Delicate genoise sponge infused with roasted hojicha tea, layered with silky hojicha whipped cream for a fragrant, subtly smoky Japanese-inspired treat.
# What You Need:
→ Sponge Cake
01 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
02 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 cup cake flour, sifted
04 - 2 tablespoons hojicha powder
05 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
06 - 2 tablespoons whole milk, room temperature
07 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
→ Hojicha Whipped Cream
08 - 1 1/4 cups heavy cream (minimum 35% fat)
09 - 1/3 cup powdered sugar
10 - 1 tablespoon hojicha powder
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 340°F. Line bottom of 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper; do not grease sides.
02 - Combine eggs and granulated sugar in heatproof bowl. Place over pot of simmering water, whisking constantly until mixture reaches 104°F.
03 - Remove from heat. Beat with electric mixer on high speed until thick, pale, and tripled in volume (about 7 minutes). Reduce speed and beat 1 additional minute.
04 - Sift together cake flour, hojicha powder, and salt. Gently fold into egg mixture in 2 additions, taking care not to deflate batter.
05 - Combine melted butter and milk in small bowl. Add scoop of batter, stir to combine, then gently fold all back into main batter.
06 - Pour batter into prepared pan. Tap gently on counter to remove air bubbles.
07 - Bake for 23-25 minutes until top springs back and skewer inserted comes out clean.
08 - Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Run knife around edges and invert onto rack. Remove parchment and cool completely.
09 - In chilled bowl, sift hojicha powder and powdered sugar. Add heavy cream and vanilla. Whip to medium-stiff peaks.
10 - Slice cooled sponge horizontally into two or three layers. Spread hojicha whipped cream between each layer and over top. Decorate with extra hojicha powder if desired.
11 - Refrigerate assembled cake for at least 30 minutes before serving to ensure cleaner slices.
