Matcha World Cup Cake 2014

I've been cracking my head over what to bake for my hubby for being a such a great daddy to our daughter for Father's Day. As Father's Day happened to be in the midst of World Cup 2014, I decided to bake a cake along the theme to join in the World Cup fever.



Football figurines for the cake decoration


My hubby enjoys watching football and I've bought these football cake decorations hoping that I can make use of them one of these days to give him a surprise. So these finally were put to good use!



Match powder used


Not wanting to use food coloring, I decided to make a football pitch out of a Matcha Cake. The cake base was a sponge cake recipe that I always use for layered cakes. As my oven is small and the biggest cake size that can be baked at any time is a 8" square pan, I had to bake 2 batches of 8" square pan to make a rectangle football pitch.

Since the World Cup 2014 host country's national colour is green and yellow, I decided to bake 1 original sponge cake and 1 matcha sponge cake. I sliced both cakes into 2 and sandwiched the green and yellow layers with matcha whipped cream.

This was the cake presented to my hubby together with a card hand-made by my girl. My hubby was pleasantly surprised! My frosting skill does not give justice to the delicious cake. We loved matcha flavour and the moistness of the cake. Even my girl who doesn't take to cream cakes gave it a thumbs up!

Matcha World Cup 2014 Cake

For the Cake - Vanilla Layer

makes a 8" square pan

Ingredients:

4 eggs

185g sugar

1 tsp salt

140g cake flour

30g canola oil

30g milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbspn liquid glucose

Method:

1. Preheat oven at 180ºC.

2. Sift the cake flour and set aside.

3. Whisk the eggs, salt, sugar and glucose on high speed until foamy and about doubled in volume. Continue to beat on medium speed until ribbon stage.

4. Add the sifted flour to the beaten egg mixture. Mix in flour onlow speed for 3 seconds just to combine most of the flour. Then increase to medium speed and mix for about 20 seconds until just incorporated.

5. In another bowl, mix milk, oil and vanilla extract together.

6. Scoop some batter from the egg mixture and add to the oil mixture and combine together. Pour back into the egg batter and fold till well incorporated using a spatula.

7. Pour into a 8" pan and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. (There's no need to grease or line with paper)

8. Remove cake pan from oven and invert the pan (with the cake still intact) on a wire rack and let cool.

9. Once cooled, remove cake from the pan.

10. Wrap cake with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge will ready to decorate.

For the Cake - Matcha Layer

makes a 8" square pan

Ingredients:

4 eggs

185g sugar

1 tsp salt

140g cake flour

30g canola oil

30g milk

15g matcha powder

1 tbspn liquid glucose

Method:

1. Preheat oven at 180ºC.

2. Warm canola oil and milk. Mix in matcha powder until well mixed and dissolved. Set aside to cool.

3. Sift the cake flour and set aside.

4. Whisk the eggs, salt, sugar and glucose on high speed until foamy and about doubled in volume. Continue to beat on medium speed until ribbon stage.

5. Add the sifted flour to the beaten egg mixture. Mix in flour onlow speed for 3 seconds just to combine most of the flour. Then increase to medium speed and mix for about 20 seconds until just incorporated.

6. Scoop some batter from the egg mixture and add to the oil mixture and combine together. Pour back into the egg batter and fold till well incorporated using a spatula.

7. Pour into a 8" pan and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. (There's no need to grease or line with paper)

8. Remove cake pan from oven and invert the pan (with the cake still intact) on a wire rack and let cool.

9. Once cooled, remove cake from the pan.

10. Wrap cake with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge will ready to decorate.

For the Filling and Frosting

Ingredients:

400g dairy whipped cream, thoroughly chilled (I use Milac 38% fat)

2 tsp matcha powder

1 tbspn sugar

Method:

1. Whisk whipped cream and sugar till just thick enough to hold its shape.

2. Add matcha powder and whisk till evenly mixed and cream is dead stiff.

For the Sugar Syrup

Dissolve 1 1/2 tbspn sugar to 60 ml warm water. Set aside.

Assembly

1. Cut the 2 cakes horizontally into 2 equal halves. Place the 2 matcha layers together as the bottom layer to form a rectangle.

2. Gently brush the matcha sponge cake with the sugar syrup.

3. Spread with matcha whipped cream.

4. Gently brush the 2 vanilla sponge cake layers with the sugar syrup. Place them on top of the matcha sponge cake.

5. Trim the sides of the cake about 1-2 cm from the edges.

6. Spread with remaining whipped cream. Smooth sides and top.

7. Decorate as desired.

8. Refrigerate till ready to serve.

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