees. I usually do not check the temperature with a thermometer, but instead (You can if you like!), insert a finger and check: It should feel warm, like baby bath temperature.
- (When you check the temperature, do it quickly or remove it from heat for seconds.)
Step 2: Whip whole eggs and sugar.
👩🏻🍳 Start whipping it right away while the egg is still warm to make it very fluffy!
You can use a stand mixer or hand mixer, whichever you prefer.
💬 With a stand mixer, you can do other prep work while whipping it. And it also takes a lot less time to finish.
The most important part
How much you whip it is EXTREMELY important - the most important part of this sponge. A lot of people fail here by not whipping it enough.
When you don't whip enough, it does not contain enough air bubbles - And that leads to a shorter, less fluffy cake.
So! Here are how I check to see if it's whipped enough:
How to check if the egg is whipped enough
- Scoop a good amount of the batter with a whisk, and drop. It should drop or flow slowly like a thick ribbon. It is not done yet when it flows fast.
- Draw lines with it and check: Egg is whipped enough when it stays on the surface and does NOT go away. You need to whip more when it gradually disappears.
Whipping it at low speed at the end
Even if you whipped egg enough at this point, it is not entirely done yet. - the size of the bubbles is big at this point because it was whipped at high speed, which leads to a rough sponge texture with large air holes.
Finish it at low speed for about 5 minutes (with one batch of this recipe) until it looks shiner.
By doing it, the size of the bubbles get smaller, creating a more silky, fine texture.
Also, those small bubbles do not "pop" as easily as big ones - The sponge rises slightly more and gets fluffier!
Before whipping with low speed:
After whipping with low speed:
Step 3: Add flour and fold.
👩🏻🍳 Once you stop whipping eggs, we want to finish folding other ingredients as quickly as possible and put them in an oven while the condition of bubbles is the best. Finish all the preparations beforehand!
After you add cake flour, start folding right away.
4 tips for folding sponge batter (or any pastry batter)
By folding instead of vigorously mixing, you can avoid killing too many air bubbles.
- Move your spatula like you draw a "J."
- Each time you fold with your spatula, move your bowl about 45 degrees so that you can mix evenly.
- Fold fast. It helps to break down chunks of flour. Also, you can bake the batter earlier before too many air bubbles pop and disappear, resulting in a taller, fluffier sponge.
- Clean your spatula and bowl (The flours often like to hide on the bottom!) on the way to ensure you do not miss any uneven parts.
Check out the video tutorial to see it visually!
💬 Matcha powder tends to stick around the bowl and spatula and get chunky. Clean a bowl and spatula frequently on the way so that the batter gets evenly mixed when it's folded enough.
Continue folding just until you don't see any more flour:
Step 4: Add Liquids and fold.
And add milk and oil.
💡 The liquid and fat help make the sponge moister.
Butter or Oil?
Some people use butter while others use oil. So what difference do they make?
Oil is a liquid base, so the sponge tends to be lighter and fluffier even after it's cooled down, just like chiffon cakes. Also, you do not need to let it melt beforehand like butter.
When you add butter, you'll need to melt it beforehand until it feels very warm to prevent it from getting hardened as you mix. The benefit of butter is adding more rich flavor to your sponge.
The final folding
How much you fold is very important. This is the 2nd part a lot of people fail by either folding too much or folding less:
- When you fold less, your sponge gets more volume and rises a lot, but the texture gets rougher and less silky.
- When you fold too much, too many air bubbles get killed, leading to a shorter, less fluffy sponge.
How to check if the batter is folded enough
Scoop the batter with a spatula and drop. It is done if it flows smoothly like a ribbon, like in the image below.
Check out the video tutorial to see it visually.
Step 5: Pour into a pan and bake!
Before you bake, toss sometimes and eliminate some big bubbles.
You can also swirl with a toothpick like in the image below for the same reason.
Baking time and temperature 🔥
Bake (Preheated) it at 355 F | 180 C for about:
- 25 minutes for a 1 6" pan (1 batch of the recipe)
- 30 - 35 minutes for 1 6" pan (1.5 batches of the recipe for a taller cake)
- 15 - 20 minutes for a regular-size cupcake pan
- 36 - 38 mins for 1 8” pan
Adjust the time and temperature accordingly.
How to check if the sponge cake is baked enough
- You'll see that the sponge shrinks a tiny bit when the center is cooked through, just like the image below. ↓
- Insert a toothpick in the center and see if it comes off clean.
- Some cake crumbs are fine as long as it is not wet.
- Carefully touch it with your fingers and see if it bounces back gently.
- You'll hear very slight bubble sounds, but they bounce back gently.
- Wear a glove or something to protect your skin if necessary.
Cupcakes:
You can make about 8 regular cupcakes with one batch of the recipe.
1.5 batch of the recipe:
If you want to make the cake higher, I recommend baking it with 1.5 batches of this recipe. All the tips I mentioned earlier apply the same. Just bake longer as listed above.
👩🏻🍳 Ensure the side is tall enough to prevent the batter from over-floating in the oven. The height of my pan was 6 cm | 2.3 inches and I cut the parchment paper higher for that purpose.
After it shrunk a little bit:
Step 6: Let it cool completely.
As soon as it's been removed from the oven, I like to give it "a shock" by dropping it a few times (lightly!) on a table or kitchen counter to release steam.
It prevent the sponge from deflating too much.
Flip it and let it cool completely.
You can take it out of the pan right away if you used a cake liner.
💬 The sponge is very fragile when it's hot. Slice it after it cools down completely.
I like to leave the cake liners attached until right before I use them so that it does not get dried.
A 6-inch cake with 1 batch:
A 6-inch cake with 1.5 batches:
I recommend wrapping it tightly when you don't use it right away to prevent the sponge from getting dried.
📌 Simple syrup for cakes
Just like any other genoise sponge cake, which does not contain a lot of oil or liquid, this matcha sponge cake feels a lot moister with cake syrup.
I highly recommend you apply syrup when you want to make a whole cake or cupcakes with it.
You can make it by melting sugar with hot water. The most commonly used ratio is 1:1. - Adjust it as you like!
📌 genoise Sponge Cake
The type of sponge we make today is called "genoise sponge cake." What exactly is that?
Genoise sponge cake is made by whipping up whole eggs and sugar together. That is the unique method for this sponge to make a fluffy texture.
The primary 3 ingredients are eggs, sugar, and flour.
How is biscuit sponge cake different from genoise sponge cake?
Besides that, "Biscuit sponge cake" is also a very popular sponge widely used in the world. I would say Genoise sponge and biscuit sponge are the BIG 2 in the sponge world.
The sponge with biscuit method is made by whipping up egg whites and yolks separately. All the other parts are the same as the genoise sponge cake.
They both use eggs, sugar, and flour as their primary ingredients. What's different is how you whip eggs, either separately or together.
📌 the matcha For Sponge Cake
Depending on what matcha powder you use, the result changes drastically.
Use pure, high-quality matcha if you want it to taste authentic. The color of high-quality matcha is very vivid and it creates a bright green sponge cake.
🍵 Here is the matcha powder I used this time.
📌 Frequently Asked Questions
Wrap it twice and wrap once and store it in a zip log. Store it in the fridge if you are not using it within the day.
I recommend using it within a few days since it doesn't contain lots of oil. You can also freeze for up to a few months. Eat it right away for the very best taste!
The texture of the sponge is not going to be the same with all-purpose flour. All-purpose flour creates more gluten inside, and that makes the sponge heavier. I highly recommend using cake flour if you can get it!
📌 VIDEO: matcha sponge cake
Watch the video and check how to make the matcha sponge cake visually.
Don't forget to subscribe if you liked it😉
📌 Fluffy Vanilla Sponge Cake
If you loved this matcha sponge cake, I bet you'll love my fluffy vanilla sponge too - It is so fluffy and silky, just like this matcha cake.
This is my go-to sponge cake I use most frequently for many kinds of cakes and desserts.
Also check out the chocolate version to make chocolate desserts!
📌 The printable recipe
💬 If you loved this recipe, please share your feedback on this post! I always love hearing how you enjoyed it with your friends and family.
Fluffy Matcha (Green Tea) Sponge Cake
Equipment
- Cake mold
- Parchment paper
- Sieve
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 2.5 oz Whole eggs about 2 eggs
- 2.46 oz Granulated sugar
- 1.9 oz Cake flour
- 0.17 oz Matcha powder Optional
- 0.5 oz Milk or 1 Tbsp
- 0.5 oz Oil or about 1 Tbsp
Instructions
Preparation
- 1. Preheat the oven to 355 F | 180 C2. Prepare the hot simmering water to warm the eggs.3. Set up cake liners. (Or coat a thin layer of butter, dust flour on top, and toss to remove the excess flour.)4. Sift cake flour and matcha powder together.
6 Steps
- Warm whole eggs and sugar with a water bath, constantly mixing until it feels warm, like a baby bath.2.5 oz Whole eggs, 2.46 oz Granulated sugar
- Whip whole eggs and sugar.Whip it at high speed until it gets very fluffy: Drop the batter with a whisk and check: It should flow slowly, and the lines stay on the surface when it's whipped enough.Whip it at low speed until it looks shiny to make air bubbles smaller.
- Add sifted cake flour and matcha and fold until you don’t see any of them.1.9 oz Cake flour, 0.17 oz Matcha powder
- Add milk and oil and fold until everything is evenly incorporated.The batter should flow smoothly when you drop it with a spatula.0.5 oz Milk, 0.5 oz Oil
- Pour it into a pan immediately and bake at 355 F | 180 C for about:25 mins for 1 6’ pan with 1 batch30 - 35 mins for 1 6” pan with 1.5 batches (If you want to make it taller!)15 mins for regular-size cupcakes* Adjust the time and temperature depending on the oven.
- fter it's out of the oven, flip it and let it cool completely before slicing it.
Video
Notes
How to store it:
Wrap it tightly (twice, ideally) so it's not getting dried. I recommend consuming it within the day for the best taste. Store it in the fridge for a few days or about two months in the freezer. One batch of the recipe is enough for 1 6” (15cm) pan. * For 1 8-inch cake, make 2 batches and bake it at the same temperature for about 36 - 38 mins! (The time varies depending on the thickness, oven, etc.)1.5 batches: (Make 1.5 batches if you want a tall 6")
-
- Egg 150 g | 5.3 oz (3 Large eggs)
-
- Granulated sugar 105 g | 3.7 oz
-
- Cake flour 82 g | 2.9 oz
-
- Matcha powder 7.5 g | 0.26 oz
-
- Milk 23 g or 1.5 Tbsp
-
- Oil 23 g or 1.5 Tbsp
Nutrition
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Yvonne says
Can you send a product link in the video?? I wanna to get Match powder which brand would be good. Thank you.
ayacaliva says
Thank you! I just added the link to the video (description box). I will check a couple of things and also add it to this post later as well!
Naomi says
How do I utilize the syrup when I add it? Do I brush or pour on? Thank you
ayacaliva says
Cool it down after you made the syrup and brush on top by tapping the surface gently. For a 6" whole cake, I usually add about 30g (1oz) - 40g. It shouldn't be soaking yet but just enough to moisturize a bit!
Meowdujour says
I tried making this today but my cake deflated and dipped pretty bad in the center. I tried to follow the recipe exactly, though the one thing I had to change was that I didn’t have cake flour so I used all purpose. Could this be why it deflated? Thanks!
ayacaliva says
I'm so sorry that happened. Yes, it has to be cake flour for this recipe to create the fluffy texture. It's also important to whip eggs very well, and put the batter in the oven asap.
If the cake dipped a lot even if it looked fine before taking it out from the oven, it could be under-baked or something wrong with ingredients.
I hope it helps to solve the causes.