Tea Matcha Mandarin

Matcha tea is the star of this teapot cake that makes a showstopper ending to your holiday entertaining. Matcha gifts this charming dessert with grassy notes, a hint of bitterness, and a lush, savory finish. If you’re feeling like a pastry pro, you can wrap the cake in fondant or go simpler with Matcha Tea Buttercream. Remember, a little matcha goes a long way so do feel free to reduce or — if the mood strikes you — increase the matcha. Enjoy!

Tea Pot Cake Recipe

INGREDIENTS*

White cake
Simple syrup
Matcha Italian buttercream
Gold accent fondant pieces
Blue, red, and gold fondant

*Recipes found below

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Level off the cakes and soak each round in simple syrup.
2. Fill each layer of cake with the Matcha Italian Buttercream. Crumb coat the cake and chill for 20 minutes.
3. If using pre-made fondant, roll it out thinly — about 1/8” — and wrap the cake. Or you can ice the entire cake with the Matcha Italian buttercream. 
4. Decorate with gold accent fondant pieces such as a golden teapot if using fondant and rice crispies. Add a colored fondant drape in blue, red, or gold for an extra special look!

Kurtis Sprowls and Amanda Morgan showed us what Joy looks like at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.

White Cake Recipe

Makes 4-8” round cakes

INGREDIENTS

3 lbs cake flour, sifted
3 oz baking powder, sifted
1 oz salt
1 lb 8 oz shortening
3 lbs 12 oz granulated sugar
24 oz skim milk #1
.75 oz vanilla
.36 oz almond extract
24 oz skim milk #2
2 lb egg whites
Yellow coloring gel, to taste
Red coloring gel, to taste
Blue coloring gel, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Line and spray 4-8” round cake pans. 
2. In a stand mixer or a large bowl if using a hand mixer, combine the cake flour, baking powder, salt and shortening. Crumble together until the shortening is pea-sized.
3. Add the sugar, skim milk #1, vanilla and almond extracts to the flour mixture. Mix until creamy and smooth.
4. Slowly add skim milk #2 and egg whites while mixing. Scrape down the sides as needed. Mix for 5 minutes.
5. Divide the batter into four mixing bowls, coloring one with yellow, one with red and one with blue. You won’t need the fourth cake so you can leave it plain or color it, if you like. 
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for about 12-15 minutes, until slightly browned and the cake is spongy and springy to the touch.
7. Remove and allow to cool in the pans. 

Note: This recipe makes four cakes. You’ll only need three for the recipe so you can frost and eat the fourth, freeze it to use later or add it to the finished dessert to create a taller dessert. The choice is yours! 

Simple Syrup Recipe

Makes 15 ounces

INGREDIENTS

10 oz granulated sugar
5 oz water
1 split vanilla bean

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Simmer the sugar, water, and vanilla bean together.
2. Store in the refrigerator until needed. 

Matcha Italian Buttercream Recipe

Makes 4 quarts

INGREDIENTS

5 lbs granulated sugar
Water
2 lb 8 oz egg whites
6 lbs unsalted butter, room temperature
6 tbsp vanilla
8 tbsp matcha powder, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a pot, mix the sugar with enough water to create the consistency of wet sand.
2. Cook the sugar and water mixture until it reaches 240 degrees.
3. Whip the egg whites until they just barely hold soft peaks.
4. Slow add the hot sugar to the egg whites and whip until the mixture cools to room temperature.
5. Add the butter in one pound at a time and whip until the mixture has thickened and turned white. Add the vanilla and matcha powder to taste.
6. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Note: Depending on the sizer of your stand mixer, you may want to divide the ingredients in half and make this in two batches. 

Recipes by Nemacolin Executive Pastry Sous Chef Isaac Ortiz Montalvo and Pastry Sous Chef Mary Mae Co Laskody / Story by Keith Recker / Portrait Photography by Jeff Swensen / Food Photography by Scott Goldsmith

Subscribe to TABLE Magazine‘s print edition.