This Vegan Matcha Cake recipe is easy to make and full of green tea flavor. This cake is tender and moist and topped with fluffy vanilla frosting.
I love baking with tea. It imparts the most delicious and delicate flavor to baked goods. I have used Earl Grey tea in particular to make my Vegan Earl Grey Lavender Cake which is absolutely delicious as well as my Earl Grey Yogurt Loaf Cake. And matcha is really delicious in baked goods too, like my Vegan Matcha White Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Today I'm going the matcha route for this delicious Vegan Matcha Cake. This cake is not-too-sweet, earthy and an absolutely gorgeous green color. It pairs well with vanilla frosting for an evenly balanced cake that has big green tea flavor.
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What is Matcha?
Matcha powder is green tea leaves that are finely ground into a powder. The tea leaves are grown in the shade which causes them to produce more caffeine than other types of tea.
Matcha powder is typically whisked directly into hot water or milk rather than steeped like other types of tea.
Ingredient Notes
Most of the ingredients used in this Vegan Matcha Green Tea Cake are basic baking staples. But here are a few ingredient notes:
Matcha: Be sure to use 100% matcha powder, here. Do not use a matcha latte mix.
Vegan Butter: Vegan butter keeps the cake moist and tender. My top picks are Earth Balance Soy-Free Buttery Sticks, or Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks.
Non-Dairy Milk: I used oat milk, but any non-dairy milk will work!
Special Equipment
You will need a stand mixer or hand mixer for the frosting.
Substitutions
Don't want to make frosting? No worries! Grab a container of store-bought frosting.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. Mix the matcha together with the granulated sugar to ensure no matcha lumps.
Step 2. Add the remaining wet ingredients and mix well.
Step 3. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Step 4. Scrape the Vegan Matcha Cake batter into a prepared 8x8 inch baking pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Step 5. While the cake is cooling, mix the vegan vanilla frosting.
Step 6. Then top the cake with the frosting and serve!
Recipe FAQs
Wrap the cake tightly with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Spray the pan with non-stick spray or rub the pan liberally with coconut oil or vegetable shortening. Then insert a parchment sling for easy removal.
Bake this cake in an 8x8 inch square pan or an 8 inch round pan with the same baking time. Or this recipe will make a dozen vegan matcha cupcakes! But reduce the baking time to about 20 minutes.
Top Recipe Tip
Be careful not to over bake this Vegan Matcha Cake recipe. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. It should come out clean.
Allow the cake to cool completely before topping it with the frosting! If your cake is even slightly warm, the frosting will melt.
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Matcha Cake
Equipment
- 2 Mixing Bowls
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Spatula
- 1 8x8 Inch Square Pan
- 1 Hand Mixer for the frosting
- Parchment Paper
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 ¼ Cup Granulated Sugar
- 4 teaspoon Matcha Powder
- 1 Cup Non-Dairy Milk
- 7 tablespoon Vegan Butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
For the Vanilla Frosting
- 8 tablespoon Vegan Butter, room temperature
- 2 Cups Powdered
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 tablespoon Non-Dairy Milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350* F. Grease an 8x8 inch square baking pan and line it with a parchment paper sling.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine.1 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour, 2 teaspoon Baking Powder, ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar and matcha. Whisk until no lumps of matcha remain. Then, add the non-dairy milk, melted vegan butter and vanilla. Whisk well.1 ¼ Cup Granulated Sugar, 4 teaspoon Matcha Powder, 7 tablespoon Vegan Butter, melted, 1 Cup Non-Dairy Milk, 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- Add the dry ingredient into the wet ingredients and whisk to form the batter.
- Scrape the batter into a prepared 8x8 inch pan and use a rubber spatula to spread the cake into the corners of the pan.
- Bake in a 350* oven for 32-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
For the Frosting
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the vegan butter until completely smooth. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low until combined. Then add the vanilla and non-dairy milk and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.8 tablespoon Vegan Butter, room temperature, 2 Cups Powdered, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, 1 tablespoon Non-Dairy Milk
To Frost the Cake
- Remove the cake from the pan. Use a spoon to dollop frosting onto the cake, then use the back of the spoon to spread the frosting.
- Slice and serve.
Lorella says
Came out great and flavorful. I used regular unsalted butter and oatmilk (Oatly brand). Delicious.