Lime Matcha Marble Pound Cake

This matcha marble pound cake is the perfect addition to your afternoon tea. Made entirely dairy-free, it offers a perfect balance between sweet, earthy flavors and refreshing lime notes. You’ll also love its light, airy and moist texture with pretty matcha swirls. The glaze is optional but highly recommended. 

Matcha tea always bring a lovely green touch to your desserts. I loved it in these matcha tiramisus, and it works a wonder in this pound cake too. If you’re not so familiar with matcha yet, whether you tried it in a matcha latte or not, here’s what you need to know about it.

What is matcha and why use it in baking?

Matcha (or Japanese green tea) is literally powdered green tea with a bright green hue. It is made of top quality tea leaves that are covered before picking, then stone-ground into a delicate fine powder. Matcha is also known for its healthy properties, antioxidant effects, and for being responsible for boosting the metabolism while detoxifying the body.

The flavor of matcha is sweet and earthy, with slightly bitter undertone. This works great in baked goods as it keeps the flavors from tasting too sweet. And of course it’s also a natural green food-coloring of any kind of sweets, pastries and other baked goods.

This matcha marble pound cake is…

• Easy to make
• Light, airy and moist texture
• Dairy-free
• Packed with earthy flavors…
• … with some refreshing lime notes 

Featured ingredients for matcha pound cake

• Matcha powder. Matcha powder is essentially green tea leaves that have been finely ground into a loose powder. There are various grades of matcha, with a slightly different flavor profile. For baking, you can look for “culinary-grade”, although there is no harm to go for premium instead (except maybe the higher price). Try in any case to purchase it in small amount as matcha should be used relatively quickly after opening.
• Coconut cream. Purchase as is or use the solid part from a can of coconut milk. Coconut milk is a dairy-free agent that will bring moistness to your pound cake.
• Vegetable milk (I used oat milk). Use it very hot to help dissolve the matcha powder.
• Eggs. I use 4 large eggs for extra moistness to the cake.
• Vegetable oil. The use of vegetable oil rather than butter in a pound cake makes it lighter in texture (less dense) and super moist. I recommend a vegetable oil neutral in taste (canola, sunflower) or coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled.
• Lime (zest + juice). This will definitely enhance your matcha pound cake and bring it to the next level. Lime balances the sweet, earthy notes of the matcha powder.

Other classic ingredients of the recipe: all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.

How to marble matcha marble pound cake?

First, prepare the matcha. Keep in mind that matcha dissolves better in warm liquid. For this reason, use vegetable milk (I used oat milk) and warm it in the microwave or in a saucepan until warm. Then, pour it gradually over the matcha tea, whisking constantly until dissolved.

Then, scoop out one third of the cake batter in a separate bowl and add the matcha mixture. Stir gently until almost combined (it’s ok if not completely green).

Pour layers of cake batter with spoonfuls of matcha in between. Repeat until cake batter has been used up (both the plain one and the matcha one).

To create the lovely matcha swirls, make a few gentle swirls by inserting a knife or a chopstick into the batter. Now bake and let the magic happen!

Matcha and lime, the ultimate combo!

Matcha green tea powder brings some sweet, earthy and slightly bitter flavors to the pound cake. The addition of lime balances it all, as it adds some very refreshing flavors to the cake and subtly enhance the other flavors.

For best result, make sure you use freshly squeezed limes. And don’t pass on the lime zest, which is responsible for most of the lime flavors!

Should I serve it with or without the glaze?

It’s really up to you! You can serve your lime matcha marble pound cake plain, alongside with a warm cup of tea. I also love to add a simple strawberry salsa with lime juice and zest, or some fresh raspberries.

If you’re going for the glaze on top, expect some extra sweetness to the pound cake, as well as some refreshing flavors brought by the lime zest.

More delicious loaf cake recipes:

• Best Ever Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf
• Easy Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Easy Chocolate Marble Yogurt Cake
• Streusel Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake
• Vegan Lemon Zucchini Bread

Add a touch of lime to your desserts:

• Key Lime Pie
• Raw Coconut Mango Cheesecake
• Healthy Mini Key Lime Pies

Lime Matcha Marble Pound Cake

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• Author: Delphine Fortin
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 50 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 1 loaf 1x
• Category: Quick breads
• Cuisine: World Cuisine
• Diet: Vegetarian

This matcha marble pound cake is the perfect addition to your afternoon tea. The glaze is optional but highly recommended. 

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Ingredients

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For the lime matcha marble pound cake:

• ¼ cup (70g) coconut cream*
• 1 cup (200g) sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 Tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil, neutral in taste (I used canola oil)**
• Zest of 1 lime
• 1 ⅔ cup (200g) all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 pinch of salt
• ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable milk (I used oat milk)
• 2 Tablespoons matcha powder

For the glaze (optional):

• 1 cup (120g) confectioner’s sugar
• 1 Tablespoons lime juice
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable milk, plus more as needed
• Zest of 1 lemon

 

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease the bottom and the sides of a 9×5-inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, pour the coconut cream. Add sugar, eggs, lime juice and zest, vanilla extract, and vegetable oil. Whisk until combined.
3. In a separate bowl, mix all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and stir well.
4. Add matcha powder to a small bowl. Heat vegetable milk in the microwave and slowly whisk it into the matcha powder until completely dissolved.
5. Scoop ⅓ of the cake batter into a small bowl and gently stir in the matcha mixture.
6. Pour one layer of the plain cake batter into the prepared loaf pan, then spoon a few spoonfuls of the matcha cake batter. Repeat until all the batter has been used up, and make a few gentle swirls by inserting a knife into the batter.
7. Bake for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
8. While loaf is still a little warm, prepare the glaze by whisking all the ingredients together (minus the lime). Add enough milk to make a pourable glaze. Place a baking tray under the cooling rack to catch any drips and spoon glaze slowly over top of loaf, allowing it to drip down the sides a bit. Sprinkle with lime zest all over the glaze. Cool completely, then slice and enjoy.

Notes

* Coconut cream can be purchased as is. If not, scoop out the solid part of a can of coconut milk.

** Canola oil or sunflower oil are my best bets for this recipe. If you want to use coconut oil, make sure it’s melted and slightly cooled before using.

Cakes, Citrus, Easter, Fruit Desserts, Loaves, Spring, Summer

Did you make this recipe?

Lastly, if you make this Lime Matcha Marble Pound Cake, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!