Almost all of my favorite things combined into one dessert: European recipe, Japanese twist, not too sweet, caffeinated bitter tea, cake, and custard-y cream. This matcha tiramisu is absolutely divine. Although I thoroughly enjoy traditional tiramisu, this version combines my love for European style baking and my love for Japanese culture. Matcha is nostalgic to me; it always reminds me of late night dinners with my grandparents in Tokyo, trying our best to speak to them, laughing, feeling like our bellies might explode, watching sumo wrestling on TV, and of course, sipping green tea or matcha that お祖父ちゃん (grandpa) would craft for us. I’ve always loved matcha. It has such a unique flavor. The things I find most interesting about it is that: It’s bitter but not dark, it’s strong, it’s has an earthy flavor, it goes very well in sweet drinks and baked goods, it’s naturally a gorgeous green color, it’s caffeinated (a necessity for me), and has known health benefits. These days, many people drink it only for those health benefits, not so much for the taste. But I hope they will eventually come to truly enjoy it’s unique and delicious flavor. I had the privilege of receiving the matcha used in this recipe from MatchaKari. They’re Matcha tastes just like the matcha I had at my grandparents, and is grown in Japan! I highly recommend this brand for it’s quality, authenticity, and flavor.
This post contains affiliate links to some of my very favorite ingredients. This way it is easy for you to find the ingredients I used at the best price I’ve found. If you click one and purchase anything from Amazon, I will receive a very small percentage of the sale, to support what I do here. Thank you!
This tiramisu is made from scratch, but don’t let that scare you away! It’s quite simple, you just bake gluten-free ladyfinger-like sponge cake layers, whip up the mascarpone cream, craft the matcha, and assemble. I served this to my family and they had no idea it was for my blog because they didn’t think it was gluten-free! I thought it was obvious it was for my website, but they didn’t know, and couldn’t tell a difference. You could also use this recipe to make traditional tiramisu by swapping the matcha for espresso mixed with some water and a splash of brandy/rum/whatever you like (optional) and using cocoa powder instead of matcha powder to garnish. I can’t decide which one I like better, matcha or traditional, the bitter flavors of espresso or matcha pair beyond perfectly with the mascarpone and sponge cake. Thank you Italy for sharing your amazing dessert with the world!
Link to my favorite gluten-free flour blend is here.
8×8 inch square baking pan is linked here.
My metric cooking scale is linked here.
Matcha Tiramisu (gluten-free)
Equipment
- Stand mixer
- Metric cooking scale
Ingredients
"Lady Finger" Sponge Cake:
- 4 large eggs
- 108 grams (½ cup) sugar divided
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 130 grams (1 cup, spooned and leveled) Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour
- ¼ tsp salt
Mascarpone Cream:
- 136 grams (⅔ cup) sugar
- 5 egg yolks
- Pinch of salt
- 150 grams (⅔ cup) heavy cream
- 452 grams (16 oz) mascarpone cheese
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Matcha (for soaking):
- 2 ½-4 tsps (depending on how strong you like the flavor) high-quality Matcha powder I used MatchaKari (linked above this recipe card)
- ½ cup (118 mL) boiling water
- ¾ cup (177 mL) room temperature/cool water
Instructions
For The Sponges Layers:
- Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks and place the whites in the bowl of a stand mixer. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 C). Line two baking trays with parchment paper. Flip the parchment over, and trace the bottom of a 8×8 inch square pan on both pieces of parchment. Flip them back over so the pencil lines won't touch the sponge.
- Add half of the sugar (54 grams/¼ cup) to the stand mixer with the egg whites and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. Add the vanilla and mix until just combined. Transfer the meringue to a large mixing bowl. In the stand mixer (no need to wash it), add the egg yolks and remaining sugar and whip on high until pale and fluffy.
- Add a third of the meringue to the whipped yolks and gently fold until fully combined, being careful not to deflate the air whipped into the meringue. Add the second third of the meringue and fold until mostly combined. Add the remaining meringue, sift in the GF flour and salt, and carefully fold until everything is combined, but still light and airy.
- Gently transfer the batter to a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip, and pipe to create two squares using the traced marks on the parchment. Use all the batter between the two squares. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-17 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the cake squares cool completely at room temperature.
Mascarpone Cream:
- Bring a small saucepan of water to a simmer. In a medium-large metal or glass bowl, add the sugar, egg yolks, and salt. Place the bowl over the simmering water (it should not be touching the water), reduce the heat, and whisk constantly until the mixture lightens in color and the sugar is mostly dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the heavy cream, mascarpone, and vanilla until it reaches a frosting consistency (careful not to over-whip, stop as soon as it becomes smooth and thick). Add the egg yolk-sugar mixture and mix until combined. Cover and set in the fridge if the sponge layers are still cooling, or until ready to assemble.
Matcha:
- Measure out the matcha powder in a heat-proof bowl, add a splash of the boiling water to start, and whisk with a matcha whisk until you achieve a smooth paste. Add another, larger splash of the hot water and whisk until fully combined. Pour in the remaining boiling water and whisk well. Add the cool water and mix well. If the matcha is still warm, let it cool down to room temperature before using.
Assembly:
- Place one of the sponge layers in your 8×8 inch square pan, and pour half of the matcha evenly over the surface of the sponge. Using an offset spatula, carefully spread a layer of the mascarpone cream on top. Place the second sponge on top of the cream and evenly pour the remaining matcha over the surface of the second sponge. Spread just enough cream on top. Transfer the remaining cream to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip and pipe little blobs over the smooth surface. Set in the fridge overnight to allow the sponge layers to fully absorb the matcha. Before serving, Dust the surface with plenty of matcha powder. Slice into squares, serve, and enjoy!
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