Green Tea Mousse Cake

Green tea mousse cake

For birthdays, we normally get a mousse cake from a small bakery in Chinatown. It's my husband's favourite cake and cost about $32 for a 9 inch cake. This year, with ample notice from the family, I decided to make one. 

Green tea mousse cake with cake crumbs

I loved family gathering. It's a chance for me to make a bigger cake to share with family and not have to finish it all. Specially during a time where I had been making desserts for the past weeks and my husband and I are on sugar overload; so it's a good time to share. =)

Layer of light airy mousse sitting on top of a layer of soft fluffy cake

After some deliberation, I decide on green tea mousse cake. With one layer of light airy mousse sitting on top of a layer of soft fluffy cake, followed by another layer of cake and mousse and covered with cake crumbs.

My only challenge when making the mousse was gelatin. I hardly ever used them for baking so I found that it take a fair bit of understanding when using them. First, I overcooked them, then I threw them into cold batter causing them to lump up, next I undercooked them... Two batter mixes, four packs of gelatin and loads of cursing later, I'm glad to say the mousse was smooth and light. See below for tips with working them. =)

Recipe

For cake
4 eggs (separate yolks and whites)
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
90g sugar (divide into 40g and 50g portions)
30g milk
50g corn / vegetable oil
90g cake flour
1 tsp green tea powder (a.k.a matcha)

For Mousse
9g gelatin (1 envelope)
3 1/2 tbsp water
225g milk
110g sugar
2 1/2 tsp green tea powder
6 egg yolks
2 cups cold heavy whipping cream

For Cake
1. Whisk 40g sugar and egg yolks together until well-combined.Set aside.

2. Whisk milk and oil together. Add into egg yolks mixture. Whisk until well-combined.

3. Sifted flour and green tea powder into egg yolks mixture. Whisk until everything is incorporated. Set aside.

4. Add cream of tartar into egg white.

5. Using a whisk attachment on stand mixer or electric hand mixer, whisk egg white till foamy.

6. Add in 1 tbsp sugar. Whisk until sugar is fully incorporated on medium high speed. About 1 minute.

7. Add in another 1 tbsp of sugar. Whisk until sugar is fully incorporated on medium high speed. About 1 minute.

8. Add in all remaining sugar. Set on high speed and beat until stiff peak. About 3 minutes.

9. Using a spatula, take 1/3 of egg whites and fold into the egg yolks mixture until well-combined. There should be no streaks of egg whites.

10. Make a hole in the middle of the remaining egg whites, pour in the egg yolks mixture.

11. Fold in the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture until well-combined.

12. Line a 9 inch cake pan with parchment paper on the bottom. Pour in the batter. (Do not use non-stick pan)

13. Bake for 30 minutes in a 330 F preheat oven.

14. Leave to cool to room temperature before removing from pan.

For Mousse
15. Pour water in a small bowl. Add gelatin to water. Do not stir. Set aside for 5 minutes.

16. Heat milk under low heat.

17. Mix sugar and green tea powder together.

18. Once milk start boiling, add in sugar. Whisk until well-combined and no lumps.

19. Remove from stove and whisk egg yolks quickly until well-combined.

20. Return mixture to stove and cook for 30 seconds under low heat. Whisking continuously.

21. Pour mixture through a sift to remove any lumps and over-cooked eggs. Set aside.

22. Place gelatin mix in microwave and cook for 20 ~ 25 seconds.

23. Add gelatin mix into egg mixture. Whisk until well-combined. Leave to cool to room temperature.

24. Using a whisk attachment on stand mixer or electric hand mixer, whisk the cream till stiff peak. Leave to cool to room temperature.

25. Make a hole in the middle of the cream and pour in the egg mixture.

26. Fold the cream into the egg mixture until well-combined.

Assembly
27. Use a paring knife, go across the side of the cake pan to loosen the cake from pan.

28. Remove cake from pan. Cut cake into two layers.

27. Line a 9 inch cake pan with parchment paper on the bottom and side.

28. Place one layer of cake to the bottom of the pan.

29. Pour 1/2 of the mousse in the pan, on top of the bottom layer of cake.

30. Cover pan with cling wrap and place into fridge for 15 minutes. Letting the bottom layer of mousse set slightly.

31. Place another layer of cake into the pan, on top of the bottom layer of mousse.

32. Pour the remaining mousse into the pan, on top of the top layer of cake.

33. Cover pan with cling wrap and place into fridge. Leave to set for at least 6 hours. Best to leave overnight.

34. Served chill.

************************************************************************************************

Tips & Tricks

1. When cooling cake, leave the cake upside down. This will prevent the cake from sinking in the middle.

2. Do not use non-stick pan. The cake need to stick to the sides in order to rise.

3. After adding gelatin to water, do not stir. Let the gelatin set slowly.

4. Use cool water, not cold but slightly cooler than room temperature. I use cold tap water.

5. When cooking the gelatin in microwave, do it in two separate session. Put it in and cook for 15 seconds. Remove from microwave and swirl the bowl gently for 5 seconds. Place it back to the microwave and cook for another 10 seconds.

6. Make sure the milk is warm when adding gelatin. Cold milk will cause the gelatin to become lumpy.

7. Make sure the whipped cream is at room temperature before adding the milk. Cold cream will cause the gelatin to be lumpy.

8. When assembling the cake, it's best to use a pan with removable bottom. This allow for easy removable of cake. Alternatively, you can use a 9 inch mold set over a baking sheet.

************************************************************************************************

My Baking Pantry

Matcha - Green tea powder

Matcha (green tea powder) is often used for baking. I got my matcha from a local Asian supermarket in the tea section. You can easily get green tea powder online (e.g. Amazon).

It is not the same green tea leaf. You cannot achieve the taste and texture of matcha by grinding green tea leaves. For baking purposes, you need to use matcha.

Ingredients - Green tea leaves

When buying matcha, check the ingredients on the package. Often there is a milk matcha powder which is basically green tea with milk. This cannot be used for baking as the milk powder will affect the texture of the cake or cookie. Make sure the ingredient of your package states only green tea.