Gluten-Free Lavender Chocolate and Japanese Green Tea Matcha Layer Cake
Matcha and lavender are famous for elevating moods and fighting stress...Cake has a reputation for bringing on a severe case of smiles. Why not take time to enjoy this gluten-free feather light cake?
Ninja Notes:
- Pans designed specifically for creating the layer look helped. The special pans, however, are not necessary. I ended up making two batters and having extra for cupcakes.
- This recipe was inspired by the white birthday cake featured on That Skinny Chick Can Bake.
- 2 cups of milk (at room temperature)
- 6 tablespoons matcha green tea powder lavender (3 tablespoons for the cake batter, 3 for the frosting)
- 6 tablespoons lavender (3 tablespoons for the cake batter, 3 for the frosting)
- 4½ cups Glutino Gluten-Free Pantry All-Purpose Flour
- 3½ tablespoons corn starch
- 3½ cups sugar
- 8 teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1½ cups softened butter
- 12 egg whites (at room temperature)
- 3 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 24 ounces (2 bags) white chocolate chips
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Drops of lavender food coloring
- 2 cups of your favorite vanilla frosting
- ½ cup of powdered sugar (optional)
For the cake batters:
Divide the cups of milk between two separate saucepans. Put 3 tablespoons of matcha in one and 3 tablespoons of lavender into the other pan. Allow tiny bubbles to emerge. Cool to room temperature. Strain the lavender from the lavender milk mixture.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare pans with baking spray and muffin tins with cupcake cases.
Measure out 4½ cups Glutino Gluten-Free Pantry All-Purpose Flour. Then take out 8½ tablespoons out of the flour.
In the bowl of a kitchen stand mixer, slowly whisk the flour together with the corn starch. Add the sugar, baking powder and salt. Beat in the butter at a slow speed. Divide the mixture in half and separate into two bowls.
In another bowl, beat together 6 egg whites, matcha milk and 1½ teaspoons of vanilla bean paste. In another bowl, beat together 6 egg whites, lavender milk and 1½ teaspoons of vanilla bean paste
Alternate combining the flour mixtures with the milks.
Pour the batters into the prepared pans. No more than ½ to ¾ full. Use he extra batter for cupcakes. Bake time for an 8” layer is about 30 minutes. Cupcakes require approximately 26 minutes. (Insert a toothpick into the cake centers to make sure no major crumbs are attached. Bake until the toothpick comes out clean.) Cool.
For the lavender white chocolate frosting:
Heat the heavy cream with 3 tablespoons of lavender and drops of lavender food coloring just until bubbles appear. Strain the heavy cream. Pour over the white chocolate chips. Stir vigorously until smooth. Let the lavender chocolate stand untouched for 30 minutes or more. (Up to 3 hours is fine. Although the mixture will harden the longer it stands.) With a hand-held mixer, whip up the lavender white chocolate mixture. Smooth in between the layers of matcha and lavender cake. Or slather atop lavender cupcakes.
For the matcha frosting:
Add 3 tablespoons of matcha green tea powder to cups of your favorite vanilla frosting. Pour in the powdered sugar if you need stiffer frosting for piping stars onto the cake and cupcakes.