Matcha Vanilla Pound Cake

When I was looking around for festive green things to bake for St. Patrick’s Day, all I could find were cookies, cupcakes, and cakes slathered with green-colored frosting. So I started thinking about natural green things, and soon came up with the lovely vibrant yet earthly green of matcha, the highest quality green tea used in the Japanese tea ceremony. Because I love Japanese green tea of all sorts, and also love matcha lattes, I thought I couldn’t go wrong with a Matcha-Vanilla Pound Cake . . . and I was right! Even though matcha on its own can be on the bitter side, when combined with butter, eggs, and vanilla, the bitterness disappears, and you get a sophisticated cake full of anti-oxidants — so you can eat your cake and be healthy, too!

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
• 3 cups Janie’s Mill All-Purpose or Frederick Cake Flour, plus more for flouring the pan
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 6 large eggs?
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 2 tablespoons matcha powder, plus more for dusting on top of cake

For the glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Kosher salt

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 325°F. Butter a Bundt pan, and coat with flour.

2. Combine the flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl and set aside.

3. In the large bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium-low speed until fully combined, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla and beat until combined.

5. Add half the flour mixture and mix on low. Add the sour cream and continue to mix on low. Add the remaining flour and beat until just incorporated.

6. Pour half the batter into a medium bowl and set aside.

7. Add the matcha to the remaining batter in the mixer and beat until combined.

8. Add the batters in alternating scoops to the Bundt pan. Run a butter knife gently through the center of the batter to swirl slightly.

9. Bake until the top is deep golden-brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean, 60 to 70 minutes.

10. To make the glaze: Combine the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl until a thick but pourable glaze forms.

11. Remove the cake from oven and cool 10 minutes. Invert cake onto a rack, and let cool for about an hour. Pour the glaze over the cake and dust with matcha powder.