Matcha Pound Cake

Ingredients

• 3½ ozwheat floursifted together with the baking powder
• ⅓ ozMatcha powdersifted, provides colour and flavour
• 2½ ozSugaradded in batches
• 2Eggat room temperature, beaten
• 1 tspBaking powdermixed with the flour
• 1¼ ozVegetable oilneutral oil as the fat in the batter
• 3½ ozButterunsalted, softened; alternative to the oil (optional)
• 1⅓ tbspMilkloosens the batter
• 3 tbspMaple syrupsweetens and flavours the batter (optional)
• 2⅛ ozAlmond flourstabilises the batter while the eggs are added (optional)
• 2¾ ozSweet simmered black soybeansfolded in at the end (optional)

Method

1. Heat the oven to 355 °F and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
2. Sift the cake flour, baking powder and matcha into a bowl together, so the matcha is evenly distributed and no lumps remain.
3. Beat the room-temperature eggs with the sugar until pale and thick, adding the sugar in batches. For the butter version, cream the softened butter with the sugar instead, then work in the beaten eggs a little at a time.
4. For the oil version, stir in the vegetable oil gradually until it is fully absorbed, then add the milk; for the butter version the oil is left out, so just add the milk.
5. Fold in the flour mixture in several additions, mixing only until no dry flour is visible.
6. If you like, briefly stir through the maple syrup and the sweet simmered black soybeans.
7. Pour the batter into the tin, smooth the top, and make a shallow lengthwise dip down the middle so the cake rises evenly.
8. Bake at 355 °F for about 30 to 40 minutes. Test the centre with a wooden skewer: if no wet batter clings to it, the cake is done.
9. Lift the cake out of the tin, peel off the baking paper, and let it cool on a rack.

Tips and variations

For a quicker version, use pancake mix in place of the flour and baking powder; the sweetness then comes mostly from the maple syrup. The classic version is made with butter and almond flour — colour only a quarter of the batter with matcha and fold it in roughly, which gives a marbled pattern. For a moister crumb, use oil instead of butter, with sweet simmered black soybeans in the batter. You can bake at a steady 180 °C for around 30 minutes, or 20 minutes at 180 °C followed by another 20 minutes at 170 °C. Slice only once the cake has cooled completely, so the crumb holds together.