Matcha Orange Yogurt Cake

One of the most free-spirited and lovable people I know, Annie, has been brightening up my winter break with reports of her Pancake Yancake creations. From matcha candy cane cookies to panda cookies to matcha hokkaido milk bread to matcha custard tarts to taro pastries, she’s been baking up a storm and revealing her hidden skills! No panda stamper? Her cookies still looked👌. No food coloring? Good thing she had some beet juice saved. No kiwi? She heard orange-matcha was a nice combo… 🙇 Probed by her orange variation of my matcha kiwi custard tarts, I was inspired to create this matcha orange variation of my trusty lemon yogurt cake. Thank you to the amazing Annie!

Matcha Orange Yogurt Cake

Serves 8

Ingredients

For the cake

1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp matcha powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Zest of 1/2 orange (~1 tbsp)
1 cup plain Greek yogurt*
1/3 cup milk*
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil

For the orange syrup

Juice of 1/2 orange (~2 tbsp)
1 tbsp granulated sugar

*nonfat and whole milk versions work just as well

Directions

For the cake

Preheat the oven to 350 F and prepare (grease and flour) a standard 4 ½” x 8 ½” loaf pan.
In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, matcha, baking powder, salt).
In a large bowl, combine the sugar and orange zest; rub the two together until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the rest of the wet ingredients (yogurt, milk, eggs, oil) and mix until well combined.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined (batter will look lumpy).
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes or until cake passes the toothpick test. Let the cake cool slightly; meanwhile, prepare the orange syrup.

For the orange syrup

Over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the orange juice.
Evenly spoon the orange syrup over the cake (you can use a knife to help loosen and guide the syrup down the sides of the loaf if the syrup starts pooling around the edges). Let the cake absorb all the syrup and cool slightly more before enjoying warm.