This light and airy strawberry matcha roll cake is an easy 30-minute spring treat! It’s a cake that will definitely impress your friends and family with its bakery-quality presentation and taste. The delicate sponge cake is flavored with Japanese green matcha tea powder, then filled with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.
Stephanie said: “Just made it today! Great, clear easy to follow instructions. My cake turned out great.”
Have you ever tried matcha in a baked good? It’s so delicious! The earthy flavors balance the sweetness and also give it a bright green color that just makes you smile with each bite. This matcha roll cake with strawberries is inspired by the Japanese roll cakes and is so easy to make at home.
This cake uses only 7 ingredients and is quick to prepare, perfect for entertaining or just enjoying as an afternoon bakery-style treat! My kids always love how impressive it looks, and they are fans of the warm and fruity flavors too.
If you want to try other Swiss roll cake recipes, my vanilla roll cake and death by chocolate roll cake are popular flavors.
Reader Amber said: “Perfect recipe. It tasted like something from a Paris Patisserie.”
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Customize with other fruits. It’s delicious with strawberries, but you could also use mango, pineapple, or other berries if you prefer.
- Perfect for entertaining a group. Whether it’s a holiday meal or just a brunch for friends, this cake is easy to make in advance and not messy to serve.
- Gorgeous look but quick and easy to make. Fool your friends and family into thinking you bought this at a bakery! Little do they know it was made with just 7 ingredients.
Key Ingredient Notes
- Matcha powder – Avoid culinary-grade matcha powder. You want a high-quality matcha powder because it has a delicate, subtly sweet, and earthy taste and a bright green color! Lower-quality matcha powders have a dull, brownish-green hue. This is my go-to matcha brand. More on this below.
- Cake flour – Skip all-purpose flour this time! Cake flour has a lower protein content, which means less gluten formation, and ultimately, a lighter-textured cake!
- Eggs – Key to making that sponge cake light and airy. You separate the whites and yolks, then beat the whites to stiff peaks, creating a sponge cake texture.
- Granulated sugar – Choose fine granulated sugar as it dissolves faster.
- Heavy cream – Use the cream straight from the fridge as it’ll whip faster and fluffier. This light whipped frosting is so soft and creamy.
- Fresh strawberries – Choose deep red and ripe strawberries for the sweetest taste.
What is matcha?
Matcha is an earthy, grassy, and sweet green tea powder with a vibrant green hue. It’s made from high-quality shade-grown green tea leaves.
You can make a mean latte with it, but don’t stop there! Matcha tastes amazing in smoothies, sponge cake, muffins, and this matcha strawberry cake!
Grades of Matcha:
There are two main grades of matcha on the market.
- Ceremonial grade: It’s made from the highest quality green tea. This grade of matcha is used in tea ceremonies. And it has a nice, smooth taste.
- Culinary grade: This grade of green tea powder isn’t the brightest in color and tastes a little on the bitter side.
Besides these grades, you can find something in the mid-range. Not as pricey as ceremonial-grade matcha, mid-range everyday matcha powders have pretty decent quality when it comes to taste and color!
I don’t recommend culinary-grade matcha for baking because it produces cakes that are dull in color and bitter in taste. Read more about it in my Match 101 article.
How to make matcha roll cake
Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C). Line a baker’s half baking sheet (about 16.5 x 11.5 inches) with parchment paper.
1. Make the cake
- Separate the egg yolks and the whites. Take your time so you don’t break the yolk. Even a small amount of fat can prevent the egg whites from whipping properly.
- Whisk the egg yolks with ¼ cup of the sugar until they’re pale yellow and doubled in size.
- Mix the matcha powder with one tablespoon of water to create a smooth paste. This will prevent little lumps of matcha powder in your batter.
- Add it into the yolk mixture and beat with a paddle attachment until smooth
- Whip the egg whites in a separate bowl. (TIP: Bring the egg whites to room temperature before whipping for better volume.)
- Gradually add the remaining sugar and continue whipping until the meringue reaches stiff peaks. Stiff peaks will be shiny and smooth, and will stand upright without collapsing.
Whipped egg whites is the secret
Whipping egg whites forces air into them, creating tiny air bubbles that create a thick, foamy mixture. This lightens the cake without the need for a chemical leavening agent like baking powder.
- Fold the whipped egg whites into the egg yolk mixture.
- Then sift in the cake flour and salt, and gently fold the flour into the batter. Be gentle when mixing the batter. Use a turning-and-cutting motion instead of a whisking motion.
Don’t skip the sifting
Sifting the flour aerates it and removes any lumps, making it easier to incorporate.
- Pour the matcha cake batter into the pan and spread evenly with an offset spatula.
- Bake until a toothpick comes out clean. This won’t be long at all, since the cake is thin and light, about 8 minutes.
- Lay a clean kitchen towel flat on the counter and dust generously with powdered sugar.
- Carefully invert the cake onto the kitchen towel and peel off the parchment paper.
- Roll the cake up in the towel and let it cool. This will ensure the cake doesn’t crack later when you fill it with whipped cream.
2. make the whipped cream
- Whip the heavy cream until frothy.
- Add the sugar and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to overwhip it, or it will curdle, then turn into butter.
- Refrigerate until ready to use.
assemble the matcha Swiss roll cake
- Unroll the cooled cake and slice off one short end of the roll at a slight angle. This end will be at the bottom of the cake, and it’ll help the cake to sit sturdy when it’s cut at an angle like that.
- Spread half of the whipped cream evenly over the top.
- Arrange the diced strawberries on top and cover them with the remaining whipped cream.
- Carefully roll the cake into a log and dust with more powdered sugar. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Expert Tips
- Use high-quality green tea for the best taste and color. It doesn’t have to be the most expensive, but it should be good quality. This is my favorite matcha powder!
- Matcha powder is sensitive to heat, light, and air and loses its quality quickly. Once opened, green tea powder is best when used within a couple of months for optimum taste and color.
- Sponge cake doesn’t use a chemical leavening agent. It rises due to all the air in the whipped egg yolks and egg whites. That’s why it’s important to properly whip the egg yolks and egg whites.
- Make sure there’s absolutely no trace of oil or egg yolk in the egg whites, or they won’t whip into fluffy white stiff peaks.
- Gently mix the cake batter with the egg whites to keep it airy and fluffy. If you over-mix, then you risk your sponge cake being dense rather than light.
- Do not grease the pan! It can prevent the light batter from rising up the sides of the pan if it’s greased and slippery.
Storage
This matcha roll cake needs to be refrigerated due to the filling. Store in a large airtight container if possible, otherwise wrap in plastic wrap.
It’ll keep in the fridge for 4 days, but it’s best enjoyed within 2 days!
Make Ahead Tips
- This matcha cake roll is easier to slice and serve after it’s chilled for a few hours! Make it 2-3 hours ahead of when you plan to serve it for best results.
- You can prep the whipped cream up to a day ahead. Store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
- The refrigerator causes cake to dry out faster, so it’s best to enjoy this cake within 2 days of making it.
FAQs:
Japanese roll cake is a type of lightly sweetened sponge cake filled with whipped cream or custard cream, then rolled into a spiral. It’s often less sweet than the American version of a Swiss roll.
Matcha green tea powder infuses a cake with its earthy, sweet, and slightly bitter flavor. This matcha roll cake isn’t very sweet, which makes it a great dessert for those who appreciate less sweet treats.
If you don’t have cake flour, you can make it yourself! You’ll need to measure 1 cup of all-purpose flour, then remove 2 tablespoons of flour, and replace it with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Sift it and voila!
If you overmix the cake batter, the aerated cake batter will deflate, resulting in a dense and chewy cake. Be sure to fold the batter instead of folding it and stop right when everything is incorporated.
Strawberry Matcha Roll Cake
Ingredients
For cake:
- 6 large eggs
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar divided
- 1 tablespoon (5 g) matcha powder Note 1
- 1 cup (125 g) cake flour Note 2
- 1/8 teaspoon table salt
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar for dusting
For filling:
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream chilled
- 2-3 tablespoons (30-45 g) granulated sugar
- 7 oz (200 g) fresh strawberries hulled and chopped
Instructions
To make the sponge cake:
- Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C). Line baker's half baking sheet (about 16.5 x 11.5 inches) with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, mix matcha powder with 1 tablespoon hot water until smooth.
- Separate egg yolks and egg whites. (Tip: Make sure there's absolutely no trace of egg yolk in egg whites, or it won't whip into fluffy white stiff peaks.)
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and ¼ cup of sugar until pale and tripled in size, about 2 minutes.
- Mix in the matcha paste.
- In a mixing bowl with whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until frothy. Add remaining ¼ cup of sugar one tablespoon at a time. Increase the speed to medium high and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
- Add half of whipped egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Gently fold the batter with a spatula until almost smooth, and then add the remaining whipped egg whites. Carefully fold the batter until smooth.
- Sift in the cake flour and salt. Gently fold it until the flour is fully incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Using an offset spatula, spread the batter evenly and smooth the surface.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Meanwhile, lay a clean kitchen towel on the counter and generously dust with powdered sugar.
- Once the cake is out of oven, immediately invert it on the prepared kitchen towel. Peel off the parchment paper and roll it with the towel and all. (This helps the cake roll without cracking by creating a muscle memory.) Set the rolled cake on a cooling rack and cool completely.
To make whipped cream:
- In a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, beat heavy cream on low speed until frothy.
- Add sugar and continue to whip on medium speed until hard peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To assemble the roll cake:
- Once cooled completely, unroll the cake and spread half of the whipped cream over the cake and sprinkle chopped strawberries.
- Then spread the remaining whipped cream over the strawberries and roll the cake into a log.
- Dust with powdered sugar and serve! Refrigerate the cake, covered, if not serving right away.
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Tips & Notes
– This green tea roll cake needs to be refrigerated due to the filling. Store in a large airtight container if possible, otherwise wrap in plastic wrap.
– It will keep for 4 days in the refrigerator, but it’s best enjoyed within 2 days!
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on May 13, 2015.
This was my first time ever making a cake roll. This recipe was very simple yet delicious, delicate and easy to make. The flavor was subtle but in a good way, not too overpowering. Definitely a keeper!