Kawaii Matcha Swiss Roll Cake by Kat Lieu

Dear friends, I present to you one of my favorite not-too-sweet cake recipe of all time. Swiss roll cakes from Chinese bakeries are soft and light as air, definitely not too sweet, and perfect for my picky taste buds. The cake is airy chiffon that melts in your mouth, as does the fresh cream within. I love matcha anything, so we’ll be making a coffee sponge cake.

Note: You can dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar for an aesthetic snowy look. And yes, the froggy face is inspired by Sanrio’s kawaii Keroppi, my second favorite Sanrio character, right after the queen herself, Hello Kitty.

Happy baking and happy holidays, Fam! xoxoxo, Kat

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Kawaii matcha swiss roll cake with fresh matcha cream by Kat Lieu. Image copyright Kat Lieu and modernasianbaking.com

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Modern Asian Baking at Home: Essential Sweet and Savory Recipes for Milk Bread, Mochi, Mooncakes, and More; Inspired by the Subtle Asian Baking Community Buy on Amazon

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Yield 4

Author Kat Lieu

Prep time

30 Min

Cook time

20 Min

Inactive time

1 Hour

Total time

1 H & 50 M

Print

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Kawaii Matcha Swiss Roll Cake by Kat Lieu

Swiss roll cakes from Chinese bakeries are soft and light as air, not too sweet, and perfect for my taste buds. The cake is airy chiffon that melts in your mouth, as does the fresh cream within. I love matcha anything, so we’ll be making a matcha sponge cake.

Ingredients

For the batter

• 4 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (30 g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 3 tablespoons (about 45 g) vegetable or canola oil
• 1/2 cup (60 g) cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon (give or take) culinary-grade matcha
• For the soft peaks meringue:
• 4 egg whites, room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon vinegar, optional or 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3 tablespoons (40 g) granulated sugar

For the cream filling

• 1/2 cup (120 g) very cold heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon culinary grade matcha (give or take)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Instructions

Make the Swiss roll cake

1. Line a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-cm) baking pan with parchment paper. Additional, line a separate baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) with a rack in the center.
3. Make the batter. In the large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt until incorporated. In a small bowl, combine the oil, flour, matcha, and baking powder until incorporated. Add the oil and flour mixture to the yolk mixture batter, and mix until fully combined. Set aside.
4. Make the soft peaks meringue with the egg yolks. Add the cream of tartar or vinegar into the mixing bowl. When the egg whites are foamy and white, add the sugar and beat until soft peaks form.
5. Using a whisk, gently mix one-third of the meringue in the batter, until incorporated. Repeat with another third of the meringue. Using a flexible spatula, gently fold the final portion of the meringue into the batter until fully incorporated. The resulting batter should be creamy and homogeneous, like a thick and smooth eggnog milkshake, with no white streaks of meringue remaining. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Tap the pan against the counter a few times. Smooth and even out the cake with a pastry scraper. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the cake rises and the top is golden. You don’t want to overbake this sponge cake.
6. Clean and dry your stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the cake from the oven. Flip it out onto the baking sheet. Peel off the parchment paper used in the oven.
7. Use the new parchment paper and immediately roll the shorter end of the cake into a 9-inch (23-cm) long jelly roll. You want your cake to be hot to warm during this first roll (but don't burn yourself!). Cover and set aside to cool.
8. Make the cream filling. In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip all the ingredients on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Don't over whip, as it will curdle.
9. Once cooled, unroll the cake. Spread the cream evenly over it, tapering at the ends with less cream and leaving a 1/2-inch (1.3-cm) border on all sides. Re-roll into a jelly roll (without the parchment paper), encasing the cream in the center. Remove any extra cream that piles up toward the end. With the seam side down, wrap the cake in parchment paper, and tie or tape the ends of the parchment paper.
10. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Slice off the ends of the cake. Cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) thick slices and serve.
11. Tip: To make the cute froggy face, use white chocolate candy melts as the eyes, and draw the mouth and pupils with melted chocolate and a toothpick. The pink cheeks are two edible pink rounded sprinkles pasted on with melted chocolate.

Notes

Excerpted from Modern Asian Baking at Home by Kat Lieu 

Copyright © 2022 Kat Lieu

Recommended Products:

Modern Asian Baking at Home Cookbook

OXO Good Grips Non-Stick Pro Cooling Rack and Baking Rack, Metal

KitchenAid KSM150PSER Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield, 5-Quart, Empire Red

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