Matcha Roll Cake (Swiss Roll) | MatchaJP
Soft and airy matcha sponge rolled with lightly sweet whipped cream. A classic Japanese-style dessert with a vibrant green color and elegant look.
⏱️ Prep 20 min 🔥 Bake 10–12 min 👥 Serves 6–8 🍰 Matcha sweets
Ingredients
| For the Sponge (Jelly Roll pan ~25×35 cm) | Metric | US approx. |
|---|---|---|
| Eggs (large), separated | 4 | 4 |
| Granulated sugar, divided | 90 g | ~7 tbsp |
| Milk (room temp) | 40 ml | ~3 tbsp |
| Neutral oil (or melted butter) | 30 ml | 2 tbsp |
| All-purpose cake flour (low-protein) | 70 g | ½ cup + 1 tbsp |
| Matcha powder (sifted) | 8–10 g | ~1 tbsp |
| Cornstarch | 10 g | 1 tbsp |
| Salt | 1 g | ~⅛ tsp |
| For the Filling | Metric | US approx. |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy cream (35–40%) | 250 ml | 1 cup |
| Powdered sugar | 25–35 g | 3–4 tbsp |
| Vanilla extract (optional) | 3 ml | ½ tsp |
| Matcha powder (optional, for cream) | 2–3 g | ½ tsp |
Before you start: Line the pan with parchment; lightly grease. Sift dry ingredients together (flour, matcha, cornstarch, salt).
Steps
- Preheat: 180 °C / 355 °F. Prepare the lined pan.
- Yolk batter: Whisk yolks with half the sugar until pale. Stir in milk and oil. Fold in the sifted dry mix until smooth.
- Meringue: Beat egg whites to soft peaks; gradually add remaining sugar and whip to glossy medium–stiff peaks.
- Combine: Fold one-third meringue into yolk batter to loosen; gently fold in the rest just until no streaks remain.
- Bake: Spread batter evenly in the pan. Bake 10–12 min until the surface springs back and edges barely color.
- Pre-roll: Turn out onto new parchment; peel off the lining. While warm, roll up with parchment (short side) and let cool seam-side down.
- Filling: Whip cream, sugar, and vanilla (plus a little matcha if desired) to medium peaks.
- Final roll: Unroll the sponge, spread cream (leave 1–2 cm border). Re-roll tightly, using parchment to guide. Chill 1–2 h for clean slices.
- Serve: Trim ends, dust with matcha or powdered sugar. Slice with a warm serrated knife.
Tips & Variations
- Color: Avoid overbaking to keep the bright green. Ceremonial or good culinary matcha gives the best hue.
- No cracks: Pre-roll while warm to set the curve; don’t overbake; keep the sponge slightly moist.
- Flavor twists: Add azuki (red bean) stripe, strawberries, or white chocolate chips to the cream.
- Make-ahead: Wrap and chill up to 24 h; best color if dusted right before serving.
FAQ
Can I use all-purpose flour?
Yes, but cake flour yields a softer crumb. If using AP, replace 10 g with cornstarch to lighten.
My roll cracked—what happened?
Likely overbaked or rolled cold. Bake just until set and perform a warm pre-roll with parchment.
How sweet should the cream be?
Keep it light (3–4 tbsp sugar per cup of cream) to balance matcha’s gentle bitterness.