Chocolate Espresso Cake With Green Tea Buttercream

Two thoughtful gifts from family and friends led me to create this pretty Chocolate Espresso Cake with Green Tea Buttercream.

To celebrate the completion of my kitchen remodel, my sister Ursula gave me a pouch of Matcha green tea powder and my friends Cheryl, Cindy, Martha, Leah and Mary who volunteer with me at the Wednesday Community Meal, gave me "Martha Stewart's Wedding Cake Book" which I literally cannot put down, the cakes are so beautiful.

Matcha Green Tea Powder from my sister Ursula. She found the tea locally and it is from a company called Tagashira Tea Time.

The Matcha powder is so colorful that it naturally tints the buttercream green.

The book from my friends.

Thank you Cheryl, Cindy, Mary, Leah and Martha. You are such good friends and so thoughtful.

So taking inspiration from Swiss dot cakes featured in the book, I devised this rich chocolate cake covered with a Swiss Meringue Green Tea Buttercream. Swiss dot just means dots that are evenly spaced and raised.

Swiss dot inspiration!

Here's how to make the cake:

Chocolate Espresso Cake With Green Tea Buttercream

Chocolate Espresso Cake:

1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons espresso powder, dissolved in 1 cup of hot water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease, flour and line with parchment paper two 8-inch cake pans.

In a medium sized bowl mix together the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Mix the dry ingredients well and slowly add the wet ingredients, continuing to mix until smooth and combined. Add the hot water with the espresso powder and mix again, being sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl.

Divide the batter among the two baking pans and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool for 15 minutes in the pan before inverting them onto a cooling rack.

Let the cakes cool completely before frosting.

Green Tea Buttercream:

3 large egg whites
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
4 teaspoons Matcha green tea powder, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water and completely cooled
Pinch of fine sea salt

Place the whites in a clean mixing bowl. Whisk in sugar and cream of tartar.

Place bowl over a double boiler on medium heat, stir frequently until the mixture is very hot (120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit).

Move to mixer and whip whites on high for 2 to 3 minutes; turn down to medium low until cool (use the bowl as your guide).

In a separate bowl with a wooden spoon, stir butter to soften.

With mixer on medium/high speed, add the butter one tablespoon at a time, adding the next tablespoon just as the previous one is blended in. Once all the butter incorporated, add in dissolved and cooled matcha green tea powder mixture and salt.  Whip on high speed until fluffy.

To Assemble:

Place one of the cakes on a cardboard round or platter and add a top coating of buttercream.

Add the second cake.

Frost the entire cake.

Use an offset spatula to smooth the icing as much as possible. Refrigerate the cake for about 30 minutes to firm up the icing.

Use a skewer to poke holes where you want "dots" to be added.

Using a pastry bag and a round #5 tip, pipe dots.

Also add dots to the top and using a star tip, pipe a boarder around the base and add a swirl to the top.