Gluten-Free Matcha Cake with Raspberries
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Gluten-Free Matcha Cake has light gluten-free matcha sponge layers filled with a sweet tangy fresh raspberry crush and swirled all over with creamy raspberry swiss meringue buttercream. The vibrant green matcha contrasted with the fresh pink raspberries make this a truly delicious cake, stunning in looks and flavour.
This cake is ideal for matcha lovers. If you adore the clean grassy flavour of your favourite matcha latte then you will be head over heels for this Matcha Cake Recipe which is offset with gorgeous vibrant fruity raspberries. The light fluffy matcha sponge is perfectly balanced with the sweet and fruity raspberry crush filling and the creamy swiss meringue buttercream. I’ve raved about berry powders before but they are really excellent when adding flavour to buttercreams as the fresh zingy hit of raspberries is all there without adding more moisture to the buttercream.
What is matcha?
Matcha is a finely ground, type of green tea powder that originates from Japan. It is made by shading the tea plants before harvest, steaming and drying the leaves, and grinding them into a vibrant green powder. Matcha has a distinctive flavour, described as vegetal and slightly bitter, and it is renowned for its high concentration of antioxidants. Traditionally used in Japanese tea ceremonies, matcha is also used as an ingredient in many recipes, such as matcha-flavored desserts, pastries, ice creams, and drinks.
Where can you buy matcha?
Matcha is typically available in different grades, ranging from ceremonial-grade (highest quality) to culinary-grade (more suitable for baking and cooking). Ceremonial-grade matcha is generally used for traditional tea ceremonies or for enjoying a high-quality cup of matcha tea, while culinary-grade matcha is often used for culinary purposes or for making your matcha treat. You can buy it from:
- Local grocery stores: In the health food or tea aisle.
- Tea shops and specialty stores: Specialty tea shops may offer different grades of matcha.
- Online retailers: Websites like Amazon, tea-specific online shops, and health food stores often have a variety of matcha brands and options to choose from.
- Asian markets: Asian grocery stores or markets are likely to have matcha available, especially those that cater to Japanese or East Asian cuisine.
Why You’ll Love This Gluten-Free Matcha Cake
- Flavour contrast: Matcha has a unique, slightly bitter and earthy taste, while raspberries are tart and slightly sweet so the combination is such a delightful balance.
- Stunning colour: This Matcha cake has a vibrant green colour, which looks beautiful contrasted against the bright pink and red raspberry colours.
- Texture variety: The matcha sponge cake is moist and tender, while the crushed raspberries add a burst of juiciness.
- Creamy dreamy buttercream. Gorgeous sweet and buttery swiss meringue buttercream with a fruity blast of raspberry is the perfect finish for the textures and flavours of this cake.
- No xanthan gum needed.
Ingredients needed
Green Tea Cake
Gluten-Free Flour – FTL Blend. This recipe uses my Homemade Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour which works really well here as the flour ratio has been carefully tested to ensure the mix between wholegrain flours and starchy flours is balanced. This also means we don’t need to use xanthan gum as the blend is strong enough and produces a well structured and textured bake which can hold together without needing any extra binders.
This flour blend is a mix of 4 different flours: Sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour), Sorghum flour, Oat flour, Tapioca flour (tapioca starch).
Matcha powder. I recommend using culinary grade matcha. The quality of matcha powder you use will greatly impact the flavour and colour of your cake. For the best matcha look for a vibrant green colour and a smooth, fine texture. It's worth investing in good quality matcha for the best baking treat.
Butter. Unsalted is the best choice here. Make sure it is at room temperature.
Caster sugar. It’s a fine white baking sugar. If you can only get hold of granulated sugar you can grind more finely in the food processor before you use it in the recipe.
Eggs. This recipe uses medium size, about 60g each with shell (50g each without shell).
Vanilla extract. Use a good quality extract, I like Nilsen Massey.
Milk. Just a splash is needed for extra liquid content. Use whole milk or a plant based milk.
Baking powder. A leaving agent which causes the cake to rise and become light and fluffy. Do check your baking powder is gluten-free before use.
Salt. I like to use kosher salt in my baking as it has a round gentle flavour. Using salt in your baked goods lifts and sharpens all the other flavours.
Raspberry Crush Filling
Raspberries. You can use fresh or frozen.
Raspberry jam. You can use conserve or homemade raspberry jam. Make sure it is of the best quality.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Egg whites. This recipe uses 6 medium egg whites which equal 180g.
Caster sugar. As above.
Unsalted butter. As above.
Raspberry powder. This is both a convenient and versatile ingredient as it adds intense raspberry flavour and pretty colour without adding unnecessary liquid content to mess up the buttercream.
Salt. Essential for lifting the flavours of the buttercream.
Fresh raspberries. For decoration.
How To Make Gluten-Free Raspberry Matcha Cake
For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Preheat the oven to and grease two 20cm round cake tins.
- Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, mix flours, matcha powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
- Stir in milk and divide cake batter between the cake tins. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Let cakes cool in tins for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.
- For the Raspberry Crush Filling, mix crushed raspberries with jam.
- For the Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream, heat egg whites with the sugar until melted.
- Transfer to a stand mixer and whisk until stiff peaks form.
- Switch to a paddle attachment and gradually add cubedbutter.
- Mix in raspberry powder and salt.
Expert Tips
Sift the dry ingredients: Sifting the matcha powder, flour, and any other dry ingredients will help to remove lumps and ensure a smooth and evenly mixed batter. This step is essential to achieve a light and fluffy sponge cake.
Use room temperature ingredients: Make sure your eggs, butter, and any other ingredients are at room temperature before starting. Room temperature ingredients mix together more easily and result in a better texture.
Beat the eggs properly: When beating the eggs, aim for a light and fluffy consistency. Start at low speed and gradually increase to high speed until the eggs are pale, frothy, and have tripled in volume. This will help create a light and airy sponge.
Bake at the right temperature and time: Follow the recipe's instructions regarding the baking temperature and time. Avoid opening the oven door too often while the cake is baking, as this can cause the cake to sink. Test the cake's doneness by inserting a toothpick into the centre—if it comes out clean or with a few crumbs, the cake is ready.
Cool the cake properly: Once the sponges are baked, let them cool in the tins for 5 minutes to settle, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before filling with the raspberry crush and covering with the buttercream. This will help the cake maintain its structure and prevent it from becoming too moist.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream Tips
Room temperature ingredients: Ensure that all the ingredients for Swiss meringue buttercream, including egg whites and butter, are at room temperature. This helps in achieving a smooth and stable emulsion, resulting in a silky buttercream texture.
Sugar thermometer. Always use a sugar thermometer so you know exactly when to move onto the next step of the process.
Double boiler. Heat the egg whites and sugar in a double boiler to ensure the egg whites don’t start cooking.
Gradual butter incorporation: When adding the softened butter to the whipped meringue, do so gradually, cube by cube. This slow incorporation allows the butter to emulsify smoothly with the meringue, preventing the buttercream from becoming greasy or curdled. If the mixture starts to look curdled, keep beating until it comes back together. It will eventually transform into a smooth and creamy texture.
For more tips on making Swiss Meringue Buttercream, visit my post with plenty of tips and troubleshooting ideas.
How to assemble the cake
- Choose a cake board or plate: Place a cake board or a sturdy plate on a turntable or flat surface. This will be the base for your cake.
- Add the raspberry crush: Take one cake layer and place it on the cake board. Pipe a circle of raspberry swiss meringue buttercream at the very edge of the top of the cake to act like a dam for the raspberry crush filling. Spread the raspberry crush on top of the cake layer.
- Stack the second cake layer: Place the second cake layer on top of the raspberry crush, ensuring it is centred and aligned with the bottom layer.
- Frost the cake: Apply a generous amount of buttercream to the top of the stacked cake. Use an offset spatula to spread the buttercream evenly, working from the centre outward. Add more buttercream to the sides. Aim for a smooth-ish finish at first. I achieved the circular effect by using the offset spatula to create the design by moving it in circles around the buttercream.
FAQs
This cake should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Bring it to room temperature before serving.
Wrap the cake securely in plastic wrap, followed by aluminium foil, to protect it from freezer burn. Thaw the cake in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Shop the recipe
- Matcha Tea Powder
- Raspberry Powder
- 8 inch Round Cake Tins
- Sugar Thermometer
More gluten-free cakes you'll love
- Raspberry Lemon Cake
- Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake
- Banana Cake with Sticky Toffee Buttercream
- Lemon Caramel Cake
- Apple and Cinnamon Cake with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Buttercream
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Gluten-Free Matcha Cake with Raspberries
Ingredients
- 300 g gluten-free flour - see notes
- 25 g matcha powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 300 g butter
- 300 g caster sugar
- 5 eggs - medium, see notes
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
Raspberry Crush Filling
- 225 g raspberries
- 75 g very good raspberry jam
Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 6 egg whites - 180g
- 300 g caster sugar
- 400 g unsalted butter - at room temperature, cubed
- 5 teaspoons raspberry powder
- A pinch of salt
- Handful of raspberries for decoration
- ¼ teaspoon of matcha powder for decoration
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / gas mark 4 and line and grease 2 x round 20cm cake tins.
- Cream the butter and sugar on a high speed in a food mixer for about 5 minutes until very light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time and mix until completely incorporated, then add the vanilla extract.
- Sieve the flours, matcha powder, baking powder and salt together in separate mixing bowl, then add into the food mixer. Beat until just combined.
- Stir in the milk to lighten the batter then divide the batter equally between the two sandwich tins. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and leave to settle for 5 minutes in their tins, then turn out onto cooling racks and leave to cool completely.
Raspberry Crush Filling
- Crush the raspberries roughly into the jam in a small bowl and set aside until assembly.
Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Heat egg whites and caster sugar in a bain marie, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the temperature has reached 71°C.
- Remove the egg whites and sugar from the heat and pour into a stand mixer with whisk attachment. Whisk until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
- Change the attachment to a paddle attachment. On a low speed add the butter slowly cube by cube. When you have almost added all the butter the mixture will look curdled. Do not fret – this is supposed to happen and just means you are nearly done. Just continue to add all the butter. Once the butter is totally incorporated the frosting will miraculously become a smooth velvety consistency.
- Add the raspberry powder and pinch of salt and mix into the buttercream.
Assembly
- Place one of the sponge layers on a cake board and pipe a circle of raspberry swiss meringue buttercream at the very edge of the top of the cake to act like a dam for the raspberry crush filling.
- Spread the raspberry filling on top of the cake, right to the edges of the buttercream dam.
- Place the second sponge layer on top and cover the top and the sides of the cake with the raspberry swiss meringue buttercream.
- Decorate the top of the cake with a sprinkle of matcha and fresh raspberries.
Notes
- Use a sugar thermometer so you know exactly when to move onto the next step of the process.
- The butter should be at room temperature - just slightly soft.
- If you are doing everything right then when you have almost added all the butter the mixture will look curdled. Do not fret – this is supposed to happen and just means you are nearly done. Just continue to add all the butter. Once the butter is totally incorporated the buttercream will miraculously become a smooth velvety consistency.
- If when you add the butter the buttercream turns to soup then your butter was too warm. Place the whole mixing bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes then try mixing it again.
- If the mixture seems greasy and the butter won’t fully mix in with the egg whites then the butter was too cold. Put the mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water, when the butter melts at the edges, remove and beat it up again.
Oh how I love your posts...but I get so sad when I see oat flour in the recipe
Have you found anything that works as a substitute??
Hi Jacqui, don't be sad - there are plenty of cake recipes to choose from that don't include oat flour! You could just use more millet flour in its place. I choose the oat flour because of the texture and the flavour it gives the cakes as its universal flavour profile matches most cakes. That is not the same with all alternative flours so you need to pick wisely. Millet flour tends to be a little bitter which is why I only like to use it in moderation. Or you could sub with sorghum flour which would add another flavour profile entirely. To learn more about gluten-free flours and the roles they play within the cakes then I recommend downloading my Gluten-Free and Alternative Flours Cheatsheet which may be of assistance.
Like your husband, I haven't acquired the taste for matcha quite yet. Still I love the recipe and I hope you can keep up with your son!
Thank you Karl. Matcha is a grower and definitely the powders you can buy vary in quality. Some of the cheaper grade matchas can be quite astringent and I always find that less is more as well.