Matcha isn’t just a tea; it is a wonderfully versatile ingredient that can be used in a wide variety of both savoury and sweet recipes. In fact, you might have noticed that matcha bakes and desserts are having a bit of a moment right now.

Whether it’s matcha and white chocolate cookies, matcha cheesecake, matcha ice cream or matcha macarons, more matcha treats than ever are featuring heavily on Instagram, food blogs and, baking shows, including The Great British Bake Off (GBBO).

Matcha gives your bakes new life

Matcha is an easy way to give your bakes a flavour lift. Its taste is quite earthy, which complements baked goods, providing balance and depth of flavour. Matcha pairs beautifully with chocolate, lemon, vanilla, coconut and ginger and the list goes on. If you have a favourite recipe and want to give it new life, then matcha is a great option!

That is what accomplished baker and OMGTea matcha lover, Jasvinder Kaur (Jaz), did when creating this stunning Matcha Roll Cake filled with matcha Swiss meringue buttercream and topped with white chocolate. She used the recipe for Edd Kimber’s Roasted Plum Roll Cake from his book, One Tin Bakes, and swapped out the plum for our AAA Grade organic matcha.

Jaz has collaborated with us by sharing some of her favourite matcha bakes alongside this year’s series of GBBO. With the series final airing tonight, she wanted to do something special, and we think this gorgeous Matcha Roll Cake is a real showstopper!

For more baking inspiration, tips, and overall deliciousness, we recommend you check out her Instagram page @curlyhairedfoodie.

Matcha adds a pop of colour

Matcha is also a great way to add a natural green colour to your bakes as well as icings, glazes, and chocolate. Jaz’s cake is a beautiful delicate green but if you want something more striking you can easily dial the colour up by adding more matcha.

As always, don’t forget to put it through a tea strainer or sieve before using to avoid clumps and to ensure a smooth and even colour.

What grade of matcha should I use for baking?

Whilst we always recommend high grade matcha for consuming as tea, it isn’t necessary to use the higher grades when baking.

We recommend our mid-level organic AA Grade matcha for baking and cooking. It is a slightly lower grade than our other products and was developed for lattes, smoothies, baked goods, and other recipes. With a slightly bolder and less nuanced flavour than our highest grades, it was designed to stand up to other ingredients and as it is still a high quality matcha, it has a rich green colour and thus, will deliver on both flavour and colour.

If you have a favourite grade or usually consume one of the others however and would prefer to use one of them instead, that’s fine. Jaz used the AAA Grade for her Matcha Roll Cake, and it turned our perfectly. Just remember to taste as you go along and if you want more of a matcha hit, simply add a little extra.