Hojicha Butter Cream Cake (Printable)

Light sponge layered with roasted green tea buttercream and dark chocolate ganache

# What You Need:

→ Sponge Cake

01 - 1 cup cake flour, sifted
02 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
03 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
04 - 3 tablespoons whole milk, room temperature
05 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
07 - Pinch of salt

→ Hojicha Buttercream

08 - 3 tablespoons hojicha loose leaf tea or 3 tea bags
09 - 1/2 cup whole milk
10 - 14 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
11 - 1.75 cups powdered sugar, sifted
12 - Pinch of salt

→ Dark Chocolate Ganache

13 - 3.5 ounces dark chocolate 60-70% cocoa, chopped
14 - 1/3 cup heavy cream

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of two 7-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, beat eggs and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on high speed for 5-7 minutes until thick and pale.
03 - Gently fold in the sifted cake flour and salt in three additions using a spatula.
04 - Combine milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Add a few spoonfuls of batter into this mixture, then fold back into the main batter.
05 - Divide batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake for 20-22 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
06 - Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
07 - Heat milk in a small saucepan until just below boiling. Add hojicha tea and steep for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve and cool to room temperature.
08 - Beat butter with powdered sugar and salt until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Gradually beat in the cooled hojicha-infused milk until smooth and creamy.
09 - Heat heavy cream in a small saucepan until steaming but not boiling. Pour over chopped chocolate in a bowl. Let sit for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth and glossy. Cool to room temperature.
10 - Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread half the hojicha buttercream evenly over the top.
11 - Place second cake layer on top. Spread remaining buttercream over the top and sides using an offset spatula.
12 - Pour cooled ganache over the cake, allowing it to drip naturally down the sides. Chill for 30 minutes before slicing.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The hojicha flavor is sophisticated without being bitter, like you've discovered a secret that most desserts miss.
  • It's lighter than chocolate cake but more interesting than vanilla, making it perfect for tea lovers and anyone tired of conventional flavors.
  • Watching the dark ganache drip down the sides feels like magic, and it actually tastes as good as it looks.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are non-negotiable here—cold eggs won't whip properly, cold butter won't cream into the buttercream, and warm chocolate seizes into grainy clumps instead of silky ganache.
  • The gentle folding of flour is where most sponge cakes fail, and overmixing at that step deflates all your air and creates a dense cake that no frosting can rescue.
03 -
  • If your buttercream looks too soft after adding the hojicha infusion, refrigerate it for 15 minutes and it'll firm up enough to spread without sliding around.
  • Chopped chocolate mixed with hot cream needs respect—let it sit for 2 minutes before stirring so the residual heat melts it evenly without making it grainy.
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