White Chocolate & Matcha Cake with Matcha & White Chocolate Shards
Ingredients
Chocolate shards (bark):
- 200g (7 oz) white chocolate
- 1 tsp matcha
- sparkly decorations (optional)
Cake:
- 185g (6½ oz) white chocolate
- 113g (½ cup) butter (softened)
- 150g (¾ cup) sugar
- 4 eggs (medium)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 250ml (1 cup) sour cream (see note 1)
- 250g (2 cups) flour (see note 2)
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt (if your butter is unsalted)
- ¼ tsp baking powder
Frosting:
- 50g (¼ cup) butter
- 200g (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) cream cheese
- 200g (7 oz) white chocolate
- 1 tbs matcha
- 150-250g (around 2 cups) icing / confectioners' / powdered sugar
Instructions
Shards (bark):
- Melt the chocolate. Remove 2 tablespoons and place in a separate bowl. Add the matcha and mix it in. Set to one side.
- Using a palette knife, spread the other chocolate thinly over a large, flat baking tray lined with grease-proof (baking) paper, shaping it into a rough rectangle.
- Take the chocolate and matcha mixture and using a knife, swirl it through the chocolate you've already spread out. Sprinkle with decorations (if using) and then place in the fridge to set.
Cake:
- Pre-heat the oven to 175ºC (350ºF). Grease and line the bottoms of two 22cm (8 inch) cake tins.
- Melt the white chocolate and set to one side.
- Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each egg. Add the melted chocolate, vanilla and sour cream (see note 1), and mix until everything is evenly combined.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt (if using) and baking powder.
- Gradually mix into the wet ingredients a little at a time.
- Divide evenly between the two cake tins and bake for around 25-30 minutes until the tops bounce back when gently pushed and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- Leave to cool for a while in their tins then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting:
- Melt the chocolate and set to one side.
- Beat the butter and cream cheese together until nice and smooth.
- Add the white chocolate and mix in.
- Combine the matcha with one cup (130g) of icing/powdered sugar and stir in to the wet ingredients.
- Continue to add more icing sugar until the frosting is sweetened to your personal taste (and reaches a spreadable consistency).
Assembly:
- Place one cake top side down and spread around ¼ of the frosting over the flat side.
- Place the other cake on top. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides. If you make it a "naked" cake like mine, you might have a little frosting left over.
- Snap the chocolate bark into shards (it helps if one edge is "sharp") and push through the frosting into the cake.
- Sprinkle with any other decoration you are using and place in the fridge to harden the frosting, allowing the the bark shards to stay in place. If you keep the cake in the fridge, remove it an hour or two before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
I have converted grams to cups/ounces/tablespoons using online converters. Although I have no reason to believe they are inaccurate, please be aware that I have not made this recipe with imperial measurements.
- You can replace the sour cream with Greek yoghurt.
- You can use spelt or regular flour for this recipe (just use the same amount).
