This Matcha Steamed Cake (Mushi Pan) is light and fluffy with an aromatic green tea flavor. These individual Japanese cakes are so easy to steam in a frying pan for the perfect breakfast or snack. Less than 20 minutes to make!

A wooden plate containing matcha green tea steamed cakes.

Steamed Cake or we call it Mushi Pan (蒸しパン) is a light, fluffy, and soft cake. As the name suggests, it is steamed instead of baked, and it takes less than 20 minutes to prepare from the beginning to the end. I shared another version two years ago and that steamed cake recipe has been one of the most popular recipes, especially among readers from Asia.

A white plate containing matcha green tea steamed cakes.

Since then, I’ve kept experimenting with the ingredients and came up with this recipe that I enjoy and have been using for a while. To make the steamed cake moister, I added honey and used yogurt instead of milk. I love the changes I made and I hope you give this updated version a try if you tried other steam cake recipes before. Let me know what you think!

What Does Matcha Taste Like?

It’s a bit difficult to describe. It has a unique rich bitter taste as well as sweetness. When matcha is used in recipes, the flavor becomes subtler. If you are a matcha fan, you might be interested in my other matcha recipes like Green Tea Ice Cream, Green Tea Cookies, and Green Tea Crème Brûlée.

This simple and quick steamed cake recipe is perfect for an after-school snack or when you have sudden guests. Hope you enjoy “steaming” these little cakes! Itadakimasu!

A white plate containing matcha green tea steamed cakes.

Creative Matcha Steamed Cake

JOC reader Angel tried this recipe and made these absolutely gorgeous steamed cakes that I want to share with you.

Green tea steamed cakes in a bamboo basket.

When I asked her how she made them, she agreed to share her tutorial with us! Here’s her tutorial:

  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 ¾ 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. Filled matcha batter into cupcake liners and drop the liners on the countertop a few times to remove air bubbles before pipe pattern on the cakes as desired.

Note:

  • The 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.
A wooden plate containing matcha green tea steamed cakes.

Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on FacebookPinterestYouTube, and Instagram.

A wooden plate containing matcha green tea steamed cakes.

Matcha Steamed Cake

4.96 from 47 votes
This Matcha Steamed Cake (Mushi Pan) is light and fluffy with an aromatic green tea flavor. These individual Japanese cakes are so easy to steam in a frying pan for the perfect breakfast or snack. Less than 20 minutes to make!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 steamed cakes

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell)
  • 1 Tbsp neutral oil
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 3 Tbsp plain yogurt
  • Tbsp sugar
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp matcha (green tea powder)

For the Garnish (Optional)

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.

Instructions
 

  • Gather all the ingredients. I use 6 oz Pyrex glass ramekins (custard cups).
    Green Tea Steamed Cake Ingredients
  • Wrap a frying pan lid with a kitchen towel. This will prevent condensation from falling onto the cakes while steaming.
    Green Tea Steamed Cake 1
  • Place 4 empty ramekins in a frying pan and pour enough water into the pan to go halfway up the exterior sides of the ramekins. Take out the ramekins, cover the pan with a lid, and bring the water to a boil.
    Green Tea Steamed Cake 2
  • Meanwhile, place a cupcake liner inside each ramekin.
    Green Tea Steamed Cake 3
  • In a medium bowl, add 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell) and 1 Tbsp neutral oil and whisk well.
    Green Tea Steamed Cake 4
  • Add 1 Tbsp honey and 3 Tbsp plain yogurt. Mix well.
    Green Tea Steamed Cake 5
  • Add 1½ Tbsp sugar and mix thoroughly.
    Green Tea Steamed Cake 6
  • Sift ½ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour) and 1 tsp baking powder together. Then, add it to the egg mixture.
    Green Tea Steamed Cake 7
  • Sift 1 tsp matcha (green tea powder) and fold until the matcha powder is well incorporated into the batter.
    Green Tea Steamed Cake 8
  • Divide and pour the batter evenly into the lined ramekins.
    Green Tea Steamed Cake 9
  • When the water starts to boil, place the filled ramekins inside the pan.
    Green Tea Steamed Cake 10
  • Cover with the lid and steam over medium-low heat for 12–14 minutes.
    Green Tea Steamed Cake 11
  • To test if the steamed cake is ready, insert a skewer in the center of the cake and see if it comes out clean (no wet batter). Do not overcook as the cakes will become hard. When done, remove the ramekins from the pan and serve with sweet red bean paste (anko).
    Green Tea Steamed Cake 12

To Store

  • I recommended enjoying it immediately or on the same day since the steamed cake gets harder. You can re-steam them before serving (I don‘t recommend microwaving).

Nutrition

Calories: 151 kcal · Carbohydrates: 22 g · Protein: 4 g · Fat: 5 g · Saturated Fat: 1 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 48 mg · Sodium: 131 mg · Potassium: 60 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 10 g · Vitamin A: 132 IU · Vitamin C: 1 mg · Calcium: 87 mg · Iron: 1 mg
Author: Namiko Hirasawa Chen
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: cake
©JustOneCookbook.com Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any website or social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Did you make this recipe?If you made this recipe, snap a pic and hashtag it #justonecookbook! We love to see your creations on Instagram @justonecookbook!

Introducing JOC Goods

JOC Goods, our new online shop, offering Japanese tableware and kitchenware, is now open. It is a natural extension of Just One Cookbook’s mission to teach home cooks how to prepare and enjoy delicious Japanese meals. We believe that beautifully plated food can bring joy and happiness to people’s lives.

Browse All Products

4.96 from 47 votes (34 ratings without comment)
Subscribe
Notify of
294 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

This is absolutely one of my favorite recipes! I think it’s the yoghurt that makes them so moist and soft and they’re not overly sweet either, they’re the perfect tea time snacks. I’ve made them a few times already, but even if the consistency and flavour turn out good, the surface almost always ends up looking uneven, kind of like the skin of a common toad’s. 😅 Might you have any tips on how to possibly even out the surface of the cakes a little bit?

Thank you so much!5 stars

Hi Emilia, Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback!
This trick may work…after pouring the batter evenly into four cupcake liners, drop the ramekins on the table a few times to take the big air pockets out from the batter, then steam them. And make sure to use medium-low heat. Not medium-hight.
We hope this helps!

I love your website. My son and I have tried quite a few recipes and they work wonderfully. I am going to try make these this weekend. How long can these last (at my house – probably no leftovers)? I want to drop these off to a friend during the week who loves green tea but I want to make them when I have the time in the weekend. Thank you!!

Hi Linda, We are glad to hear you enjoy our website! This steamed cake is best when you eat it immediately because it’s “steamed.” It gets hard soon, after a few hours. But if you re-steam it or microwave it, it will be soft again.
You can store the steamed cakes in the airtight container for up to 2-3 days or freeze them for up to 1 month. We hope this helps!

Can I use plain Greek yogurt if I don’t have plain yogurt?

Hi Caroline, Sure, you can use Greek yogurt. Thank you for trying this recipe!

Can I make the steamed cakes in an instant pot? How long should I steam? Same time? Thank you!!

Hi Kathi, We haven’t tested with IP, so we are not sure about cooking time, but you can definitely use it to steam.🙂

Hello, Nami. Thank you for this easy-to-follow recipe.

If the batter turns out to be too thick, what could have gone wrong?
I was thinking I could have incorporated the flour in batches instead of dumping it all at once.

Also, the cake didn’t rise as much as I would have expected.

Thanks again. Keep up the good work!

Hi Zu,
Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback!
When you measure the flour, did you use a scale or cup? If you used a cup, it might end up using too much flour. Using a scale is more accurate, and you can get the best result.😉 Another reason might be the way you mix the flour, as you mentioned.
We hope this helps and you can make a perfect Steamed cake next time.

When I steamed them, as soon as I took the lid off, they fell flat( I did wrap the lid in a towel). And they were dense. Any idea what might have gone wrong?

Wonderful recipes! I have a question about 蒸しパン…. Can you make it in the Instant Pot? If so, would you change anything and how long to cook it?
thanks!

So tasty. Didn’t have ramekins so I used mini jam jars. How do reheat the next day?5 stars

These little cakes are delicious! They’re easy like muffins, and a lot of fun. I did the little flowers, which do need to piped, as I learned. Otherwise they turn out sort of like blobs – still very cute though. I had to steam mine for a while longer than the recommended time, but I do believe that is my own problem (it was my first time steaming). Really looking forward to trying more flavours.5 stars

Hello Nami: Do you have instructions for using an instant pot to steam the mushi-pan instead of a stovetop steamer? Thank you. Clyde Kawate

I HAVE NOT TRIED THIS YET. CAN IT BE STEAMED IN THE INSTANT POT? THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPLY. 😀

So easy to make! Came out so fluffy and yummy! Best thing is, it takes under 20 min to whip up…nice alternative to pancakes for breakfast. Or an evening snack with tea. Used a steamer and was done in 10 min:) Thank you for the recipe:)

Thank you so much for this recipe! These were a hit. We have a steam oven and they turned out great at 100C 100% for exactly 12 mins.
If we want to experiment with other flavours do we just replace the matcha with whatever we want? Do we need to make adjustments for any of the other ingredients? I saw your other recipe but I like this one with yoghurt and honey instead of milk and sugar. Thanks again!5 stars

Hi Nami, the preparation was simple which I followed. The 2 differences from the recipe was I use a white ceramic ramekin bowls instead of clear Pyrex as I do not have them. And as I have a steamer, the 4 bowls were seated on a metal stand. I steam it for 15 mins. However after the alloted time the cake did not rise as well as in your photo. And it was abit rubbery in texture. Otherwise it taste good. Not sure why? Appreciate your advice. Thanks5 stars

Hi! I just tried your recipe today and my family loved it to bits 🙂 It was soft, fluffy and I could not believe how easy it was for a beginner baker like me.

Only thing is that – I would love for it to have more matcha flavour so I may add more the next time round. Would it change the texture of the cake though? Would this work with sliced fruits too?

Also, would yogurt and honey work in the recipe if I were to make an earl grey steam cake version as I think that would require me to add milk. Do you have any advice on how to tweak the recipe for that?

Would appreciate your valuable advice!!