Matcha Swiss Roll is a fluffy sponge cake with a swirl of fresh matcha cream filling. Light, creamy, and mildly sweet, it‘s a delicious afternoon snack or post-dinner dessert to enjoy with coffee or tea. With its festive vibrant color from the green tea powder, this roll cake will be an instant favorite for any celebration, too.
Swiss Rolls, or Roll Cakes (ロールケーキ) which we call in Japan, are a type of sponge cake filled with whipped cream, buttercream, and custard cream, and sometimes include fruits like strawberries.
Just like any other dessert, we do have Matcha Swiss Roll (抹茶ロールケーキ) and it’s always a popular choice in Japan. If you have a soft spot for anything matcha (green tea), I am pretty sure you’re going to be as obsessed with this cake as I am.
What Differentiate Japanese Roll Cake from Swiss Roll
1. Not so sweet
When it comes to Asian sweets, you have to know one more expression to complement the dessert, and that is “oh, this dessert is not so sweet.” What it really means is the sweetness is just right.
Swiss rolls are of western origin, but I want to emphasize that the Asian version of Swiss rolls is guaranteed not so sweet. If you enjoy not-so-sweet desserts, this one is for you.
2. Light and fluffy
The fluffiness and light texture of the sponge cake come from the egg whites that are beaten to stiff peaks, like in a chiffon cake recipe. Besides fresh whipped cream for the filling, there is no butter or oil added to the recipe. I know this makes us all feel less guilty about eating more than one slice!
3. Unique flavors
Classic Japanese roll cakes are very similar to western Swiss rolls. You can find flavors such as vanilla, cocoa, chocolate, tiramisu, coffee, strawberry, lemon, raspberry, and so on. Japanese (and some other Asian) varieties include matcha, black sesame, chestnut, purin (crème caramel), and interesting flavors like almond jelly, and mitarashi dango (see below).
Endless choices of roll cakes! (image source)
5 Tips to Remember When Making Matcha Swiss Roll
1. Egg yolks at room temp & egg whites in the fridge
You can make the sponge cake two ways: The Genoise Method (The whole eggs are combined with sugar and gently heated over simmering water, then whipped) or the Biscuit (bees-kwee) Method (the whites and yolks are whipped separately and then folded back together). The Genoise method creates a more moist texture but the Biscuit creates a lighter texture.
I chose the Biscuit method this time. When you separate the eggs, keep egg yolks at room temperature and egg whites in the fridge. As you may know, already most Japanese recipes tell you to beat cold egg whites without cream of tartar to make meringues.
2. Remember to “fold in”
Folding is a very gentle way of mixing additional ingredients into a batter to prevent entrapped air from escaping. The way to do this is to first run the spatula (or whisk) around the side, then along the base of the bowl. Now fold the mixture over onto itself. Rotate the bowl to 90º and repeat until combined.
3. Don’t overbake
Because it’s a thin cake, it’s best to avoid baking slowly; otherwise, the cake will be dry. Therefore, bake around 375ºF (190ºC) for 10-12 minutes, until the sponge springs back. The bottom of the cake pan will become the surface of the cake, so we’ll make sure it doesn’t get burnt on the bottom.
4. Remove the parchment paper immediately
You will need to remove the cake immediately from the pan after baking, in order to prevent the cake from drying. But, what do you do with the parchment paper?
There is a whole discussion on when to remove parchment paper – right after baking OR after cooling down. I remove it while it’s warm and it comes off beautifully. I don’t like the parchment paper become too moist while cooling down, but it’s up to you. I think either way works.
5. Pre-roll the cake while warm
It’s easier to roll up the cake when it’s still warm and flexible, so I roll up the cake first and let it cool down. The cake has muscle memory so it’s easier to roll up again with fillings. Some people don’t pre-roll but score on top of the cake before rolling so it’s easier to roll. Some don’t do either one but still make the beautiful roll. Again, it’s also up to you.
Delicious Matcha Whipped Cream Filling
Some matcha roll cakes include anko, sweet red bean paste, inside the whipped cream filling. The red bean gives some texture to the soft sponge and creamy whipped cream. Even though I love sweet red bean paste, I prefer keeping it out of my cake to keep the fluffy texture in my mouth. When I brought this matcha roll cake to my friend’s house, she served the cake with red bean ice cream and it was wonderful!
For the whipped cream filling, I like mine to enhance more matcha flavor, so I included matcha powder in my whipped cream, but that’s optional. Simple white-color whipped cream will give a nice contrast to the matcha cake, and it looks pretty and delicious too!
If you visit Japan, you will find them all over the country – from fancy versions at bakeries and pastry shops to more affordable ones at grocery stores or convenience stores. But don’t be fooled by the “grocery store” or “convenience store” label. The quality is still reasonably good.
Roll cakes sold at a convenience store
I feel this rolled-up cake has a lot more casual look than a classic round cake, yet it’s still elegant enough that you can bring it to a potluck or serve it at your dinner party to wow your guests. For more matcha dessert recipes, click here.
I hope this Matcha Swiss Roll recipe will inspire you to try making it at home. You will need to apply a few techniques but it’s really not as difficult as you may think.
Other Delicious Matcha Recipes
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Matcha Swiss Roll (Roll Cake)
Video
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell)
- ¾ cup cake flour (weigh your flour or use the “fluff and sprinkle“ method and level it off; you can make homemade cake flour)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 Tbsp matcha (green tea powder) (1 Tbsp matcha is 6 g)
- ½ cup sugar (divided)
- 3 Tbsp whole milk (microwave until warm to the touch)
For the Matcha Cream Filling
- ¾ cup heavy (whipping) cream (chilled)
- 1½ Tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp matcha (green tea powder)
Instructions
- Before You Start: Please note that this recipe requires 30 minutes of resting time and 2 hours of chilling time.
- Gather all the ingredients. I highly encourage you to weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale for this recipe. Click on the “Metric“ button at the top of the recipe to convert the ingredient measurements to metric. If you‘re using a cup measurement, please follow the “fluff and sprinkle“ method: Fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle the flour into your measuring cup, and level it off. Otherwise, you may scoop more flour than you need.
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). For a convection oven, reduce the cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). Line a 15- x 10-inch (38- x 25-cm) jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
- Separate 4 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell) into egg yolks in one bowl and egg whites in another. Keep the whites in the refrigerator and the egg yolks at room temperature.
To Make the Cake Batter
- Prepare a work surface with a sheet of parchment paper. To a fine-mesh sieve, add ¾ cup cake flour, ½ tsp baking powder, and 2 Tbsp matcha (green tea powder). Sift these dry ingredients onto the parchment paper.
- Use the parchment paper to transfer the dry ingredients to a bowl. Repeat sifting and transferring the dry ingredients two more times (for a total of three times). Set aside. Tip: Matcha is a very fine powder that’s difficult to blend into a batter without clumping. Sifting the dry ingredients three times ensures that the matcha and flour are well blended with no lumps and that air is incorporated into the mixture so it making it easier to blend into the batter.
- In a large bowl, add the egg yolks and break them with a hand whisk.
- Add half of the ½ cup sugar and whisk until the egg mixture doubles in volume. When you lift the whisk into the air with some of the mixture on it, the mixture should fall back into the bowl in ribbons, which slowly disappear back into the mixture.
- Next, add the cold egg whites to a large, dry bowl. With an electric hand mixer (or stand mixer), beat the egg whites until foamy.
- Gradually add the remaining half of the sugar, one-third at a time, and beat until stiff peaks form and the egg whites are glossy.
- Using a hand whisk, gently fold about one-third of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture until well incorporated.
- Then, add the egg yolk mixture back into the bowl with remaining the egg whites. Gently fold in the egg whites with a silicone spatula until just incorporated. Tip: Rotate the bowl a quarter turn counterclockwise while you scoop up and fold the mixture onto itself clockwise.
- Next, add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture. Using the silicone spatula, fold in gently until just incorporated. Do not overmix. Tip: Adding the dry ingredients last avoids overmixing, which results in a dense (not fluffy) sponge.
- Add 3 Tbsp whole milk (warmed) to the batter and fold it in until incorporated.
To Bake
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Spread the batter evenly using an offset spatula or silicone pastry scraper.
- Tap the jelly roll pan a few times on your working surface to remove any air pockets in the batter. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake for 10–12 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the top of cake springs back when touched. Tip: Do not overbake it or the cake will be too dry and break when you roll it.
- Remove the pan from the oven and drop the pan on your working surface once to prevent the cake from shrinking.
To Remove the Cake from the Pan
- While the pan is still hot, place a sheet of parchment paper across the surface of the cake. Place a baking sheet (or a cutting board) on top with the bottom of the pan against the paper.
- Wearing oven mitts, hold the two baking sheets together with the cake sandwiched in between and flip them over. Using a knife or spatula, lift the jelly roll pan to reveal the cake.
- Gently peel off the parchment paper attached to the cake. This side will be the exterior of the Swiss roll, so be gentle!
- Now, flip over the cake one more time: Place another “protective” sheet of parchment paper across the cake surface, then place a baking sheet on top with the bottom of the pan against the paper.
- Hold both baking sheets together and flip them over so the brown side of the cake is now facing up. Remove the top pan and parchment paper.
- Remove the bottom baking sheet and place the cake with its parchment paper on a work surface. Slicing at an angle, cut off ½ inch (1.3 cm) of the cake from one of the short ends. This will help stabilize the Swiss roll when rolled up.
- While it‘s still warm, roll the cake: Start at the other short end and use your hands to slowly roll up the cake together with its parchment paper, finishing at the angled end that you just sliced. Once the cake and paper are rolled up, transfer to a wire rack with the seam side down.
- Cover with a kitchen towel to keep it secure and let it cool completely until it reaches room temperature, about 30 minutes.
To Prepare the Matcha Cream Filling
- When the cake is completely cool, combine ¾ cup heavy (whipping) cream, 1½ Tbsp sugar, and 2 tsp matcha (green tea powder) in a large bowl.
- Beat with an electric hand mixer (or stand mixer) until firm and spreadable, so it won’t ooze out of the cake when you’re rolling it up.
To Assemble the Swiss Cake
- Transfer the Swiss roll to a flat surface and unroll the cake. It’s okay if the ends curl up a bit.
- Using an offset spatula, spread the matcha cream filling evenly over the cake, leaving a ½-inch (1.3 cm) border on all sides. Tip: Spread slightly less filling toward the last one-third of the cake, as the cream will pile up toward the end when rolling up.
- Carefully but tightly reroll the cake with the filling inside. End with the seam side on the bottom. Secure the cake by rolling it in the parchment paper and twisting it at both ends, like a candy wrapper. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to firm up the cream.
- Remove and unwrap the Swiss roll. Slice off about ½ inch (1.3 cm) of the cake on both ends to show off the beautiful swirls. Transfer it to your serving dish. Slice and serve.
To Store
- If you have leftovers, just rewrap the Swiss roll in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
I was concerning the same as one of the reviewer (Weini) did of whether to include any oil. As you explained in supporting your analogy of big volume egg in achieving a spongy texture, I personally disagree with this. Given the amount of flour as compare to a lot of fluff or spongy, I don’t consider the amount of 4 eggs is a big volume. I followed your recipe extracly even with doubt and it turned out the egg yolk batter was very very very dry . I have to add a whole lot more of milk and it still doesn’t mix well and I ended up having to sift the batter. Clearly, there is fault to this recipe which I will make another attempt unless with the addition of oil.
Hi Aun! This recipe was adapted from this cookbook: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00DI8TNXG/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_X5CICbER26MMA
It does not include any oil. From what you wrote (using whole a lot more of milk), I am wondering if you use a kitchen scale to measure the flour. Maybe that’s the only difference we may have? Scooping the flour with a measuring cup can compact flour and it’s not an accurate amount (I made a video of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=3HMZ5Dt-Qag). I’ve seen a lot of JOC readers’ Matcha Swiss Rolls over the holidays on social media and they look pretty good. I tested this recipe many times before filming the recipe. But I understand that our ovens are different, we have different ingredients, and it’s possible that we just can’t produce the same result sometimes. I’m truly sorry yours didn’t come out well.
Thanks for this recipe. My Hubby and kids love it. I made two sets of your recipe. 1st the Match Green Tea and the othe is the mocha flavor. Thank you again Nami.
Hi Asianswagmom! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! I’m so happy to hear your family enjoyed it. WOW 2 sets!!!!!! You’re an amazing baker! Thank you for your kind feedback. xoxo
Hi Nami,
Thanks a lot for the amazing recipe! It is very delicious and very easy to make. I love it very much.
Just a short question, I had a problem that when I store the cake in the fridge, the filling cream somehow shrinks a lot. Do you any tips to prevent this from happening?
Thank you.
Hi Melissa! Thank you for your kind words and feedback. I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it. 🙂 About the cream… professional pastry chef would add gelatine in the cream so the next day the cream stays firm in the swiss roll. It’s natural for the whipped cream to look “loose” (sloppy? I don’t know how to describe it…) next day. 🙂
Thank you Nami! I’ll give it a try next time 🙂
Hi Nami! How much gelatine would you recommend to be added in this case? Thank you 🙂
Hi Xan! I’ve never tried that before, so I’m not too sure. 🙁
Kon’nichiwa, Nami-san! I’m a huge matcha fan since I ate matcha KitKat in Japan years ago. So definitely I would try making this roll! Unfortunately the roll came out a bit chewy. I try not to over-mix the batter but folding didn’t seem to mix the ingredients well-enough so I think the over-folding may have caused the roll to be chewy. How do you incorporate the ingredients better without over-folding? Also, it took me quite a while to achieve the stiff white peaks of the egg whites so I may have over-mixed that too. Would this cause a chewy roll as well? Arigatogozaimashita! 🙂
Hi Renee! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! First thing first, I really hope that you used gram measurement (I always do for my baking recipes) because people tend to put way too much flour when it’s measured with a cup (see this post: https://www.justonecookbook.com/how-to-measure-flour/). One possible reason can be due to putting too much flour.
Next, when you fold, you try to “cut” the batter (without hesitation), or that’s the motion you want to take, while you rotate the bowl.
And stiff peaks – handheld mixer like the one I used in this recipe takes much longer time than a stand mixer (but easier to stop and check the condition). Make sure your bowl and utensils are not wet or oily because that will not make good meringue and sometimes it won’t give you stiff peaks. So you have to be very careful with equipment for moisture/oil.
Hmmm… also how about the oven? Is it accurate temperature inside the oven? It’s always good to check hot spots and actual temperature inside (not always “true” temperature) so you don’t overbake your cake.
Hope these tips are helpful. I’ve made hard sponge before myself… Hopefully, you can figure out the cause. 🙂
Hi! this is a very cool recipe that I am going to try out. I do have one question, have you ever tried a “No bake” method? – as in cooking in a pressure cooker or any other stove appliances?
Any idea on how long it may take to cook a sponge cake like that?
My oven is busted and will take awhile to get it fixed so if you have any suggestions for alternative cooking methods, that’ll be great! Thank you ~ ^^
Hi Shriya! I’ve never made this cake with a pressure cooker or stovetop, but I do have a stovetop steamed cake recipe. https://www.justonecookbook.com/steamed-cake/ (and matcha version too). It might be a lot easier to make that steamed cake than making into a swiss roll without an oven. 🙂
This recipe looks too yummy!
Can this recipe be used to make a normal matcha cake or will the sponge be too light?
Thank you!
Hi Sherlynn! Although I haven’t tried making it in a cake pan, I think you can do that. 🙂
Just made this with lemon instead of macha. Great cake! I added gelatin so the icing can last longer in hot weather. Hope it works.
Hi Sheena! Thank you for trying this recipe! I’m so happy to hear yours came out well! Thank you for your kind feedback. Lemon flavor sounds lovely, I love citrus flavor in sweets. 🙂
This is perfect – well structured instructions, great tips, such a nicely balanced recipe! I followed exactly as instructed – roll looks the same and tasts great! Liking food with matcha is a matter of acquired taste, but this one will definitely become a favorite!
Thank you so much for putting the effort!
Hi Shantal! Thank you so much for your kind feedback. I’m so happy yours came out well too! Thank you for writing!
Hi! I want to try this recipe out however I don’t have any sugar at home. Will it be fine if I substitute it with honey? If ever how much honey should I use? I am also going to only use one egg so how should I edit the proportion so it can come out with the good texture? Also can I just use more baking power since I don’t have cake flour or cornstarch at home and I am just using plain flour.
Hi Barbie! I can’t tell you how it would work as I’ve never made it with honey and more baking powder with plain flour.
Baking is science, and unless you really know what each ingredient does… Sugar is necessary in this recipe to make meringue and I don’t know how you could make it with honey. It’s not just the taste (sweetness) you need to consider, you also have to think about what sugar does to make the egg whites turn into meringue, etc.
That said, you can change however you like, but I can’t recommend much to your request as I have never tried. Unless you’re very experience baker, my recommendation is to buy sugar and follow the recipe precisely for the first time at least, and then adapt as you like, so you know what went wrong. If you change everything at once, you don’t know what’s causing the problem. Hope this helps! 🙂
Thank you for posting these wonderful recipes, some of them have become my to-go breakfast/deserts~ I tried to make these matcha swiss rolls today and mine completely cracked lol, also I think my sponge turned out a little dry. Do you have any suggestions to roll a perfect roll?
Hi Wendy! Thank you for using my recipes! Hmm, my first thought is you may overbake the cake. Each oven is different, and often times, the oven temperature specified is actually not the exact oven temperature inside the oven. I always recommend to find hot spots and exact oven temperature by placing the thermometer inside the oven to check. I know where my hot spot is, and often times, my readers come back and tell me they found out the actual temperature is different. Also, the size of oven is different from me. So find the best cooking time based on how your oven works. For the first time, try checking the doneness a few minutes earlier and stay around in the kitchen to make sure you don’t over-bake. Hope this helps!
Hi Nami, this looks absolutely delish! Is it possible to make this as a 20cm layered round cake instead of swiss roll?
Hi Lisa! Hmmm… Honestly I am not sure as I’ve never done it something like this… Sorry I really wish I could tell you or give advice…
Hi nami!
I find the measurements confusing.. the recipe says 90g but the video say 110g for the flour.. which one did you follow? Thank you!
Hi Zarie! I’ve updated all my cake flour recipes to have a standard 120 g per cup. So please use 3/4 cup or 90 g. We can’t update the video so I always encourage my readers to check the recipe on the website. 🙂 Thank you!
Can I substitute the heavy cream with Greek yogurt as the filling for a healthier version?
Thank you.
Hi Mel! Hmmm I haven’t tried, but yogurt has water content and you don’t want it to come out and cake gets soggy… Maybe partially?
Okay… tqsm Nami.. will give that a try… Cheers!
This looks amazing! I have to make a Japanese food for my geography class, and this will work perfectly! Do you know how much this serves?? I’m trying to decide whether or not to Double the recipe.
Hi Ellie! I am so sorry for my late response. For the class, you will probably need to make two at least. You can cut thin or cut into rounds and cut in half… It’s harder to cut into thin rounds. The dimension is mentioned in the recipe. 🙂
Great! Thanks!
Hello nami, I was planning to make this dessert since I finally found a place where they sell you matcha, however I wanted to ask, how can I know that a matcha tea is of quality? The store offers it: “It is a tea of ceremonial grade, it is made with a variety of tea plant called Gokou, which makes a matcha more creamy than normal.
You can see the good quality because when prepared it has very little bitter taste” Is this true? Because other matcha tea from “culinary use” announces to be more bitter and astringent
Thanks for your help
Hi Ruth! Well, you can only tell matcha quality by 1) looking at it and 2) tasting it. If you buy at a tea shop in Japan, you can see inside the can so you can see which grade you are buying. In general, ceremonial grade is super expensive but much better quality – beautiful color and matcha is more sweet. Culinary use is okay especially for baking, as you add sugar. But one brand of culinary grade is far different from another brand. So you have to give it a try and test. 🙂
thanks for your answer!!!!
The truth I have to admit that I have very little knowledge about tea, so I wanted to ask: in the link below appears a picture of ceremonial tea sold where I live, in my opinion is very yellow, what do you think?
Also, the more refined the tea, the less sugar you would have to use in this recipe?
http://www.kyusuteas.com/te-verde/matcha-gokou-obubu
Hi Ruth! Ahhh this package uses Japanese BUT it’s very strange Japanese sentences. I don’t think it’s made in Japan. I’m sorry…. and I agree, it’s not high quality (as this company may claim). It is far from beautiful matcha color. I feel bad matcha is getting popular but not the right matcha is distributed. 🙁
Look at this link. Even the low quality, the color should be like this:
http://shop.ippodo-tea.co.jp/kyoto/shopf/goods/index.html?ggcd=133624&cid=matcha
Hello Nami, your video mentions 110gram of flour but your recipe says 90g.
Which is the correct amount? As I am planning to make it this weekend.
Many thanks
Kirst
One of my favorite japanese dessert beside my lovely japanese cheesecake!!! ????????????
Hi Ajeng! Awww I’m happy to hear you like this recipe! 🙂