Extremely Green: Green Tea Bundt Cake Soaked in Green Tea Syrup

Makes 10-inch bundt cake, serving 12 to 14

Like Kermit the frog, this cake is green all over. Extremely green.  Some might even say ghoulish.  But perfect for spring in all of its extreme green, it's green tea flavor makes it extremely delicious.  

Wonderfully moist and rich, this cake is gorgeously green and wonderfully flavored with the essence of green tea.  If you want a less sweet cake, omit the green tea syrup sugar step.  If you like sweet bundt cake, then by all means, go for the green tea syrup.  It's a striking addition to any dessert table.

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons matcha powder (available at your local Asian or Japanese Supermarket)
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream

Place rack in center of oven, and preheat oven to 350.  Grease and lightly flour inside of 10 inch bundt pan.

Whisk together flour, matcha powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.  Set aside.

Using either a stand mixer (paddle attachment) or a hand mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.  Gradually add sugar and beat at medium-high speed until the mixture is light in texture and color, about 3 minutes.  Beat in eggs one at a time, beating for 30 to 40 seconds after each addition.  Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.  Beat in vanilla extract.  At low speed, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with sour cream.  (Add a bit of flour, a bit of sour cream, a bit of flour, a bit of sour cream, a bit of flour.)

Scoop batter into pan and spread evenly with spatula.

Bake cake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then invert it onto another rack.

⅔ cup of sugar
⅔ cup of water
1 tablespoon matcha powder

While cake is baking, make syrup.  Combine sugar, water and matcha powder  in a small non reactive saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, 3 to 4 minutes.  Remove pan from heat.  Using a pastry brush, dab syrup generously all over surface of the warm cake, allowing it to soak into the cake before reapplying.  Let the cake cool completely.

If you find the green syrup color a bit too intense for you, you can dust the top of the cake with some confectioners sugar mixed with matcha powder.

You can also just make the cake WITHOUT the green tea syrup.  It will be less sweet, but delicious nonetheless.

Feel free to slice into the cake and enjoy that intense color and beautiful green tea flavor.