Matcha Pound Cake

I liked the Matcha pound cake from Starbucks Japan. So when I saw this recipe,  I was happy to try. The loaf was baked just right with crust outside and soft center. This is pound cake, Japanese style, which means is it not very sweet and buttery.

Ingredients

Eggs - 4

Cream of tartar - 1/4 tsp (optional, I did not use)

Sugar - 1/4 + 1/2 cup

Butter - 10 TBSP, at room temperature
Whole milk - 3 TBSP

Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
All purpose flour - 1 C + 2 T
Cornstarch - 2 TBSP

Matcha powder - 1 TBSP

Baking powder - 3/4 tsp

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 8 x 4″ loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. Use a stand mixer with whisk attachment to beat egg whites until foamy. Add in the cream of tartar and keep beating. Gradually add in the 1/4 cup of sugar and whip until stiff peaks. Transfer whipped egg whites to a large clean bowl. Set aside.
3. In the same mixing bowl, change to paddle attachment to cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Gradually add in the egg yolks one by one, and then add the milk and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.

4. Remove the mixing bowl and sift in about 1/3 the dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, matcha, and baking powder) and alternate with 1/3 the egg white mixture, repeating until everything is combined together.

5. Transfer the cake batter to the lined loaf pan. Carefully bang the pan to release any trapped air bubbles.

6. Bake for 60-65 mins, until golden brown on top, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool completely before slicing.

Note: Sliced cake can be individually wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 2 months. Just remove from the freezer about 15-20 minutes and leave at room temperature before serving.