Matcha Roll Cake — rolled green-tea sponge with whipped cream
Matcha roll cake is the Japanese take on the Swiss roll — a tender, very thin green-tea sponge spread with lightly sweetened whipped cream and rolled into a tight spiral. The colour is striking; the texture is gentle and just-sweet. It is a fixture of Japanese department-store dessert counters.
i. Origin & history
Roll cakes (roru keiki) entered Japan from Western influence in the post-war period and were quickly adapted to Japanese taste — lighter sponges, less sweet creams, and matcha as a defining flavour. The Japanese roll-cake tradition is now arguably more developed than the European original.
ii. Ingredients
Makes 8 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 100 g caster sugar
- 60 g cake flour
- 15 g matcha powder
- 30 g unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tbsp whole milk
- 300 ml double cream
- 30 g icing sugar
- 1 tsp matcha (for the cream — optional)
iii. Method
- Heat oven to 180 °C / 350 °F. Line a 33 × 23 cm tray with parchment.
- Whisk eggs and sugar over a pan of warm water until warm to the touch. Then whip on high until tripled in volume and ribboned.
- Sift flour and matcha three times; fold into the eggs gently. Mix milk into melted butter; fold into the batter.
- Spread evenly in the tray. Bake 12 min — the top should spring back. Cool 5 min, then turn out onto a fresh sheet of parchment.
- Whip cream with icing sugar (and 1 tsp matcha if desired) to soft peaks. Spread evenly over the cooled sponge, leaving 2 cm bare at one short edge.
- Roll up tightly, starting from the opposite short edge. Wrap in parchment; chill at least 2 hours before slicing with a serrated knife.
iv. Tips & common mistakes
- Whip eggs warm. A warm-whip gives maximum volume in the sponge.
- Sift matcha thoroughly. Lumpy matcha gives green specks rather than colour.
- Chill before slicing. A warm roll squashes under the knife.
v. Variations
Hojicha roll uses roasted-tea powder. Strawberry matcha roll tucks fresh strawberries along the centre line before rolling. Yuzu brightens the cream with citrus.
vi. Common questions
What is matcha roll cake?
Matcha Roll Cake is rolled green-tea sponge with whipped cream, from japanese cuisine. The colour is striking; the texture is gentle and just-sweet
Where is matcha roll cake from?
Matcha Roll Cake is from the japanese dessert tradition; the recipe and history are detailed above.
How long does matcha roll cake keep?
See the storage note in the Quick facts panel: 2 days refrigerated.