Vegan Matcha Pound Cake – Easy!

This delicious vegan matcha pound cake with smooth icing glaze is going to be your next favourite thing if you are a matcha lover like me! The heavenly combination of a fluffy yet moist texture and the sweet and earthy essence of matcha create perfect harmony in your mouth. Despite its gorgeous aesthetics, this recipe is incredibly easy and simple to make. Whether you’re hosting a friend and family gathering or simply treating yourself, this incredibly tasty pound cake is guaranteed to bring joy to every occasion!

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Do you like baked goods with matcha? Me too! Indulge in the delightful world of matcha with this irresistible vegan matcha pound cake topped with a luscious icing glaze! Matcha desserts are such a popular thing in Japan and I grew up with so many delicious matcha sweets, deserts, and drinks my entire childhood and adulthood. This matcha pound cake will surely be your favourite if you love matcha desserts! The vibrant green colour is just beautiful, it smells wonderfully sweet and earthy, the texture is soft, moist, and fluffy, and also, is super easy to make too. This vegan pound cake recipe is perfect for any occasion and is sure to impress everyone even if they are not vegan!

Main ingredients and substitutions

*Use room temperature ingredients unless otherwise instructed.

Plain flour: Regular plain flour is always my go-to but you can also use a 1:1 gluten-free flour as well to make this recipe gluten-free.

Caster sugar: Also use granulated sugar or brown sugar if you don’t have caster sugar. Make sure to weigh it instead of cup measuring method. Dark-coloured sugar such as brown, coconut, muscovado, etc. can darken the green colour.

Soy milk: I think almond and oat milk would work great in this recipe too if you don’t have soy. Feel free to use any of your favourite plant milk.

Vegetable oil: For a healthier version of this recipe, you can use coconut oil or olive oil too.

Matcha powder: Use high-quality Japanese matcha powder! It does make a huge difference in colour and flavour. Kyoto matcha is the best one in Japan.

Other ingredients: apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, baking soda, and baking powder

*I use bone char-free sugars for all of my recipes. I cover the topic in my article Vegan Baking 101. Go to the “Is sugar vegan?” section to learn more!

Recommended equipment for this recipe

Loaf tin: I used a 2lb loaf tin to make this pound cake. A 1.5lb loaf tine should work too!

Sieve: Because matcha can become lumpy quite easily, I recommend using a sieve to remove any lumps in the matcha powder. Like you always do with flour!

Wooden spoon/silicon spatula: I always use a large wooden spoon or silicon spatula to mix my batter to minimise the formation of gluten. It can be easy to mix too much with a whisk vigorously until super smooth batter forms but this can cause touch and rubbery cake! 

*The ingredient list and measurement for this recipe can be found in the recipe card at the bottom.

How to make vegan matcha pound cake

Step 1: Make vegan buttermilk and mix the dry ingredients

Preheat the oven to 180°C(350°F).

Let’s make the vegan buttermilk first! In a medium bowl, mix the soy milk and apple cider vinegar together and set aside until it curdles and thickened. This is how you make vegan buttermilk, easy peasy!

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the plain flour, caster sugar, matcha powder, baking soda, and baking powder with a whisk until they are well combined.

Step 2: Make the batter

Add the vegan buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract into the dry mixture and mix until it’s just combined with a large wooden spoon or silicone spatula. Be careful not to overmix! Voila, here we have our matcha pound cake batter. 

Step 3: Let’s bake!

Pour the batter into a lined or greased loaf tin and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 50-60 minutes until the top looks baked. To see if the inside is baked, insert a toothpick into the centre of the pound cake and if it comes out clean, yay it’s baked! If it comes out with wet batter, bake for another 5-10 mins.

Remove the pound cake from the oven and let it cool in the tin for about 10-20 minutes until it’s not too hot to touch. Transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Step 4: Make icing

While the matcha pound cake is cooling down, let’s prepare the icing! Whisk together the icing sugar and soy milk until you achieve a silky smooth consistency. That’s it! Super easy, right? Once the pound cake has cooled, drizzle the icing on the top, slice and serve. Enjoy!

Serving tips and ideas

• Serve a slice of the matcha pound cake with a cup of hot or cold green tea to enjoy the full matcha experience like we do in Japan!
• Top a slice with some soy whipping cream or vegan ice cream for an indulgent matcha dessert after lunch or dinner.
• Cut a couple of slices into small cubes, and place them in a tall glass with some whipped cream, ice cream, fruits, sweet bean paste, etc. to make an authentic Japanese parfait dessert!

Expert tips and tricks

Use high-quality matcha powder

 For the best flavour and vibrant green colour in your pound cake, always use a high-quality matcha powder from Japan. Kyoto-produced Uji matcha powder is the most popular of all match powders in Japan! 

Shift matcha powder

Matcha powder can easily form lumps in it compared to flour. Sift your matcha flour as well as other powdery/flour ingredients to achieve a perfect tender texture.

Cover the top halfway through to prevent burning

If your pound cake burns on top, try covering the cake after 30-40 mins with a sheet of aluminium foil! I always use this trick to prevent the top from burning. Be very very careful not to touch the inside of the oven and burn your hands while placing the sheet!

Use a digital scale to weigh ingredients

Always use a digital scale rather than measuring cups when you are baking. It’s so much more accurate and measuring correctly is very important to achieve the best result.

Recipe variations

• Add some zest of one lemon to the batter for a refreshing lemon flavour! Matcha and lemon go hand in hand.
• Add about 1/2 cup of vegan chocolate chips to make matcha chocolate chip pound cake!
• Or vegan white chocolate chunks! Mmmm, delicious.
• If you want to make it look more festive, sprinkle some funfetti on top of the icing!

How to store

• Refrigerating: You can store the pound cake in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. I always place it in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out. It’s delicious even after a couple of days!

• Freezing: If you have leftover pound cake or want to store it for a longer period of time, freezing is a great option. Place sliced pound cake in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to enjoy a slice, remove it from the freezer and microwave on a low-power setting for a quick thawing.

*Although you can store this recipe in the fridge or freezer, it’s always best to consume it fresh and as soon as possible.

Q and A

Why my matcha pound cake is not green?

You might have overbaked the matcha pound cake. When matcha is exposed to extreme heat it turns brownish colour. So try baking it for 50 mins first then do a toothpick test, then bake for another 5-10 mins if needs more baking time. Also, try the aluminium foil tip in the Expert Tips section above for preventing burning!

My pound cake sank in the middle!

You could have measured the ingredients wrong. Too much leavening agents can make the cake rise too rapidly, making it look like it’s baked, but in fact, it’s creating a hole in the middle of the cake and when removed from the oven, the middle of the cake will sink into the hole. I have done it so many times! Measure your ingredients correctly with a digital scale and also make sure your baking powder is not expired.

The bottom of my matcha pound cake is wet?

Did you rest your cake in the loaf tin overnight? Or maybe used more oil than it needs? These can cause the bottom of the pound cake to be wet. Weight your ingredients with a digital scale and remove the cake from the tin after 10-20 mins.

Want to master the basics of vegan baking?
Check out Vegan Baking 101 – the beginner’s guide to vegan baking for you to become an excellent vegan baker and familiar with the basics of vegan baking, ingredients, and techniques with useful tips!

You will LOVE this vegan matcha pound cake because it is:

• moist and fluffy
• full of lovely matcha flavour
• super easy to make
• sweet and delicious

Want more recipes like this?

Try my other delicious matcha/cake recipes you might enjoy!

• Matcha cake
• Matcha brownies
• Matcha cupcakes

Visit the bread and loaves page and recipe page for more delicious recipes!

Please leave a comment and rate this recipe with 5 stars in the comment section below if you like the recipe! Let me know and tag me @thechestnutbakery on Instagram too. Thank you for making my recipe, friends!

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