Today I had the privilege of walking down our new neighborhood road with our two little ones. I never imagined I’d be lucky enough to experience such serenity and beauty, an Anne-of-Green-Gables-worthy lane of homes, much less to get to share that with my children. I am beginning to feel the first echos of what people must call “home.”
As a child immigrant and an avid traveler, the concept of “settling” somewhere was truly terrifying to me. I never lived anywhere longer than a few years until recently. But for the last several years, I have longed to set roots, both figuratively and literally. To plant long-lived trees, and let my children eat their fruit as they grow. To meet new friends and neighbors, and grow together as a community, learning about the “cast” of characters we’d all be together each day.
And yet, there’s a part of my heart that will always wander. I adore exploring and learning about the peoples of this world. A large part of that journey for me has been through food and cuisine history, exploring how other cultures survive and experience their favorite moments.
Thank you for indulging my gushing today. But, this post is really about something that sent me on a mental journey about travel. I don’t know if you’ve seen “matcha cloud cakes” floating around recently, but I adore this concept, and it’s not something I’ve really seen done in the U.S. These fluffy, light little wonders are such a delicate, beautiful little treat that they are bound to make your day better. So, I set out to make a recipe. I hope you love it!
You will need cloud cake molds – I have linked here the ones I used from Amazon. Please note, each set of these molds will only make 2 full sized cloud cakes, and the recipe below is for 8 cloud cakes. Adjust quantities according the to the batch size you want. You can really use any silicone mold that you like, but the quantities may need to be re-worked if you choose ones with a different capacity. Enjoy!
Matcha White Chocolate Cloud Cakes
Ingredients
Matcha Sponge Base
- 4 tsp matcha powder
- 2 tbsp whole milk
- 1.5 tbsp butter softened
- 1/4 cup caster sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 50 g all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
White Chocolate Clouds (Filling)
- 3 silver grade gelatin sheets
- 100 g good quality white chocolate *I like Ghirardelli chips
- 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) heavy cream
Matcha Mousse
- 3 silver grade gelatin sheets
- 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) heavy cream)
- 2 tbsp matcha powder
- 2 tbsp water
- 50-100 g powdered sugar *I like these on the less sweet end, but opt for more if you like a sweeter dessert
Instructions
White Chocolate Mousse Filling Clouds
- Soak the gelatin leaves in cold water for 10 minutes.
- When you are near the 10 minutes, melt your chocolate chips at 30 second intervals in the microwave. While the chocolate is hot, strain your gelatin leaves, and mix them in till melted.
- Separately, beat your heavy cream until it is thickened, but not yet at soft peaks. Once your white chocolate has cooled to 40 deg C (102 deg F), fold into your heavy cream, and work quickly (before your mousse sets) to pipe into your small cloud molds. Freeze molds on a tray and covered in plastic wrap overnight.
Make Sponge Base
- Preheat your oven to 350 deg F (177 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and grease lightly.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add one egg at a time, beating well after each to stir in air, 3-5 min.
- Stir in the matcha powder and vanilla extract. Gradually, gently mix in your flour and milk, alternating until both are completely added. Pour the batter onto your baking sheet and gently spread to a thin layer.
- Bake until cake layer is just set, less than 10 minutes. Watch your cake carefully, as this time will vary significantly depending on the thinness of your cake layer.
- Once the cake cools, use a stencil to cut out your bases to fit your larger cloud molds. Set the cutouts aside.
Make Matcha Mousse Cakes
- Soak the gelatin leaves in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes.
- Heat your 2 tbsp water in the microwave, and whisk in your matcha powder till frothy. Strain your gelatin sheets, add them to the matcha while still hot. Mix to combine. If necessary, you can heat another 10 seconds in the microwave to melt.
- While your matcha mixture cools slightly, beat your heavy cream till thickened but not yet at soft peaks. Once your matcha has cooled to 40 deg C (102 deg F), fold into your heavy cream.
- To assemble your clouds, pipe in matcha mousse about halfway up each mold. Use a spoon to spread it up the sides before it stiffens. Add a frozen white chocolate cloud in each mold, top with more matcha mousse, and top with a sponge base. Freeze the molds overnight. Remove, allow to thaw one hour, and enjoy!
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