Eggless Hojicha Tiramisu Cake
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Eggless Hojicha Tiramisu Cake is a Japanese twist on the classic Italian dessert. It consists of hojicha soaked ladyfingers layered with airy mascarpone cream and finished with a generous dusting of hojicha powder.
Do you still remember my previous Eggless Matcha Tiramisu Cake? It was a huge hit and I got it delivered multiple times already. So, I thought that it would be fun to experiment with the flavor.
For today’s recipe, I use hojicha, the cousin of matcha. Have you tried hojicha before? If you have not, you have really got to try it. Hojicha powder has a naturally sweet taste and smoky flavor with distinct notes of cocoa. If you are looking to replace your coffee or tea with a product that has a great taste and less caffeine, hojicha may be a perfect choice.
This Eggless Hojicha Tiramisu Cake consists of hojicha soaked ladyfingers, layered with a light and airy mascarpone cream, and finished with a generous dusting of hojicha powder. The cake is eggless and requires no cooking or baking. It takes only 30 minutes to prepare and assemble the cake. Sounds easy right?
What Is Hojicha?
Hojicha is a Japanese green tea. It is distinctive from other Japanese green teas because it is roasted in a porcelain pot over charcoal, whereas most Japanese teas are steamed. The tea is fired at a high temperature, altering the leaf color tints from green to reddish-brown and makes the taste less astringent.
The roasted flavors are extracted and dominate this tea. The roasting process used to make hojicha also lowers the amount of caffeine in the tea. Because of its mildness, hojicha is a great choice for late afternoon tea time and even preferred for children and the elderly.
What Does Hojicha Taste Like?
Hojicha has a very aromatic, roasted, nutty, slightly sweet, and woody flavor and aroma. It has a slightly smoky flavor that is reminiscent of coffee but without caffeine. It does not taste bitter because any bitterness typically found in green tea is removed from hojicha when the tea leaves are roasted at a high temperature. The leaves can be light, medium, or heavily roasted. The darker the tea leaves, the more intense roasted flavor it will have.
Hojicha vs Matcha
Hojicha and matcha are both Japanese green teas, but they are very different. The only thing they share is the same origin. Here is a comparison of their most notable characteristics.
- Process. The tea used for making matcha, Tencha, is shaded, harvested, steamed, dried, and sorted before grinding to create the powder. Meanwhile, the tea used for making hojicha, Sencha or Bancha, is harvested, steamed, dried, sorted, and then slowly roasted before grinding to create hojicha powder.
- Color. Matcha is a bright green color, especially when it is of ceremonial grade. Unlike traditional Japanese green teas, hojicha has a reddish-brown color.
- Aroma. Fresh matcha has a vegetal earthy aroma. As a roasted green tea, hojicha has an aromatic, roasted, nutty aroma.
- Flavor. While lower-grade matcha powder tastes bitter, ceremonial-grade matcha is slightly sweet with a savory umami flavor and vegetal notes. Hojicha powder has a naturally sweet taste and smoky flavor with distinct notes of cocoa.
- Caffeine content. Matcha has approximately 70 mg of caffeine per cup, almost as much as coffee, making it perfect for early mornings. Hojicha has only about 7.7 mg of caffeine per cup, so it can be enjoyed later in the day.
The Best Hojicha for Tiramisu
Hojicha is available in the market as whole leaves and powder form. Depending on your purpose and the taste profile you like to achieve, there is a variety of hojicha you can purchase. For this recipe, I use hojicha powder instead of loose-leaf tea. The reason is that the powder form is the easiest and quickest way to enjoy a strong hojicha flavor in tiramisu. If using tea leaves, the flavor will not be as strong as the one made from powder.
More Tiramisu Recipe
If you love tiramisu like me, make sure to check out these recipes!
- Poured Tiramisu
- Poured Matcha Tiramisu
- Tiramisu Layer Cake
- Tiramisu Ice Cream Layer Cake
- Eggless Matcha Tiramisu Cake
- Individual Matcha Tiramisu Cups
Eggless Hojicha Tiramisu Cake
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Ingredients
- 1 package ladyfingers, 24 ladyfingers
Hojicha SImple Syrup
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp hojicha powder
- 1 cup (240 ml) hot water
- 3-4 tbsp dark rum
Mascarpone Cream
- 8 oz (225 gr) mascarpone cheese
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup (50 gr) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Topping
- Whipped cream
- Hojicha powder
Instructions
Hojicha Simple Syrup
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar and hojicha. Add a little bit of hot water and stir vigorously until well combined with no lump. Add the remaining hot water and stir to combine.
- Let the mixture cool slightly. Stir in the rum. Let the mixture cool completely before using.
Mascarpone Cream
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the heavy whipping cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract. Whip until the mixture starts to thicken and stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, soften the mascarpone cheese. Add a third of the whipped cream and mix until well incorporated and looks lump-free. Add the remaining whipped cream and whip on high speed until stiff peak. Refrigerate the frosting until using it.
Assemble
- Line the side of a 6×3 inch/15×7.5 cm cake ring or springform pan with baking paper or transparent cake collar. If using a cake ring, place a cake board or a flat surface on the bottom.
- Trim the ladyfingers to fit the pan (I use 8 ladyfingers for each layer).
- One at a time, gently dip both sides of ladyfingers into the hojicha simple syrup, then place on the bottom of the pan. Top with about one-third the mascarpone cream, spread into an even layer. Repeat the process for the second and third layers.
- Chill for at least 6 hours or overnight to set.
- Remove the mold and baking paper or cake side membrane.
- Pipe whipped cream on top if desired.
- Dust the top with hojicha powder just before serving.
I was looking for an eggless tiramisu cake recipe when I came across this website. The recipe is so simple and it comes in a perfect size for me. I also have tried the matcha version, but I like the hojicha one better. Thanks for the great recipe!