How to Make Matcha Kuromame Pound Cake (Japanese Matcha Cake With Sweet Black Soybeans)

Pound cake is a familiar dessert in Japan and is often made at home because it’s relatively easy to prepare. There are various types of pound cake, including popular flavors like banana, black tea, chocolate, and dried fruits. However, one flavor unique to Japan is matcha. 

Matcha pound cake boasts a vibrant green color and an elegant flavor of green tea with a subtle bitterness that leaves a refreshing taste in your mouth. It’s sometimes paired with sweet black soybeans (kuromame), sweet azuki beans, or sweet chestnuts. In this article, I’ll be introducing a matcha pound cake with sweet black soybeans, which is especially perfect to make during the New Year’s celebration, as we Japanese traditionally prepare sweet black soybeans as part of osechi, a special food eaten on New Year’s Day.

Kuromame itself has a slightly sweet and nutty flavor. When cooked, they become tender with a smooth texture, often with a subtle hint of soy. In most cases, kuromame is simmered with sugar and a bit of soy sauce. When combined with matcha pound cake, sweet kuromame adds a comforting sweet and nutty accent to the cake. In terms of health benefits, kuromame is rich in antioxidants and high in protein, making it a delicious and nutritious addition.

Matcha pound cake is not difficult to make, and the ingredients are simple. However, there are some tips to make a perfect one. Here are the tips:

• Let the ingredients come to room temperature beforehand. Place the butter, eggs, and milk at room temperature to ensure they combine well. If the butter curdles, you can add some dolce flour (from the measured ingredients) or warm the bowl in hot water (around 40–50℃) before mixing to help incorporate everything smoothly.

• Do not stir the batter. Don’t stir the batter after combining it with the flour mixture. Instead, mix the flour using a slicing motion with a spatula.

• Rest the pound cake with plastic wrap. After removing it from the heat, wrap the pound cake with plastic wrap to retain moisture. It’s best enjoyed 1–2 days after baking.

Once you’ve enjoyed the regular matcha pound cake with kuromame, you might want to try a twisted version. Matcha marble pound cake is one option. After preparing the batter, divide it into two portions. Add matcha to one portion to create matcha batter. Combine the two portions without fully blending them, leaving a marbled effect.

Another option is a vegan version. To make a vegan matcha pound cake, substitute regular sugar with beet sugar, butter with vegetable oil (such as refined sesame oil, which is almost odorless), and milk with soy milk, while omitting the eggs. Adding almond flour will help enhance the flavor.

Enjoy making matcha pound cake, and feel free to let us know in the comments below how your matcha pound cake turned out!