Ombré Hojicha & Matcha Mille Crepe Cake
It has been nearly half a year since my last venture into making a mille crepe cake, and this time, I’m excited to share my recipe for an Ombré Hojicha & Matcha Mille Crepe Cake. After numerous attempts and some trial and error with my Purple Yam Mille Crepe Cake, I finally mastered the technique. This cake features a beautiful triple-layer design, incorporating hojicha, matcha, and genmaicha crepes. To enhance the flavor, I used hojicha and matcha whipped cream between the layers, adding a rich, aromatic taste to each bite.
What is Genmaicha?
Genmaicha is a traditional Japanese green tea blend that combines green tea leaves with roasted brown rice. The unique combination results in a nutty, earthy flavor with a hint of sweetness, making it a soothing and aromatic tea. The roasted rice grains often produce a popped texture, resembling popcorn, adding to its distinctive appearance and taste. Genmaicha is enjoyed for its mild flavor, which balances the bitterness of green tea with the warm, toasty notes of the rice. This tea is not only popular as a comforting drink but also used creatively in various culinary applications, such as flavoring desserts like cakes and pastries.
Genmaicha, with its light green color, acts as a natural food coloring in this recipe. Although its flavor is more subtle compared to hojicha and matcha, it adds a lovely visual element to the cake. If you don’t have genmaicha powder, you can easily substitute it with just hojicha and matcha powders.
Where do I get tea powders?
I get all my tea powders from Paragon Tea Room. For this recipe, I use their ceremonial matcha, hojicha powder (Obsidian), and genmaicha powder.
Key Ingredients for Mille Crepe Batter
- Large eggs: Provide structure and richness to the batter.
- Sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness to the crepes.
- Unsalted butter (melted): Enhances flavor and prevents sticking.
- All-purpose flour: The main ingredient for the crepe base.
- Milk: Creates a smooth, pourable batter.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances flavor.
Tips for a Successful Mille Crepe Cake
Prepare the Essential Tools
- A non-stick pan: we use 24 cm (9.5″) in diameter in this recipe.
- Silicone spatula
- 1/4 measuring cup
- Cold damp towel
- Powder Free Vinyl Disposable Gloves
- Oil brush (optional)
Handle the Crepes
- Use a glove on one hand to handle the hot crepes without burning yourself.
- Preheat the pan on low heat to ensure the batter starts to solidify immediately upon contact, allowing you to pour back any excess batter for thinner crepes.
- Cool the pan every few crepes by placing it on a cold damp towel.
Rest the Batter
- Prepare the batter the night before and let it rest in the fridge to achieve a thicker consistency, which helps prevent the crepes from breaking.
- If short on time, rest the batter for at least one hour.
Ombré Hojicha & Matcha Mille Crepe Cake
Equipment
- Cold damp towel
Ingredients
Crepe Batter
- 4 large eggs
- 35 g sugar
- 55 g unsalted butter melted
- 200 g all-purpose flour
- 500 mL milk
- 2 g salt
- 2½ tsp matcha powder sifted
- 2½ tsp hojicha powder sifted
- 2 tsp genmaicha powder sifted (optional)
- Hot water
Cream Filling
- 400 mL whipping cream
- 30 g sugar
- 2 tsp matcha powder sifted
- 2 tsp hojicha powder sifted
- Hot water
Instructions
To Prepare the Crepe Batter
- In a large metal bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until the mixture turns white-ish and frothy.
- Add melted butter to the egg mixture. Ensure the butter is lukewarm to avoid cooking the eggs when combining.
- Sift all-purpose flour and salt into the mixture. Mix until just combined to avoid a rubbery texture.
- Gradually add milk to the batter, one-third at a time, mixing until combined before adding more.
- In another metal bowl, run the batter through a sieve to ensure smoothness.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or best overnight.
- Just 5 minutes before using the crepe batter, sift matcha, hojicha, and genmaicha powders respectively into three small bowls/ramekins. Add 1½ tbsp hot water to the matcha and hojicha powders, and 1 tbsp hot water to the genmaicha powder. Mix until combined.
- Prepare two empty mixing bowls and divide the batter into three equal portions (approximately 310g each). Adjust portions: bowl A: 206g; bowl B: 413g; bowl C: 310g.
- Add genmaicha, hojicha, and matcha mixtures to bowls A, B, and C respectively. Genmaicha will have the least batter, while hojicha will have the most.
To Cook the Crepe
- Set a 10-inch non-stick frying pan on low heat. Once hot, brush with oil and remove excess with a paper towel.
- Stir the batter before scooping with a 1/4 measuring cup. Cook the crepes in this order: genmaicha, matcha, and hojicha.
- Lift the pan from the heat and pour the batter into it. Swirl the pan slowly to cover the bottom evenly. Pour excess batter back into the bowl.
- Cook for 1-2 minutes without touching until the edges get crispy and the crepe bubbles. Use a silicone spatula and your hand to flip the crepe.
- Cook the other side for 20 seconds and transfer to a working surface or plate lined with plastic wrap.
- Repeat until all the batter is used. After every 3-4 crepes, place the hot frying pan on a cold towel to cool slightly. This recipe yields about 20 crepes.
- Set the crepes aside to cool.
To Prepare Cream Filling
- Sift matcha and hojicha powders respectively into two small bowls/ramekins. Add 1 tbsp hot water to each and mix until combined. Set aside.
- Pour whipping cream and sugar into a large metal bowl. Whisk until soft peaks form.
- Divide the whipped cream into two equal portions. Add the hojicha and matcha mixtures to each bowl respectively. Whisk until medium-stiff peaks form.
To Assemble
- (Optional) Use a 6-inch round mold or bowl to cut the edges of the crepes for uniform size.
- On a working surface or plate lined with plastic wrap (large enough to wrap the cake fully), place the first slice of hojicha crepe.
- Spread a thin, even layer of hojicha cream on the crepe. The cream should just cover the crepe without being too thick.
- Place another crepe on top and spread the cream evenly. Continue this process until the last hojicha crepe is placed, then proceed with matcha crepe, and lastly, genmaicha crepe on top.
- Clean the excess cream from the edges using a metal spatula.
- Wrap the mille crepe cake fully with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
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