This matcha Swiss roll cake makes a delightful treat with its airy sponge, subtle bitter flavor, whipped mascarpone cream, and fresh strawberries.
When it comes to cakes, one bowl cakes and Swiss roll cakes are my go-to. They’re low maintenance and I don’t have to think too much about the fancy decorations. For the holidays, I wanted to share a simple matcha Swiss roll cake with a festive touch of green from the vibrant sponge, red from the strawberries, and white from the mascarpone whipped cream. We enjoy this matcha Swiss roll cake throughout the year with different pairing, red beans, strawberries or raspberries when they’re in season. You could add strawberries to the filling but I opted to leave them out so the cake lasts longer. The matcha Swiss roll cake has an earthy, subtle bitter flavor and pairs well with the lightly whipped cream and sweet strawberries. We hope you enjoy this cake as much as we did. Happy holidays!
Ingredient Notes
- Matcha: use a quality culinary grade matcha. Look for matcha with a vibrant green color. Two of my favorite brands are Fukujuen and Ippodo Tea.
- Cream of tartar: cream of tartar (potassium bitartrate) is an acid that helps egg white proteins form bonds, creating a stable network for trapped air, which stabilizes the egg whites and prevents them from collapsing.
- Flour: for the flour, you could use either cake flour or all purpose flour. Cake flour will give you the most tender crumbs but it tends to crack easier and require gentle handling. All purpose flour results in a studier cake that will not crack or break as easily.
Tips for Making the Cake
- Sift the dry ingredients into the wet batter otherwise the batter will be lumpy and the matcha is not evenly distributed.
- Be gentle with the batter. Fold the meringue into the cake batter in three batches, folding it in one direction. Overmixing will cause the cake to deflate later.
- Watch the cake closely. An overbaked Swiss roll is more likely to crack when rolled. Pull it out of the oven when it’s light golden-brown and springs back when gently pressed. Every over is different. It takes anywhere from 10-12 minutes to bake the cake.
- Roll the cake while it’s still warm. You could use either a kitchen towel or parchment paper. Once it cools, carefully unroll the cake and spread filling across it evenly before rolling it back up, leaving a ½-inch border. I prefer parchment paper so I could throw it away.
How to Decorate the Cake
To decorate the matcha Swiss roll cake, I used a piping bag fitted with a large rose petal decorating tip (Ateco 128). Feel free to use your favorite piping tip. If you don't have a piping tip, spread the mascarpone frosting over the cake and create swoops and swirls. After the matcha Swiss roll cake is frosted, refrigerate it for 1 hour to let the frosting firm up. Finish decorating with fresh strawberries or raspberries.
Make Ahead and Storage
The mascarpone cream can be made 24 hours before. The matcha Swiss roll cake tastes best within 2 days of baking. Store any leftover cake in the fridge for up to 5 days.
For more cake inspiration
Matcha Swiss Roll Cake
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs, separated, room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ cup sugar, divided
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ⅛ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ½ cup cake flour
- 2 tablespoons matcha powder (culinary grade)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Whipped Mascarpone Cream
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ½ cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 cup mascarpone
- 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
Instructions
Day 1: Mascarpone Whipped Cream
- To make the frosting, in a stand mixer attached with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream and confectioners' sugar on medium speed until the cream forms soft peaks. Add in the mascarpone and whip on medium-high speed until firm peaks form (the peaks can hold their shape). Be careful not to over whip or the frosting will turn into butter. Transfer the frosting to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.
Day 2: Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12x17" baking tray with parchment paper and lightly grease the parchment.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar until it becomes frothy, about 2 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons of sugar, one tablespoon at a time until all the sugar has been incorporated. Continue beating on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Transfer the egg whites to a large bowl and set aside.
- In the same mixing bowl, add egg yolks and remaining 4 tablespoons of sugar. Whisk on medium speed until the batter is very thick, doubles in volume, and light lemon in color, about 5 minutes.
- Add in vegetable oil and salt. Beat for another minute until combined.
- Sift over cake flour, matcha, and baking powder and whisk until combined.
- Gently fold one-third of the egg white mixture through the yolk mixture with a rubber spatula trying to maintain as much of the incorporated air as possible. Fold the egg whites in one direction. Once fully incorporated, add another third and gently fold together. Repeat with remaining egg whites.
- Pour batter into prepared baking tray and spread out evenly with offset spatula.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cake is light golden brown and springs back when lightly pressed.
- Let the cake cool for 10 minutes. Lightly dust the cake with icing sugar, then invert onto a large sheet of parchment paper. Remove and discard the original parchment paper from the base of the sponge.
- Starting with a short end, gently roll the cake and parchment together into a log, and cool completely on a rack, about 15 minutes.
- To assemble, gently unroll the cake and spread 3 cups of mascarpone over the cake, leaving a half inch border. Roll the cake back up. Trim edges and place it on a plate, seam side down. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- When ready to serve, transfer the remaining frosting to a piping bag fitted with a rose decorating tip and pipe over the top of the cake. Add strawberries on top of the frosting. Slice and serve immediately.
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