What’s the difference between ceremonial grade matcha and culinary grade matcha?

Ceremonial grade matcha is just that, made for ceremonies in mind. It is premium quality and the flavor is more subtle, more true matcha than culinary. In contrast, culinary grade matcha is meant for cooking applications and is not as high quality. This recipe is not for a hot or iced matcha latte , so why do I recommend ceremonial grade? Because I’ve found that culinary grade is bitter and since we’re only using 1 teaspoon (or 1 + ¼ teaspoon if also making the icing), I’ve found that it is worth it to use my expensive ceremonial grade matcha for this recipe.

What is the best matcha powder?

Ippodo matcha tea is my favorite. You cannot go wrong with this brand in my opinion. A good starter is the Sayaka variety (not too strong). Other good brands include Kettl, Rishi, and Matchaful.

I don’t own a microwave—help!

Follow the steps in the recipe to make this vegan matcha mug cake—but place it in a ramekin instead and bake in a 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius) oven for 10-20 minutes (will depend on the size and shape (diameter, depth, etc.) of your ramekin. You’ll know it’s done when the top looks set, the edges look browned, and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Can I double the recipe?

Yes but… spread that across two mugs otherwise the inside won’t cook. And don’t cook two mugs at once, otherwise they won’t heat evenly.

Sure, but keep the recipe the same.

Vegan Matcha Mug Cake

Name: Vegan Matcha Mug Cake
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 5 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ½ ripe banana, mashed (see note 1); 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk; 1 tablespoon canned coconut milk (see note 2); 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar; ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract; A tiny pinch of salt (see note 3); ¼ cup all purpose flour (see note 4 and 5 for gluten-free option); ¼ heaping teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon ceremonial grade matcha powder (see note 6); 2-3 tablespoons organic powdered sugar; ¼ teaspoon ceremonial grade matcha powder; ¾ - 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk

Description

Fluffy, moist, and ready in 5 minutes, this Vegan Matcha Mug Cake is loaded with delicious matcha flavor. This is the easiest dessert.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the vegan matcha mug cake

1/2 ripe banana, mashed (see note 1)
2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
1 tablespoon canned coconut milk (see note 2)
2 tablespoons organic cane sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
A tiny pinch of salt (see note 3)
1/4 cup all purpose flour (see note 4 and 5 for gluten-free option)
1/4 heaping teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ceremonial grade matcha powder (see note 6)

For the icing, optional

2-3 tablespoons organic powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon ceremonial grade matcha powder
3/4 - 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk

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Instructions

Note about mug size: Mugs do come in all different shapes and sizes. I’ve made this in a relatively small 14-ounce mug. If you have a smaller mug, like an 8 oz mug, you may want to halve the recipe. You’ll need to cook it for less time too. If you have a larger mug, the cake will cook just fine, it will just be lower in the mug (it won’t come all the way to the top).
Mash the banana: Start by mashing the half banana in a small bowl (or in the mug, I just find it easier in a small bowl) with a fork. Mash until it gets a little shiny or glossy. This helps it incorporate better into the batter.
Mix wet ingredients: Add the mashed banana to the mug first with the non-dairy milk, coconut milk (if using), sugar, and vanilla extract and mix well with the fork. Adding the dry ingredients first makes it hard to make sure you get every dry bit.
Add dry ingredients: Now sprinkle the flour, baking powder, and salt on top of the wet mixture in the mug. Use a fine mesh tea strainer or a sifter to sift in the matcha so it doesn’t clump.
Mix again with the fork, but try not to overmix (can lead to a somewhat tough texture).
Chocolate option: If you’d like, you could add vegan white chocolate chips or regular vegan chocolate chips, but I really like the vegan matcha mug cake as is.
Cook: Microwave for about 1-2.5 minutes. Don’t overcook it! Start with 1 minute and add 15 seconds at a time after checking it. How long it takes will vary by microwave. 1 minute and 31 seconds was actually perfect for our microwave. It’s done when the top of the cake appears mostly matte and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, or with tiny crumbs on it (which is the best doneness because it’s super tender at that point).
Let cool: Let the vegan matcha mug cake cool for a few minutes before icing or eating.
To make the icing (optional): Using a fine mesh tea strainer or a sifter, lift the powdered sugar and ¼ teaspoon matcha powder into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whisk in the non-dairy milk. If the icing is too thick, add a half teaspoon of non-dairy milk, or more as needed. If the icing is too thin, add in a teaspoon of powdered sugar, or more as needed. When you’re happy with the consistency, you can use a spoon to drizzle the icing over the cake.
Storage: This recipe makes a single serving so I recommend enjoying the whole thing immediately. If you do have leftovers, do your best to cover the mug and refrigerate until ready to finish.

Notes

Note 1: Use half a medium ripe, spotted banana for one mug cake. You can either freeze the rest or make a mug cake for someone else too. I could not detect any banana flavor in the finished cake, but if you don’t have any overripe bananas, or you can’t have bananas, you can use a similar amount of sweet potato or pumpkin puree, unsweetened applesauce, or mashed avocado. Keep in mind some of these may change the color and the cake will not be as sweet.
Note 2: This adds some richness and increases the fluffy texture of the finished cake. It does not make it taste like coconut. If you don’t have coconut milk or you can’t eat it, you can use a tablespoon of vegan butter instead, OR just use 3 tablespoons total of non-dairy milk.
Note 3: A little salt is important for the flavor balance. However, the amount I used is less than ⅛ teaspoon, perhaps around half that or less. Use a tiny pinch between two fingers.
Note 4: Almond flour gluten-free version (also uses maple syrup for a refined sugar free version): ½ spotted ripe banana mashed, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, tiny pinch salt, 5 tablespoons ultra fine blanched almond flour, ¼ heaping teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon ceremonial grade matcha powder. Mix wet ingredients in the mug including mashed half banana, then sprinkle or sift in the dry ingredients. Mix gently and microwave for 90 seconds to 2 minutes. It’s done when the top appears matte and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. This is a significantly darker looking cake, but it does still taste good!
Note 5: If you prefer to use a 1:1 gluten-free flour replacement, then try the main recipe I wrote above in the recipe card but with the same amount of gluten-free flour blend. I can’t guarantee it will work as there are many blends out there that produce different results but I have had good success with swapping flour in cake with brands like Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour and King Arthur Baking Company Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour.
Note 6: Culinary grade matcha, while significantly less expensive than ceremonial grade matcha, will be less flavorful, often bitter, and sometimes even a little fishy. Ceremonial grade IS expensive, but if you love the taste of matcha, you may not be happy making your vegan matcha mug cake with culinary grade matcha. Further, we’re only using a teaspoon of matcha powder here (or ¼ teaspoon extra if making the icing), so it’s not a large amount. My favorite matcha for this recipe (and for drinking, either hot or in an iced matcha latte) is always Ippodo Tea. Other good brands include Matchaful, Rishi, and Kettl.

Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Category: Dessert, snack
Method: Microwave
Cuisine: American