You’ll fall in love with this matcha green tea lava cake. This fluffy and spongy cake with a molten center can be made in less than 20 minutes. It is a gorgeous and simple matcha dessert suitable for any season and any occasion.
What is lava cake? Maybe you know it also as volcano cake? This doesn’t mean, that lava is running out of it. It is a simple small cake with a runny center. I am sure you know it. Anyway, every time I eat a lava cake, I say, that whoever invented it, must have done it by mistake. Well, I did make some research and guess what…it was a mistake. Wink. Literally, the cake was taken out of the oven way too early. As a result, the middle was still liquid. That’s how we got one of the most famous desserts. Wink.
One of the most classic lava cakes is a chocolate one. Well, I decided to make a matcha-flavoured one. Matcha green tea has a complex flavour profile. In fact, it is a combination of earthy and grassy notes, followed by a light bitterness that transforms into a smooth and sweet finish.
In order to balance the bitter notes, I combined matcha green tea with white chocolate. They pair great together. Green tea can have a light note of bitterness with a savoury ending, but by using some sweet chocolate, you can transform it into a delight. Just like this lava cake.
How to know when the cake is ready? It can be tricky, but it is not. The sides of the cake should be firm, while the center should be soft and a bit gooey. You’ll notice that the top will get lightly puffed and some crackles will appear. The cake is perfectly baked…well…not baked…you know what I mean. Wink.
If you leave the cake for too long in the oven it would be just a regular baked cake. This is also good, for some other recipes, but not in this case. You want the “lava” to flow.
Isn’t that raw cake? True, the middle is still soft and molten, BUT it is not raw and it is completely safe to eat. Oh, you are going to love it. A deep matcha flavour with a light and airy consistency that melts on your tongue. When you reach the center, you’ll find a creamy and custardy middle.
Very important. A lava cake has to be served warm. Only then, you’ll get a creamy and runny center. After all, that’s the point of lava cake. Right? All of the excitement, when you dig into it with a fork and the center slowly runs out of the cake. Gorgeous! Of course, you can eat it also cold. But that’s not the same if you ask me. The “lava” has to flow. Wink.
For some other cake recipes, you can check these out: strawberry buttercream banana coconut cake, these funny lime Slimer Ghostbusters cupcakes, these simple coconut apricot tartelettes or this classic chocolate mousse.
Ingredients for 2 portions of matcha green tea lava cake (ca 7 cm Ø):
- 40 g butter
- 50 g white chocolate
- 32 g sugar
- 1 large egg (about 60 g)
- 24 g flour (sifted)
- 6 g matcha green tea (sifted)
- pinch of salt
- pomegranate seeds (optional)
To begin, preheat the oven to 180°C and grease the baking moulds (7 cm Ø) with some butter.
Then, place the butter and white chocolate into a heat-proof bowl. Place the bowl over a water bath in order to melt the butter and white chocolate. Once melted, set aside and allow to cool for a couple of minutes.
In the meantime, add the egg and sugar into another bowl and whisk until pale. Add the melted butter and chocolate and stir until combined.
Last but not least, fold in the sifted flour, matcha green tea and salt. Once combined, pour the batter into the moulds (1/2 or 2/3) and put it in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 10-13 minutes or until ready.
Finally, remove the matcha green tea lava cake from the oven and let it sit for a minute. Then, carefully flip it over and remove it from the mould. Sprinkle it with some more matcha powder and garnish with some pomegranate seeds.
Enjoy.
