Recipe: Matcha-White Chocolate Pound Cake with Tangerine-Black Sesame Seed Glaze

This cake’s striking green batter bakes up into a fine-crumbed pastry that looks more earthy than neon. The dark, crackly, split-topped crust is hard not to eat right out of the oven, but try to resist. Also, watch the cake closely as it ends it’s baking time. Even a slightly over-baked loaf will result in a somewhat dry crumb. However, if you overdo it, remedy by serving with softly-whipped cream, or even orange sherbet!

Ingredients:

8 ounces (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1/4 cup matcha green tea powder

2 cups sifted flour

1/2 cup milk, warmed to room temperature

8 ounces white chocolate, melted and cooled slightly (I used Icoa from El Rey Chocolates)

1 tablespoon grated tangerine zest (or any kind of orange)

1-3/4 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar

1/4 cup tangerine juice (roughly the juice of one tangerine, or other orange)

1 tablespoon black sesame seeds (optional)

Method:

1. Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch loaf pan with butter.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or with a hand-held electric beater, cream together the butter, salt, and granulated sugar until very smooth. Add the baking powder. Then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and the matcha powder.
4. Add the flour/matcha mixture and the milk in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour, and mixing well between each addition.
5. Beat in the melted white chocolate. The batter should be satiny smooth, and bright green.
6. Spoon the cake batter into the pan, spreading evenly with a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon.
7. Bake the cake for 60-90 minutes. When a knife stuck in the center of the cake comes out with just a few crumbs sticking to it, it’s done.
8. Remove the cake from the oven. Cool for 10 minutes, then invert and release the cake onto a plate.
9. When the cake is completely cool, mix up the glaze. Place the confectioner’s sugar in a medium sized bowl and add the tangerine juice. Whisk until the glaze is completely smooth. Spoon the glaze over the cake, then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Let the glaze set before serving.

* photo taken by author at Russell French Studio, Portland, ME