Matcha Steamed Cakes

Prep Time: 10 mins. Cook Time: 15 mins. Total Time: 25 mins. Course: Dessert. Servings: 4 Steamed Cakes.

Instructions

1. Gather all the ingredients.
2. Wrap a frying pan lid with a kitchen towel. This will prevent condensation from falling onto the cakes while steaming.
3. Place four empty ramekins in the pan and pour water into the frying pan to halfway up the exterior of the ramekins. Take out the ramekins, cover the pan with the lid, and bring water to a boil.
4. Place a cupcake liner inside.
5. In a medium bowl, add the egg and vegetable oil and whisk well.
6. Add the honey and yogurt and mix well.
7. Add the sugar and mix thoroughly.
8. Sift the flour and baking powder together and add into the egg mixture.
9. Sift the matcha powder and fold until powder is well incorporated into the batter.
10. Pour the batter evenly into four cupcake liners.
11. When the water starts to boil, place the ramekins inside the pan.
12. Cover with the lid and steam over medium-low heat for 12-14 minutes.
13. To test if the steam cake is ready, insert a skewer in the center of the cake and see if it comes out clean without wet batter. Do not overcook as the cakes will become hard. Remove the ramekins from the pan and serve with sweet red bean paste.

Recipe Notes Red bean paste (anko): Homemade recipe, click here.

Equipment you will need:

• 4 ramekins (These glass ramekins are from Pyrex.)

Recipe by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook.

Decorated variation (tutorial shared by a reader):

1. Just before adding matcha powder, portion out 2 tsp of plain batter for pink color and 1.5 tsp of batter for brown color into two bowls.
2. Add 1 tsp of sifted flour into 2 tsp batter and mix well and add in some pink food color.
3. Add 3/4 tsp of cocoa powder to 1.5 tsp of plain batter and mix well.
4. Transfer both batters into piping bags.
5. Add matcha powder to the rest of the plain batter and mix well.
6. Fill matcha batter into cupcake liners and drop the liners on the counter top a few times to remove air bubbles before piping the pattern on the cakes as desired.

Note:

• Batter should be slightly thicker yet able to pipe.
• Add in a little bit more batter if it's too thick or flour if it's too thin. It should be at the right consistency as pipe design may sink while steaming if the batter is too watery.