Matcha Cake Sushi Rolls

I guess you could say this is a recipe revisited.  This past January I discovered and made “Tiramisushi“, the brain-child of Elizabeth Faulkner, pastry chef and author of the unconventional cookbook Demolition Desserts.  At the time, everything on my “to bake” list became questionable next to Tiramisushi, which was penned at the top and underlined three times.  I was in love with the concept of this dessert.

Since then I’ve been pondering the elegant and bite-sized composition.  I couldn’t help but feel that a Matcha green tea version would be beautiful and apropos.  Granted, it loses the smart Asian/Italian fusion and equally cool name-play, but it did turn out rather pretty, and with a white chocolate buttercream center, delicious nonetheless.

Bright orange nonpareils make a perfect representation of fish roe.  They are so tiny, and they have a strangely similar popping sensation between the teeth.  I considered making some faux wasabi or ginger, but in the end I didn’t want the matcha flavor to be lost under unnecessary “fluff”.

Okay, so maybe one piece of fluff.  A chocolate reflecting pool.

The chocolate sauce can be served alongside the sushi for dipping, just like soy sauce.  Personally, I prefer them without any dressing at all.

The sponge cake is baked in a jelly roll pan then sliced down the middle to form two 13″ long strips.  They are then rolled up from the long side into a tea towel that has been generously sprinkled with powdered sugar.  After they are cooled and filled with buttercream, they need to chill in the refrigerator until the frosting is solid. They’ll slice easily, and if one of your rolls becomes a misshapen triangle, (like mine, above left) not to worry!  After a few minutes at room temperature they will loosen up and you can squish them back into place.

Matcha Cake Sushi Rolls                 [click for printable recipe]

12-18 pieces/6-8 servings

Matcha sponge cake:

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 tablespoon Matcha tea

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

3 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons melted butter

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 baking pan and line with parchment paper; grease the paper also.  Prepare two thin tea towels, generously sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar.  Sift flour, Matcha, and baking powder into a bowl and set aside.

Whisk eggs and sugar together in a metal bowl.  Set over a pot of simmering water on the stove and heat for a few minutes, whisking constantly until the mixture is thick and warm to the touch.

Pour egg mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the salt and whisk with the whip attachment on high speed for a few minutes until the mixture has cooled and tripled in volume.

Remove bowl from mixer and fold in flour mixture with a rubber spatula, trying not to deflate the batter.  Fold until green color has fully developed.  Add the melted butter and fold again until combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly with an offset spatula.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  When done, the center of the cake should bounce back when pressed with fingertip.

Remove from oven and immediately turn out onto a wire rack.  Peel off the piece of parchment on the bottom of the cake.  Quickly cut the cake lengthwise down the middle so you have two long skinny rectangles.  Transfer each piece to a tea towel and roll into towel from longest side.  Let cool completely.  Remove from tea towels and let roulades rest on a surface lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar.

White chocolate buttercream:

4 oz. white chocolate

2 1/2 tablespoons whipping cream

1 stick of butter, softened

3/4 cup powdered sugar

In a medium sized bowl, melt chocolate and whipping cream together in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring well between heating.  When smooth, add softened butter and 1/4 cup of powdered sugar.  Using a hand mixer, combine the ingredients, gradually adding the remaining powdered sugar.  Transfer to a piping bag or Ziplock (sandwich) bag.

Assembly: 

Fill roulades with buttercream and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate until icing is firm to the touch.  Cut cakes evenly into 24 pieces.  Garnish with orange or red nonpareils.

Chocolate sauce:

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 2/3 cups white sugar

1 1/4 cups water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cocoa, sugar and water.  Bring to a boil and let bubble for 1 minute.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.  Transfer to a jar and store in refrigerator.  Heat before serving.

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Sue
Sue
13 years ago

Heather, Your had me fooled! This looks like the real thing! I love it! Maybe next April 1st…:)

Jessica @ How Sweet
Jessica @ How Sweet
13 years ago

Those are too cute!

Noel Chapman
Noel Chapman
13 years ago

Those look amazing! Such creativity!

Su-yin
Su-yin
13 years ago

This is AMAZING. You already had me at matcha cake rolls… but that chocolate reflecting pool? Oh wow. Love it!

Unknown
Unknown
13 years ago

Dear lord woman, so talented!

Anonymous
Anonymous
13 years ago

This is extremely innovative! Perfect for a sushi party!

catty
catty
13 years ago

This is sooooo unbelievably cool!! I seriously hope you enter it into my Matcha Madness competition – http://www.thecattylife.com/2010/07/matcha-madness

cookies and cups
cookies and cups
13 years ago

so awesome! gorgeous 🙂 I have never used matcha..looks like i need to get me some!

Miles Of Style
Miles Of Style
13 years ago

they looks so delicioius!

just stumbled across your blog and i have to say its LOVELY! do drop by mine too when you have some time. perhaps we can follow each other! =)

Persis.
http://www.onestylemile.blogspot.com/

RecoveringCoffeeholic
RecoveringCoffeeholic
13 years ago

Ths is too cool!!!

Ingrid_3Bs
Ingrid_3Bs
13 years ago

That's very cool. My honey is a huge sushi lover and Monday is his birthday perhaps I should make your "sushi" for his birthday cake.
~ingrid

Cat
Cat
13 years ago

What a great and clever idea!! You never stop surprising me!! Bravo!!

Kimber
Kimber
13 years ago

LOVE IT! Perfect photos as usual!

Anh
Anh
13 years ago

This is soo creative!

Debs @ DKC
Debs @ DKC
13 years ago

Brilliant. Sushi for dessert? I can't wait to make these.

I've had matcha powder in the cupboard for ages because I was planning on ice cream. Think your sushi is now at the top of my dessert list.

Thanks

Lot-O-Choc
Lot-O-Choc
13 years ago

wow this is such a cool idea hehe! they look great!

diva
diva
13 years ago

this is really creative and the choc pool, insane! i love it 🙂

Alessandra
Alessandra
13 years ago

amazing!
love matcha!

Estellecalim
Estellecalim
13 years ago

Oh my god ! It's wonderful !

maameemoomoo
maameemoomoo
13 years ago

Love love macha!!

And the cake.. is really like sushi!! How adorable 🙂

megan
megan
13 years ago

This is my kind of sushi!!!

Anonymous
Anonymous
13 years ago

Very cute concept. Great pictures, too!

Joudie's Mood food
Joudie's Mood food
13 years ago

This is incredible. I just love it! I also love anything with Matcha. Just perfect!!!!

Kathleen
Kathleen
13 years ago

Heather you are sooo flippin talented!!!

Josh Healy
Josh Healy
13 years ago

Hi, hope it's OK to contact you here. We would love to include your blog on our giveaway search engine: Giveaway Scout (http://www.giveawayscout.com). Have a look and if interested, use our online form to add your blog (http://www.giveawayscout.com/addblog/ ). thanks, Josh

Cristie
Cristie
13 years ago

Oh my goodness these look very delicioius. I have a sister who is going to love these. Wonderfully fun.

anna
anna
13 years ago

So cute! I think the dipping sauce really puts them over the top. I love Elizabeth Faulkner's ideas 😉

christelle is flabbergasting
christelle is flabbergasting
13 years ago

This is such a cool recipe! I just discover your blog and I am already in love!

DG
DG
13 years ago

What a great idea to do swiss roll looks like sushi! Love this!

Kristina @ spabettie
Kristina @ spabettie
13 years ago

wow, these look GREAT ! I made matcha cupcakes last year, I so wish I had thought to do something creative like this!! 🙂

Theomachist
Theomachist
13 years ago

OK! LOVE THESE! I'm dying to try out the recipe. I'm also planning to use some "spherified" Sake or chocolate liqueur as the topping =3

Unknown
Unknown
13 years ago

This seriously looks so good. Got to love matcha

http://blog.imagebylauren.com

Shea
Shea
12 years ago

Hi! I was going to make these for my 13th birthday, but I found out most of the people coming don't like matcha green tea. (I don't know what their problem is. It's delicious!) Do you have any suggestions? 🙂

Heather Baird
Heather Baird
12 years ago

Hi Shea!

Happy upcoming birthday! You omit the Matcha and then add 1 tbsp of extra flour. Then the batter can be tinted with green liquid food coloring. The kind you get at the grocery store will be fine. Mix in the food coloring last and use as much as you like.

Hope this helps!

Heather Baird
Heather Baird
12 years ago

I should have said, use as much of a .3 oz tube as you like. Any more than that would affect the batter adversely.

Thank you!

Anonymous
Anonymous
12 years ago

I'm having a really tough time with this one without pictures to show exactly what each step should look like ….

I'm making it right now and hoping you can help!!

Anonymous
Anonymous
12 years ago

Am I the only one having difficulty with this recipe? I can't get the rolades not to break (took 3 batches, with some underbaking required to rool it. Then, the cause is too thin. No instructions on how the sauce should look. It isn't thickening up and is runny. I only ended up using half of the batch.

I love the idea but it has taken me 3 batches and hours to make to a subpar standards (and I make lots of cakes). What am I missing??

DJ
DJ
12 years ago

Just made this, but the cake is a bit dense. I had trouble on not deflating the egg mixture when folding the flour/matcha. Still taste pretty good though. The white chocolate buttercream is very delicious and the big batch of chocolate sauce, I could use in lots of other things like using it with fruits. I thought mine looked horrible at first, but you're right that I can just squish it into shape.

Anonymous
Anonymous
11 years ago

Can I replace the white sugar with brown sugar? Will it have the same taste?

Tina
Tina
11 years ago

Wow this is genius, I really like your creative and cute ideas 🙂 It seriously does take a good eye and a talent for design to make something like this 🙂 Thanks for sharing it with us, I'm lucky I stumbled upon your blog on facebook!

Anonymous
Anonymous
9 years ago

I don't have a microwave. Is there a way that I could make the white chocolate filling without microwaving it?

Anonymous
Anonymous
5 years ago

My husband loves sushi, can't wait to make these for his birthday! Does it matter which matcha powder you use? Currently in love with Tenzo Tea's matcha http://tenzotea.co. Wonder if it would be sweet enough?