Lazy Matcha Red Bean Cake

Note 1: Somewhat combining my usual butter cake golden ratio with <https://www.justonecookbook.com/matcha-marble-pound-cake/>

Note 2: My original golden ratio for butter cake does not work for matcha cake. Because matcha is originally very earthy with bitter undertones, it absorbed a lot of sugar to counter its excess bitterness. Either you reduce the matcha powder or increase the sugar. Looking at the general aesthetics, perhaps we should increase the sugar. 

Note 3: Prior to adding flour, you can beat or mix the batter as much as you can. It will not be overmixed and you do not need to worry about that. Over-mixing is only a worry so long as you are working with flour (fear of gluten formation) or heavy / whipping cream (fear of accidentally churning butter).

Updated 20/4/2022: Changed the ratio & frosting 

Yield: Enough to fit a standard square  / round pan = 6", or loaf pan; 8.5" x 4.5" x 1.5"

Ingredients:

Matcha Pound / Sponge Cake:

1/2 cup (or 125 gm) butter or margarine

1/2 cup sugar

2 tbsp milk

1 cap (or 1/2 tsp) vanilla essence

4 eggs

1 tbsp matcha green tea powder

1 cup - 1 tbsp cake flour (adjusted dry ingredients for matcha)

1/2 tsp baking powder

Steps:

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in vanilla essence. Continue creaming. Add in milk 1 tbsp at a time and cream batter in between to keep the structure light and fluffy.

2. In a separate container, beat 4 eggs with a whisk until frothy, bubbly and airy. Add in eggs into butter mixture in batches (3-4 batches usually) while beating with mixer alternately.

3. Fold in flour, baking powder, and matcha green tea powder in batches. Beat until well incorporated and batter felt light and fluffy. As long as flour has disappeared, you are good to go.

5. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake under 160°C for 30-45 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

6. Let cool completely (between 2-4 hours) before starting frosting process.

Red Bean Frosting:

Next time to try buttercream layer only. Failed on the stabilising whipped cream.

Part A - Red Bean

(to check later if need to increase amount of red bean vs cream)

100gm red bean paste

1. You can use canned red bean. Check if beans are soft enough for mashing. If not, boil for a while with water until soft. Need to boil the water to dry out before mashing beans to a paste.

2. If lazy, can use ready-made red bean paste. Let cool.

Part B - Pastry Cream

(to check if need to halve this recipe for frosting)

(best to prepare this the night before as pastry cream need time to cool off)

50gm corn starch

100gm sugar

500ml milk

50gm butter

3 egg yolks

1. Please read & follow steps per "Cheesekut - Pastry Cream".

2. Beat egg yolks until light and fluffy. Set aside.

3. Combine corn starch, sugar, and milk in one pot. Heat on medium - low heat until milk mixture is slightly simmering at the edge of the pot. Take away from heat.

4. Spoon the hot milk mixture into egg yolks one tbsp at a time while continuously whisking the egg yolks. Just enough to temper the egg yolks. Continue until egg yolks mixture is slightly watery. Then, combine egg yolks mixture with the milk mixture. Whisk until well incorporated.

5. Bring the pastry cream mixture on top of medium - low heat again. Whisk continuously until thick. Remove from heat.

6. Add in butter. Whisk until butter melted and well incorporated.

7. Add in part of the cream (1 tbsp at a time) to Part A mashed red bean, just enough to lighten the paste. Then, pour all of lightened red bean to the pastry cream, mix until well incorporated.

8. Let cool before refrigerating for at least 4 hours.

Part C -  Diplomat Cream

1 tsp gelatine powder

5 tsp warm water

200ml whipping cream

1. Bloom gelatine in warm water. Might take around 5-15 minutes. If still grainy, place the bowl on top of simmered water, which is warm enough to heat the gelatine mixture to be liquidy. Set aside to cool off.

2. Beat cold whipping cream in a cold bowl until soft peak forms. Set aside.

3. Spoon some whipped cream, 1 tbsp at a time, into gelatine liquid to temper the liquid. Gelatine liquid at the point of time should no longer be warm but still runny. Repeat until 2 tbsp.

4. Pour gelatine liquid into the whipped cream, aside from the whisk and immediately whisk to incorporate the gelatine into the whipped cream. Beat until stiff peak forms.

2. Bring red bean pastry cream out of the fridge. Fluff up the cream to loosen & lighten the cream before incorporation with the now stabilised whipping cream.

3. Spoon a part of whipping cream into pastry cream. Fold gently with a spatula. Repeat step (in 3 - 4 batches) until all of whipping cream has been incorporated into the pastry cream.