Hojicha Roll Cake

When you want a light, fluffy cake with a hint of roasted tea flavors, make this hojicha roll cake. Perfectly sweet with a moist cake and creamy filling, this cake is the perfect afternoon treat.

Watch how to make this

What is Hojicha?

At this point, you may be wondering, "So, what is hojicha?". It's a type of Japanese tea, but what makes it extra special is that it's roasted. Because the tea is roasted, all the bitterness is removed, and what's left is a naturally sweet, slightly smoky tea. It has a milder, less grassy taste compared to other green teas. It's quite delightful if I do say so myself.

Ingredients

• Hojicha: A type of Japanese green tea that is roasted and has a reddish-brown color. Although I recommend using hojicha tea to infuse the cream, you can use hojicha powder for the cake.
• Heavy cream: The rich dairy is infused with tea flavor and whipped to make the cream filling.
• White chocolate chips: Used as a sweetening agent for the hojicha cream filling.
• Cake flour: A type of flour that is specifically milled to have a lower protein content compared to all-purpose flour. It is often used in baking to produce delicate and tender cakes.
• Oil: Use a neutral oil such as canola oil, vegetable oil, or safflower oil. Neutral oils have a mild flavor that won't overpower the other ingredients in the cake while contributing a moist and tender texture.
• Baking powder: A leavening agent that helps the cake rise and become light and fluffy.

Substitutions and variations

• Tea flavors: Experiment with other flavors such as matcha or Earl Grey for a different take on this dessert.
• Filling: You can add fresh fruit to the hojicha cream filling, such as diced strawberries, for a fun twist.

Recipe

Print Recipe

Hojicha Roll Cake

1 roll cake

Total Time2 hours hrs

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: cake

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Hojicha cream filling

• 1 ¼ cups heavy cream, divided (310 ml)
• 1 tablespoon hojicha tea leaves
• 2 ounces white chocolate chips (57 grams)

Hojicha roll cake

• 4 large eggs, whites and yolks separated
• ½ cup granulated sugar, divided (100 grams)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk (27 grams)
• 3 tablespoons oil (33 grams)
• ½ cup cake flour (70 grams)
• 2 tablespoons hojicha tea, finely ground
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

• Make the hojicha cream filling. Combine 1 cup heavy cream with 1 tablespoon hochija tea leaves and bring to a simmer over low heat. Continue to simmer for 5 minutes, making sure not to boil the heavy cream. Remove from heat and let sit for 1 hour. Strain the cream, discarding the tea leaves. Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Combine white chocolate chips with remaining ¼ cup heavy cream in a heat-safe bowl. Heat the mixture in the microwave until the white chocolate is melted, stirring every 15 seconds. Let cool completely and chill in the fridge until ready to use.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a jelly roll pan (10 ½ x 15 ½ inches) with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper and spray the paper with cooking spray.
• Whisk the egg whites with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Slowly add ¼ cup sugar and continue to whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
• Whisk the egg yolks with the remaining ¼ cup sugar until doubled in volume, thick, and pale yellow in color. Add the vanilla, milk, and oil, stirring to combine.
• Sift together the dry ingredients including the cake flour, ground tea, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the egg yolk mixture, stirring just until combined.
• Add ⅓ of the egg whites to the egg yolk mixture, stirring to combine. Add another ⅓ of the egg whites and gently fold in the batter using a flexible spatula. Fold in the remaining egg whites just until incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the prepared jelly roll pan and bake the cake for 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• While the cake is baking, place a clean kitchen towel on a work counter. Place parchment paper on top and dust with powdered sugar. Invert the cake onto the prepared towel and peel off the parchment paper on the cake. Roll up the cake with the short side facing you. Let the cake cool completely.
• Finish the hojicha cream filling. Whip the tea-infused heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Add the white chocolate cream and whisk for another minute.
• Unroll the cake and spread the filling on top, leaving a ½-inch border. Gently roll up the cake, this time without the towel and parchment paper. Trim the ends and serve.

Notes

The infused cream for the filling can be prepared the day before. 

Make sure the hojicha cream is cold and properly chilled before whipping it. This recipe makes a generous amount of cream filling and you may have extra left over.

 

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Make cream filling

To make the hojicha roll cake, we're going to first make the hojicha-infused cream. Simmer the hojicha tea in heavy cream over low heat for 5 minutes. It's important that you do not boil the cream, or it can curdle.

Turn off the flames and let the tea steep in the warm cream for 1 hour. Strain the mixture and chill it overnight.

Meanwhile, melt white chocolate chips in a bit of heavy cream in the microwave until the white chocolate chips melt, stirring every 15 seconds. Let this mixture cool completely as well.

We're using white chocolate chips as the sweetener for the cream filling instead of powdered sugar. It adds the perfect balance of sweetness without imparting too many white chocolate flavors.

You can choose to make both of the cream mixtures the day you bake the cake, just make sure the cream is cold before whipping it.

Step 2: Bake the cake

The next day, make the hojicha roll cake. I was unable to find ground hojicha, so I purchased hojicha tea leaves and ground them with a mortar and pestle until fine.

If you can find hojicha powder, you can use that instead, using the same amount as listed in the recipe.

Since we're using the chiffon cake method, we're going to separate the eggs and whip them. Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then in a separate bowl, whip the egg yolks until pale yellow.

Make sure to fully whip each part so that you will have a light, fluffy cake.

Gently mix the egg yolks with the other wet ingredients, then stir in the sifted dry ingredients. Mix in a small amount of the egg whites to loosen up the batter and make it easier to fold.

Then, carefully fold in the egg whites in two batches, making sure not to deflate the whites you spent so much time whipping.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake the cake for 10 minutes. It's a thin cake, so it doesn't need much time in the oven before it's done. In fact, if you overbake the cake, it can quickly become dry. Trust me, I know from experience.

Step 3: Roll the cake

Some websites say to let the cake cool for 10 minutes before you roll it, but I found the most success when I roll it straight from the oven.

Prepare your towel and parchment paper while the cake is baking, and invert it onto the paper when it's done.

Okay, so if you want your cake to look perfect, you can take one extra step. Flip your cake onto a clean sheet of wax paper or a silicone mat. Then, flip the cake again onto the towel lined with parchment paper.

Why take this step? The top of the cake ends up being the outside when you invert it straight onto the towel. However, if you're like me, you may not have spread the cake perfectly, so it won't be completely smooth.

The bottom of the cake, on the other hand, will be. Thus, we have to flip the cake twice to make sure the bottom of the pan is what's going to face the outside.

Step 4: Putting it all together

Let the hojicha roll cake cool completely while it's still rolled up.

Meanwhile, whip the infused cream until stiff peaks form, and then add the white chocolate mixture, whipping until combined.

Unroll the cake and spread that lovely cream in an even layer. You may have extra cream, but it never hurts to have a little extra on the side!

Roll up the cake again, this time without the towel, finish with a light dusting of powdered sugar, and voila!

I cannot tell you how excited I was when I realized I finally nailed the Swiss roll cake. No cracks, perfectly moist, and intense hojicha flavor. Don't mind me, I'll be shoving my face with this cake while doing my happy dance.

For another fantastic hojicha dessert, check out this hojicha cookies and cream ice cream!

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: You can prepare the hojicha cream filling the day before.
• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Frequently asked questions

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