The holidays are here. Time to gather your loved ones around the kitchen table for some fond reminiscing over your most cherished teas. Sip and savor the flavors of the season. Tea and baking are never more connected than during these months of celebration. From India to Japan, to the Azores and Latin America, people are taking inspiration from their favorite teas to create festive holiday desserts that spread the love and joy of the season. So, let’s fire up the kettle and start baking some tasty tea-infused holiday treats!
Matcha Mochi Cake
When I bite into the crispy, gooey, chewy texture of a mochi cake, I can’t help but smile, especially when it showcases the sweet, grassy nuttiness of matcha green tea. This Matcha Mochi Cake recipe from the unique blog Mostly Matcha, by Jenny Zhou, can be baked into decorative molds or loaf pans and cut into easy-to-eat bite-size pieces, making it perfect for serving at parties or as a holiday meal showstopper. No frosting or edible glitter is required. This flavorful and festive green cake speaks for itself.
I love using matcha as a culinary ingredient, but it’s not easy to work with. So, I spoke with Jenny to find out how to incorporate matcha more successfully into my favorite desserts.
Diana: What strikes me the most about your recipes is how pronounced the matcha flavor and color always is. When I bake with matcha, it usually comes out a dull gray-green color with barely any matcha flavor.
Jenny: Many of my recipes require fifteen to twenty grams [of matcha powder], and that’s probably double or triple what most people use. I think that contributes some of the color. Because I’ve been baking with it for almost ten years…I look at a lot of recipes, and when I see a matcha recipe, I immediately go to the ingredients list and find how much powder they are using. Most of the time, I disagree with the amount listed because it’s not enough. Especially if they’re using two grams—that’s the amount used to make a drink, so it’s not going to cut it. It really disappoints me to see people using it more as food coloring because—what’s the point?
Diana: I couldn’t agree more. If I’m going to use an ingredient that’s as expensive and time-consuming to produce as matcha, I want to taste it. I want to celebrate it.
Jenny: Exactly. Aside from getting quality matcha, another issue is they’re probably not storing their culinary matcha properly, and it’s expiring. Because matcha doesn’t do well when it’s warm…With the culinary matcha that I use, I store it in the fridge… I fold the packaged bag, clip it with a binder clip, put it in another ziplock bag, and then it goes into the fridge. I also use up what’s open before opening a new bag [of culinary or ceremonial grade matcha].
Diana: That’s such a good idea. I’m sure my culinary matcha is stale, and it’s definitely not as vibrant green as when I first got it. I often see recipes and wonder how they taste with some matcha. Do you adapt regular recipes into matcha-flavored ones?
Jenny: Yes. My friend Alanna Taylor-Tobin writes The Bojon Gourmet blog and specializes in gluten-free baking taught me that if you want to add matcha to a recipe that doesn’t have matcha…in this case, for example, say I’m adding twenty grams of matcha to a recipe, I would need to subtract twenty grams out of the rice flour or whatever flour it calls for that has a similar texture. I learned the hard way I can’t just add in the matcha. The ratio will be off, and the batter will be too dry.
Diana: I appreciate that many of your recipes are gluten-free and use less sugar than most recipes. You really let the matcha shine.
Jenny: My husband has a gluten intolerance, so I do my best to bake gluten-free treats as much as possible. It’s been fun to try and bake with gluten-free recipes. We both dislike overly sweet things, so I reduced the amount of sugar from the original [Matcha Mochi Cake] recipe to half… We’ve been using maple sugar because that’s a more natural sugar. I think it’s unprocessed…Also, my husband and I like how it tastes. Another thing I’ve been doing is adding a pinch of sea salt because I think it enhances the flavor.
Diana: What made you want to start your blog?
Jenny: I started the blog in 2017, and it’s mainly because of the Matcha Mochi Cake recipe that I found and fell in love with in 2014…my mom taught me how to make regular [plain] mochi cake before that, which is more of a traditional pastry that you would make for Chinese New Year’s, and or regular New Year’s.
Bio: After practicing the Matcha Mochi Cake recipe and eventually perfecting it, Jenny Zhou decided to share her trials and triumphs with a larger audience. Mostly Matcha is so special because she’s a meticulous recipe tester. When you create a Jenny Zhou recipe, you know she’s already ironed out all of the kinks and presented you with a perfect, easy-to-follow recipe ready to go.
Jenny is a matcha enthusiast, talented photographer, passionate food stylist, and graphic designer. For more mouthwatering visuals, check out her stunning Instagram account @cerimonialgrade, dedicated to all things matcha.
Chocolate Mint Tea Crinkle Cookies
Tender and fudgy, these classic Christmas cookies have a soft brownie-like texture with a beautiful snow-dappled crust. The recipe calls for adding powdered mint tea directly to the flour mixture. However, I prefer to use a high-quality loose-leaf mint tea and let it steep in the butter as it melts. This helps intensify the refreshing mint flavor. Once the butter has cooled off, strain out the tea leaves and use it as the recipe directs.
Chai Tea Burnt Basque Cheesecake
As soon as the weather cools down, my kitchen fills with chai tea’s sweet, spicy aroma. The comforting spices used in chai warm your body and soul. This is why they marry so well with cheesecake’s creamy, soothing texture. Wow, your guests and make them feel truly loved at the same time with this Chai Tea Burnt Basque Cheesecake recipe. Comfort food doesn’t get better than this.
You’re missing out if you’ve never tried a Burnt Basque Cheesecake. The original recipe was created by a family-run Spanish tapas bar in San Sebastian. Faced with the dilemma of making multiple cheesecakes in a tiny tapas kitchen with only one oven, they came up with the idea of removing the crust and baking it for a shorter amount of time at a higher temperature, resulting in a luscious cheesecake that’s sublimely simple and easy to make. The burnt caramelized outer layer is a thing of pure beauty—no need to worry about cracks or uneven edges. The humble imperfections are what give this delicious dessert its romance and charm.
*The recipe requires only a little bit of flour, so it can also be made gluten-free.
Rose Tea Chocolate Truffles
Homemade chocolate truffles are surprisingly easy to make and are wonderful to gift during the holiday season. India’s rising star baker, Deeba Rajpal, uses the sweet notes of rose tea to fill her rich chocolate truffles with love.
Because chocolate truffles are so simple, using high-quality ingredients is important. Feel free to experiment and swap out the rose tea with other festive tea blends. Have fun creating a whole tea-infused chocolate truffle series. Be sure to let us know in the comments how they turned out.
Check out Deeba’s popular blog, Passionate About Baking, and craving-inducing Instagram account for more beautiful bakes.
Hibiscus Tea Buttermilk Cake
During a season full of decadent dishes, you need something sharp and sour to refresh your palate. This delightfully tangy Hibiscus Tea Buttermilk Cake recipe is the scrumptious palate cleanser your guests crave.
Hibiscus tea, also known as jamaica or roselle, is one of nature’s superstars. Packed with antioxidants, vitamin C, and powerful anti-inflammatory properties, it helps fight against depression while also boosting kidney and liver health. It even lowers cholesterol and blood glucose levels as well.
Using hibiscus powder gives the cake a gorgeous burgundy color, while fresh lemon juice and zest highlight the tea’s natural brightness and acidity. A little bit of hibiscus powder also turns the yummy cream cheese frosting into an enticing shade of pink.
Portuguese Tea Flan
Flan has been popular since the Romans ruled Europe. No holiday feast would be complete without one in the Iberian peninsula and all over Latin America. The Portuguese Tea Flan recipe is particularly special because, on the windswept islands of the Azores, there exists a remarkable tea plantation that’s been producing premium organic teas for two centuries now. So, the Azoreans have a long-standing tradition of infusing the robust Cha Gorreana tea into their desserts.
If you are lucky enough to have some Cha Gorreana tea, by all means, now’s the time to use it—otherwise, a slightly smokey Lapsang Souchong tea pairs beautifully with this sweet, creamy custardy delight.
Let the Festivi-Teas Begin!
There’s no better way to celebrate the holidays than combining your love for tea and baking. Tea is a versatile ingredient that brings nuance to your bakes. Use it to add complex layers of flavor and aroma that will simultaneously comfort and satisfy you. Take inspiration from the desserts listed above and experiment with your favorite holiday teas and festive recipes. Let the festivi-teas begin!
Matcha Mochi Cake
Equipment
- 2 Loaf pans or Mini Bundt Cake pans
- 1 Hand mixer with beater attachment or stand mixer, with paddle attachment
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Sifter
- 1 Fork or Toothpick
- 1 Food scale
- 1 Pastry brush
Ingredients
- 454 g (16 oz) Glutinous rice flour
- 20 g (10 tsp) Culinary Matcha sifted
- 200 g (1 cup) Maple sugar or 150 g (3/4 cup) cane sugar
- Pinch Sea Salt
- 65 g (1/3 cup) vegetable oil plus 4-6 g (1 - 1.5 tsp) to grease the pans with
- 478.5 g (2 cups) oat milk or whole milk
- 3 eggs beaten
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients (glutinous rice flour, matcha, sugar, and salt) in the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl, and stir together.
- Add wet ingredients (vegetable oil, milk, and eggs) to dry ingredients.
- Set a running timer, stir all ingredients on low speed for 1 – 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the edges and bottom of the bowl with a spatula; increase speed to medium and continue mixing. Repeat (mix and scrape) for 12 minutes total, or until the batter is velvety smooth.
- Let the finished batter rest in the bowl for 30 minutes, uncovered at room temperature, before baking. In the meantime, preheat the oven according to the pan you would like to use (listed below).
- Tap pans on the counter to remove air bubbles in the batter; which will result in a smoother texture in the finished cake.
- Bake until the crust is slightly golden; baking time may vary depending on type of pan, oven, and flavor ingredients (see “Notes” section for more on this).
- Check the cake 2 – 4 minutes before the set-time, by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick is clean, then the cake is done. If the batter sticks to the toothpick, bake for an additional 2 – 5 minutes.
- Let mochi cake cool for 15 – 20 minutes before removing from the pan. Then place the cake on a cooling rack to continue to cool for another 20 minutes before cutting. The mochi loaves can be cut into any size and shape to your preference. I like to cut them into cubes.
Notes
Loaf Pans
| Dimensions L x W x H | 10 in x 4.4 in x 2.8 in (25.4 cm x 11.18 cm x 7.11 cm) |
| Oven Temperature | 350 °F (180 °C) |
| Baking Time | 50 – 60 minutes |
| Batter Amount | 670 g per pan; divide evenly—batter height should be ~ 1.25 in (3.18 cm). Use a food scale to help with this step. |
| Grease Amount | 4 g (1 tsp) vegetable oil, or baking spray containing flour; divide oil amount between both pans. Use a pastry brush. |
Mini Bundt Pans
| Dimensions L x W x H | 14.88 in x 8.88 in x 1.75 in (37.80 cm x 22.56 cm x 4.45 cm) |
| Oven Temperature | 375 °F (190.5 °C) |
| Baking Time | 20 – 25 minutes |
| Batter Amount | 670 g per pan; fill mold to below 0.5 in (1.27 cm) from the rim; ~ 70% capacity |
| Grease Amount | 6 g (1.5 tsp) vegetable oil, butter, or baking spray containing flour. See the Nordic Ware product page for more information on how to use their bundtlette pan. Use a pastry brush. |
Storage
Mochi cake is best enjoyed freshly baked. If you are not serving them immediately, let them cool completely for 1 – 2 hours, uncovered on a cooling rack. Store them in a loosely covered container for up to 2 days at room temperature. Sadly, the mochi cake exterior will lose the crunchy texture by the next day, regardless of storage method. Store leftover mochi cake in the freezer. Once mochi cake is completely cooled, place them in a freezer bag or airtight container with parchment paper and food grade silica gel packets, for up to 14 days. When you’re ready to eat them, heat mochi cake in the microwave (on medium high) for 25 – 45 seconds; no need to defrost. Do not store mochi cake in the fridge—it will dry out and harden quickly.Yield
2 loaves or 12 mini bundt cake
Tea Rose Chocolate Truffles
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 Strainer
- 1 Whisk
- Plastic wrap
- 1 Cookie scoop or round measuring spoon
Ingredients
Truffles
- 250 g 52% dark couverture chocolate room temperature
- 100 g Single or low fat cream room temperature
- 2 tbsp or 2 teabags of high-quality Rose tea
Topping
- 20 g Good quality cocoa powder to toss the truffles in
Instructions
- Place the cream and tea leaves or teabags in a heavy bottom saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes.
- In the meantime, finely chop the chocolate, or run it in the processor until almost ground. {I ran it in the Thermomix for 20 seconds, Speed 10}
- Place in a large bowl.
- If using tea leaves, strain the simmering cream over the ground chocolate. If using teabags, gently squeeze the teabags, and dispose, then pour the hot cream over the chocolate.
- Whisk with a spatula or balloon whisk continuously until the chocolate melts and is smooth.
- Cover the bowl with cling-wrap, and chill for 2-3 hours or until firm to touch.
- Using a cookie scoop or round measuring spoon, portion out approx 16 bits. With very clean hands, roll into balls, then toss in the cocoa powder. You could toss a few in tea leaves as well, pressing gently to fix for a je ne sais quoi feel!
Notes
Wow! Such richness and deliciousness here… Have bookmarked and thank you. Lizzie and the Leaves
So glad you enjoyed the article. Let us know how your desserts turn out. Happy Holidays 🙂
I can’t wait to try these recipes. Love all the photos and details to ensure a yummy result. Happy Holidays