Chocolate Matcha Loaf Cake

I was recently given a box of organic matcha tea. I've become known as the "food recycling bin" at work; if you're given a food gift that you'll never use or don't want, you can give it to Emily who will happily accept it and spend inordinate amounts of time figuring out how to use it up.

Last week, not only did one of my coworkers give me a bag full of tofu puddings (sweetened and almond flavor) that I've incorporated into raspberry-kale-banana smoothies (surprisingly good btw), but my boss also gave me the aforementioned box of matcha tea. Now I have long adored both matcha lattes and baked matcha goods but have never prepared either myself. I decided to start out with baked goods and go from there. I made this lovely pound cake recipe found on lifesafeast.

What I will say about it: the perfect pound cake texture, looks beautiful with the contrasting cocoa/matcha colors, and children adore the bright green color. However, it didn't taste enough of matcha for my liking. If I made this again, I would double the amount of matcha and leave out the competing vanilla extract that can too easily mask the subtle grassy flavor of the matcha.


MATCHA AND CHOCOLATE MARBLE LOAF CAKE

2 c. (280 g) allpurpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 c. (175 g) salted butter, room temperature
3 Tbs (45 g) salted butter, melted
2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/3 c (270 g) sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla (leave out?)
½ c (125 ml) whole milk
1 ½ tsp Matcha tea powder  (increase to 3 tsp)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8 x 4" loaf pan. Grease the pan with butter. Line the bottom of the pan (and up the narrow sides) with one long strip of parchment paper. 
2.Whisk together the flour and baking powder.
3. Whisk the 3Tbs melted butter into the cocoa powder in a small bowl until  smooth.
4. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Beat in one egg at a time, followed by the vanilla if using.
5. Add the flour/baking powder into the butter/sugar in 3 additions alternating with the milk, beating in each addition just until blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
6. Remove 1 c. of the batter and add to the bowl containing the cocoa paste. Stir until well blended. Stir the Matcha powder into the remaining batter.
7. Spoon half of the Matcha batter into the bottom of the loaf pan, smoothing  evenly to the edges. Spoon tablespoons of chocolate batter down the center of the Matcha batter in the pan. Spoon the rest of the Matcha batter on top, gently smoothing the surface. Try not to blend the two batters too much.
8. Using a sharp knife with a narrow blade, make about 5 deep swirls through the batter for the marble effect.
9. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes until the cake is set. If the cake starts to brown too much, loosely cover with aluminum foil.