INGREDIENTS

• • ¾ cup and 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
• • 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
• • 3 eggs
• • 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• • 2 ½ tsp Aiya Culinary Grade Matcha
• • 200 mL milk
• • 1 ½ tsp vanilla
• • ½ tsp salt
• • ¾ cup sweetened red bean paste, store-bought or homemade
• • 1 cup whipping cream
• • 3 packets of Matcha Pocky or any matcha biscuit sticks

DIRECTIONS

• Matcha Cake with Red Bean and Whipped Cream
• 1. Preheat oven to 350F and prepare two cake pans.
• 2. In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla/
• 3. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, Matcha, and salt.
• 4. With the mixer on low, add half of the dry ingredients while gradually pouring in half of the milk.
• 5. Add the remainder of the dry ingredients and milk. Mix until just combined.
• 6. Divide the batter into the two prepared cake pans and bake for 35 – 37 minute, or until skewer comes out clean when inserted.
• 7. Let cakes cool before assembling. Prepare whipping cream while cakes are cooling.
• Assembly
• 1. Level cooled cake layers if necessary. Place first cake layer down.
• 2. With a spoon, spread an even layer of the red bean paste from the centre of the cake outwards. Leave the edges of the cake clean.
• 3. Fill a pastry bag with whipped cream and pipe a border around the red bean filling.
• 4. Place second cake layer on top.
• 5. Using an offset spatula, spread a thin layer of whipped cream on the sides of the cake. You can be more generous with the whipped cream for the top. The thin layer of whipped cream will serve as “glue” for the biscuit sticks. You don’t want too much whipped cream on the sides of the cake or it might show ooze out in between the biscuit sticks.
• 6. Place pocky sticks, dipped side down, around the cake until cake has been covered. Tie a ribbon around the cake.
• 7. Place strawberries or any berries on top to create a dome of fruit. Decorate with small flowers.