Matcha Swiss Roll Cake

Swiss roll cakes are some of my favorite treats, but I haven't had much luck making them. I've struggled to make a sturdy cake that is still pliable enough to roll—until I made this recipe. It's one of the softest cakes I've ever made, fluffy and light chiffon. Since this cake was a Mothers' Day treat, I flavored it with matcha, one of my mother's favorites. 

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Tips: 

- Work quickly: the cake will not roll as well if it becomes too cold. 

- Let the cake sit in the fridge for 10-20 minutes at the least before cutting into it. This allows it to set, preventing it from falling apart. 

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Matcha Swiss Roll Cake

Makes 1 cake

Ingredients: 

60g milk

4 tsp matcha powder

4 egg whites

50g sugar

3 egg yolks

40 grams all-purpose flour

5 grams corn starch

30 grams granulated sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3 egg yolks

40g oil

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 325F and line a pan (approximately 9x12 inch) with parchment paper.  

2. In a small bowl, mix milk and matcha powder. Heat in microwave in 5-10 second increments, stirring in between each, until matcha powder is fully dissolved. 

3. Separate the eggs. Put 4 egg whites in a large bowl, and set aside 3 egg yolks in a small bowl. 

4. Whip egg whites until stiff peaks, while adding 50g sugar in small increments. 

5. In a large bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, the remaining 30g of sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add egg yolks, oil, vanilla extract, and the matcha-milk mixture, then mix until smooth. Take care to not overmix. 

6. Add 1/3 of the egg whites to the milk-flour mixture and mix until combined. Then pour the entire mixture back into the egg whites and fold just until fully incorporated. 

7. Pour the batter into the pan, and smooth with a spatula until even. 

8. Bake for 12 minutes at 325F. Remove from oven, and allow to cool for 5 minutes in pan. 

9. Flip the cake onto a cooling rack and remove the parchment. Cool for 5 minutes. 

10. Place a new sheet of parchment over the cake and roll it with the parchment in between the layers of cake.

11. In the meantime, whip cream. Once the cream is whipped, unroll the cake, and spread an even layer of cream across it before rolling the cake up again. 

12. Allow cake to set in fridge for 10 minutes before serving.