The Best Vegan Matcha Cake Recipe Ever
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Hi friends,
Apparently we're getting a little bit confidentttt around the Sprouting Zen Kitchen because...
We just went ahead and called this:
the best matcha cake recipe ever. Ever!!!
Because friends, it is.
At least I think so.
And babe thinks so (the official taste tester),
And I hope you'll think so too!
All jokes aside, this is a good one fam! So good I've made it twice in three days, and I'm THISSSS close to making a third batch becauseeeeee.
It's sweet. It's crumbly. It's cake-like! And has a yummy cacao cashew based crust.
Matcha cake recipe flavors
And the flavors.
so.many.flavors.
There's pomegranate. And blueberries. And Matcha. And coconut. And cacao.
A plethora of HEALTH! And antioxidants. And super-foods.
All perfectly combined to create a beautiful holiday-friendly matcha cake.
I wanted to create something for the holidays and my only requirement was that it *had* to be red and green.
why matcha?
Right away I was drawn to the idea of using green matcha powder because A. it works very well in desserts, B. it's GREEN! and C. according to The Vegetarian Flavor Bible (Affiliate Link), matcha pairs up very well with pomegranates, which are .. REDDD!
Perfect Match-a! (Get it?! I can never pass up an opportunity for a bad pun.)
The green matcha powder (affiliate link) that I used is pictured above and I bought it off of Amazon (with my own money.)
I really liked this brand because:
- it's organic,
- it has a beautiful vibrant green color
- and it's affordable.
Don't be deceived by the small package - there is plenty of powder in there for several recipes. I have used mine in about three different recipes already and still have a lot of powder left to use.
Also, the taste of this matcha cake with this powder is very subtle. I know some people do not like the taste of matcha but it is barely noticeable in this matcha cake recipe.
Perfect flavor combinations
Don't let the amount of different flavors scare you away.
Somehow, they all work together and create a beautiful balance where one flavor does not over power the other.
It's not extremely coconutty, it's not super chocolate-y, it's not too much matcha, It's the perfect combination of all flavors together. With pomegranates and blueberries on top.
Matcha Cake that's good for you
Pomegranates, blueberries, and matcha are a powerhouse of antioxidants. Antioxidants helps the body get rid of free radicals (naughty atoms that wreak havoc in our body). Antioxidants also slow down the aging process and also boost our immune system.
This matcha cake is PACKED with antioxidants and good-for-you ingredients.
Not only are you taking a bite out of a delicious cake, but you're also arming your body with super awesome nutrients at the same time! And that's a DOUBLE win in my book. 🙂
All right friends, that's all I've got for today. I hope everyone has a beautiful week and enjoy the last few days of 2017!!!
Also, let's be friends on Instagram: @sproutingzeneats
And if you try the recipe or like the idea of it .. let me know below ↓ in the comment section! I love to connect and hear from you all.
with love + gratitude,
Jen ♥
The Best Vegan Matcha Cake Recipe Ever
Plant Based Matcha Cake Bites Topped with Pomegranates and Homemade Blueberry Jam. Sweetened With Dates. Refined Oil + Sugar Free – Gluten Free – Vegan.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 9 - 10 servings 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Holiday
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup cashews
- 1 tbsp cacao
- 1/2 cup of dates (about 6 to 7)
- pinch of salt
Filling:
- 1 cup coconut flour
- 1.5 cups of coconut cream (1 can)
- 6 to 7 dates
- 1/4 cup of coconut shreds
- 1 tsp green Matcha powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Topping:
- 1 fresh pomegranate (or 1 cup frozen)
- 1 cup of frozen blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Prepare the crust: Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until it becomes a sticky dough-like consistency. It will begin sticking along the sides of the food processor container. (See Picture) Pour mixture into a glass dish or a loaf pan and press down using your hands to form a crust. Set aside. (Make sure to line with parchment paper)
- Prepare Filling: Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until all ingredients have combined and until the dates have broken down a bit. The consistency of the filling will be thick and quite dry. Do not worry about getting it extremely processed. It’s okay for it to be a bit chunky and for the dates to not be processed all the way through. See pictures for filling consistency.
- Using a spoon or your hands, press down the filling on top of the crust. The filling should not be liquid or easy to pour. You will need to use a spoon to scoop it out of the food processor and gently press it down over the crust until you have used up all of the crust.
- Bake in the oven at 350F for 20 minutes.
- In the meantime: Prepare the pomegranate seeds. I used up all the seeds from one fresh pomegranate but you can also use about 1 cup of frozen pomegranates. Just thaw them out before using.
- Prepare Blueberry Jam: Place a saucepan over medium heat and add 1 cup of frozen blueberries, (fresh should be okay too), and heat for about 10 minutes pressing down the blueberries with a fork as they soften. If you wanna have a little fun – add 1 tsp of agave or your favorite alternative liquid sweetener. This will make the jam thicker and sweeter. Remove from heat once all blueberries have been flattened and you have a “jam” like consistency.
- Remove Matcha cake from the oven after 20 to 25 minutes and add blueberry jam layer as well as the pomegranates on top of the jam. Using a spoon, press down the pomegranates ever so gently so that they stick to the jam.
- With the oven off, pop cake back into the oven and allow to sit for another 5 minutes to allow the jam to melt into the cake. (Oven will still be warm, no need to turn it on.)
- Remove from oven and allow to cool. Before serving, cut up into squares, or if in a loaf pan, cut into slices.
- Pop it in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes if you prefer it cold.
Notes
- Coconut flour sucks up a lot of liquid but that’s okay because it makes for great spongy and cake-like consistency. You will notice that the filling will be dry and crumbly, that’s normal. As long as you are able to press it down on to the crust. I used 1.5 cups of coconut cream and I also tried it with OAT milk and it worked well. It may work well with any plant based milk but I have not tried that yet.
- You can eat this cake warm or cold – it tastes great either way!
- On day 1 right out of the oven, the texture is more spongy and lighter. On day 2, once it has refrigerated overnight, the texture is a little heavier and thicker. But still tastes amazing both ways!
- You can use square glass dish (8×8) or a loaf pan like this one that is 8×4 (affiliate link) . On one you’ll have squares and using the other will yield you slices. It’s up to you. 🙂
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Jen, this looks AMAZING!!! I have to make this.
Thanks Karlie!!! Do itttt! And let me know how it goes. We are seriously obsessing over this right now over at our house. Batch number three coming up real soon. haha
What an absolutely beautiful recipe, Jen! I love all these ingredients and will be very keen to try it. It’s so colourful too!
★★★★★
ahhh thanks so much Gabby. I appreciate your comment! I love the colors as well!
This is an amazing recipe Jen! I love me a wonderful, healthy dessert! Can’t wait to make it over the holidays!
Hi Sara! Thanks so much for your feedback. I totally agree, it’s a wonderful healthy dessert. Great to balance out all of the naughty treats we will be having the next few days haha! Happy holidays!
Hahaa. I love your thought process! Briliiant combination by the way.
hahah Thanks Michelle! 🙂 I appreciate you stopping by. <3
I have most of these ingredients already, woo hoo! Can’t wait to give this a try, I am always looking out for healthy “sweets”.
Yay! That sounds awesome Emely. Let me know what you think of it!!!
The ingredients in this recipe could not get any better! Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks Mandy!! It’s a sneakily healthy dessert. Tastes amazing but so good for you. 😛
I love using matcha in baking too. Adds such a nice colour and also the boost in nutrition is great too.
★★★★★
Hi Gloria! Yes, totally agree with you. That green matcha color is so beautiful. And the extra nutrition is a plus.
That’s a lot of flavors going on and they all sound amazing together. Love the pomegranate on top.
Thanks Jere!! The pomegranates on top are my favorite part of it all.
Looks yummy! I love ALL things pomegranate!
Same here girl. Same here!! Totally obsessed.
I love a dessert that is so healthy that you can eat it for breakfast and so decadent you crave it at midnight. Match and pomegranate! What a wonderful combination/
★★★★★
haha yesss! And I’m guilty of doing that!!! The first night I had it almost at midnight, and the next morning I ate it for breakfast!!! So versatile. <3
Wow, that’s a lot goin’ on there… and looks beautiful! I’m trying to imagine what that would taste like. I think I’m just going to have to make it and find out! 🙂
Hi Catherine! Haha yes lots of flavors!!! I was a bit afraid on my first bite because I had nooo idea how it was going to turn out, but surprisingly, all of the ingredients go so well with each other. A little sweet and a little sour – perfect!!
That’s the best feeling…when you make a dish that’s so good that you make it again the next day 🙂 This looks really delicious, and you would never guess that it’s vegan
Hi Karyl,
Totally agree with you! Successful recipes that get repeated are the best haha. Thanks for stopping by, <3
Ohh, I love the look of this!! Yum 🙂
I am totally obsessing over this cake right now haha Thanks for stopping by, <3
What an enchanting recipe! I actually got that exact same matcha recently but have yet to cook with it. Just need to pick up some coconut flour and I’d be good to go for this! Thanks for the creative recipe. 🙂
I LOVE all the different layers of this cake! It’s so pretty!
★★★★★
Wow – I love all the colorful layers to this cake. So eye-catching!
Embarrassed to admit this but I never had Matcha powder . Must try this recipe because it looks absolutely delicious, it is sweet and it’s healthy.
It looks so festive, just in time for the holiday season! Absolutely love the colors! I still haven’t tried matcha tea, and been super curious about it because I see it everywhere!
The colors are amazing in this! I bet it tastes just as good as it looks, too!
Hi Jen. I love the combination of pomegranate and mactha – it looks ever so festive and totally delicious! I wish I could have a slice right now! x
★★★★★
I really love the colors of this dessert. It’s very eye catching and it looks delicious!
Your photos are gorgeous!! This looks so yummy – I totally want to try it!
This looks so amazing and festive, I must try it soon!
This looks so amazing! I love anything with matcha!
I am looking forward use matcha powder in cake, your recipe sounds delicious. I used them only in drinks not in cake. I will give your recipe a try.
Now this is a superfood cake to be proud of! The colors and flavors look to be a perfect combination!
By the look of your matcha cake I can see why it could be the best matcha cake, it’s beautiful! The plus point is that it’s vegan, I would enjoy each bite of your cake!
★★★★★
Ok you had me at best Matcha cake ever!!!! Your recipes are so pretty looking! And delicious of course!
I’ve had my eye on this recipe for days! The pomegranates make it look fabulous and with them and the matcha it’s a health powerhouse. Great job!
★★★★★
This sounds like such a well balanced recipe and that pomegranate on top must create the perfect textural crunch. Yum!
It sure does!! And since the coconut flour is pretty sweet, the slight sourness from the blueberries and pomegranates is the perfectttt combo. 🙂