A soft, buttery loaf with vibrant green matcha, balanced by the sweetness of strawberries and a fresh hint of lime. This recipe is the perfect fusion of Japanese tea tradition and a modern summer dessert. The moist sponge, fruity filling and pink glaze make for a showstopping bake that delights in both flavour and appearance. This matcha loaf with strawberry glaze works beautifully as a weekend treat, a sweet accompaniment to your afternoon matcha or the centrepiece of a summer table.
Loaf ingredients:
- 240 g plain flour
- 10 g Moya Matcha Traditional
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 220 g butter (room temperature)
- 200 g caster sugar
- 4 large eggs (room temperature)
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp lime zest
- 120 ml whole milk (room temperature)
- 200 g thick strawberry jam (for the filling)
Strawberry purée (for the glaze):
100 g strawberries + 50 ml water + 1 tbsp sugar (boiled and passed through a sieve)
Strawberry glaze:
- 120 g icing sugar approx.
- 30 g of your strawberry purée
To decorate:
dried edible flowers and crushed freeze-dried strawberries
Preparation:
- Make the purée: boil the strawberries with water and sugar, then pass through a sieve. Set aside 30 g for the glaze.
- Dry ingredients: in a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and matcha.
- Creaming: using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy (approx. 3 minutes). Gradually add the sugar and beat for a further 2 minutes. Add the lime juice and zest. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
- Combining: on a low speed, alternate adding: 1/3 of the matcha flour mixture, half the milk, another 1/3 of the flour, the remaining milk and the remaining flour. Be careful not to overmix!
- Line a loaf tin with baking parchment. Pour in half the green batter. Spoon 200 g of strawberry jam along the length of the tin, leaving roughly 1 cm from the edges (to prevent the jam from catching on the sides). Cover with the remaining batter.
- Baking: bake at 175°C for approximately 60–70 minutes (until a skewer comes out clean – bear in mind the skewer may be wet from the jam, so test a section of sponge only). If the top browns too quickly, cover with aluminium foil after 45 minutes. Once baked, leave to cool completely. This is an important step!
- Glazing: once the loaf has cooled completely, mix the icing sugar with 30 g of strawberry purée. Drizzle over the top of the loaf. Finish with dried flowers and freeze-dried strawberries.
