Individual Matcha Tiramisu Cups
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Individual Matcha Tiramisu Cups are layered with moist rum-infused matcha sponge cakes, creamy matcha mascarpone filling, and dusted with matcha powder.
This is one of the most classic desserts, tiramisu, with a twist in it. We love the bitter-sweet espresso, savory mascarpone cheese, and ladyfingers version, but have you ever thought that this delicious treat is also great when combined with other flavors? If you have ever thought that tiramisu with tea-infused does not go together, you are about to change your mind. I have got this Individual Matcha Tiramisu Cups recipe for you.
Tips on Making Matcha Tiramisu
Just like any other tiramisu, matcha tiramisu is made with moist rum-infused matcha sponge cakes, layered with creamy matcha mascarpone filling in between, and topped off with a dusting of matcha powder. This matcha tiramisu is layered in transparent individual servings so that you can see the delicious layers, making it perfect for an individual dinner party dessert.
1. Choose the right matcha
Some of you may get confused about the difference between green tea and matcha. Don’t confuse matcha with the same green tea that you drink at home or Japanese restaurants. The names are slightly deceptive because green tea and matcha are used interchangeably, but they are actually slightly different. Matcha and green tea both come from the same plant, camellia sinensis, but they are grown and processed differently.
Matcha is made from whole green tea leaves that have been pulverized into a super fine powder. Because the whole leaf is powdered and ingested, instead of just water infused through the tea leaves, matcha has significantly greater substances and deeper flavor than green tea. Moreover, you cannot grind the regular green tea to make matcha, considering matcha is made from shade-grown tea leaves. Processing regular green tea involves the leaves being left in the sun. Comparatively, matcha bushes are specifically kept undercover to increase the chlorophyll and amino acid level in the leaves. That is why matcha has a much richer flavor than green tea.
Please note that matcha comes in both ceremonial-grade and culinary-grade. Ceremonial-grade is considered higher quality and should be used for drinking. Meanwhile, the culinary-grade powder is intended for baking and cooking purposes. For making this Individual Matcha Tiramisu Cups recipe, culinary grade matcha will suffice.
2. Use room temperature egg
Sponge cake should have a soft, delicate, spongy, and uniform crumb that absorbs the moisture from the syrup. To do this, sponge cake relies on beaten eggs to make it light. Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature. Cold eggs do not whip up easily and will not hold the same volume of air as slightly warm eggs. If they are too cold, just soak them for a few minutes in a bowl of warm water.
3. Sponge cake’s alternatives
Traditional tiramisu is a pudding-like dessert that usually consists of sponge cake or ladyfingers dipped in a liqueur, then layered with rich custard. If you are feeling lazy with making the sponge cake from scratch, you can substitute the sponge cake with commercial ladyfingers
or plain sponge cake, just like any other tiramisu recipe. Ladyfingers do not taste like much on their own, just tender-crisp bites of dry sponge cake.
4. Do not soak the sponge cake
Do not soak the cut sponge cake into the syrup as overly soggy cake makes for a wet texture and a messy dessert. Just spoon the syrup over the sponge cake, making sure the sponge cake gets soaked with the syrup.
5. Do not scramble the egg yolks
Traditional tiramisu is often prepared using raw egg yolks. Raw eggs may contain bacteria called Salmonella, which can cause food poisoning. Unless you can find pasteurized eggs at the grocery store, those are safe to consume raw. Just to be safe, I cook the mixture of beaten egg yolks and sugar on a double-boiler (bain-marie technique) just to heat the egg yolks without curdling them. The method does not require a special pot but can be created by setting a heat-proof bowl on top of a simmering pot of water. There should be space between the water and the bottom of the bowl. Instead, the bowl is only heated by the rising steam. Mix vigorously until the custard thickens and triple in volume. Then, it’s time to pull from the heat and let cool.
6. Soften the mascarpone
Do not substitute mascarpone with cream cheese here when making tiramisu. While cream cheese is tangy, mascarpone is very smooth and buttery tasting. Mascarpone has a very high-fat content and so will split more easily than double/whipping cream or cream cheese. Mascarpone does not need to be at room temperature, you can just leave it out of the fridge for a couple of minutes to soften slightly as it softens very quickly. If the mascarpone is warm then it is actually easier to over whisk it.
7. Chill the tiramisu
Once built, the tiramisu needs to chill for at least 6 hours before serving. The sponge cake will absorb more flavor and the cream will set to a sliceable consistency. Just before serving, dust the top with matcha powder.
More Tiramisu Recipes
If you love Tiramisu, make sure to check out these tiramisu recipes!
- No-Bake Tiramisu Cake
- Tiramisu Layer Cake
- Eggless Matcha Tiramisu Cake
- Tiramisu Ice Cream Layer Cake
- Eggless Hojicha Tiramisu Cake
More Matcha Recipes to Try
Do you love matcha? As a matcha lover, you should also try these recipes at home!
- Matcha Pancakes
- Matcha Panna Cotta
- Almond White Chocolate Matcha Cookies
- Matcha White Chocolate Brownies
- Zebra-Striped Matcha Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
Matcha Sponge Cake
- 4 eggs, separated
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (100 gr) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (90 gr) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tbsp matcha powder
Matcha Syrup
- 1 tbsp matcha powder
- 1 tbsp castor sugar
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) hot water
- 1 tbsp dark rum
Matcha Mascarpone Cream
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup (50 gr) castor sugar
- 1 tbsp dark rum
- 8 oz (225 gr) mascarpone cheese, softened
- 1 tbsp matcha powder
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream
- Matcha powder, for dusting
Instructions
Matcha Sponge Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F/180°C. Grease a 12×18-inch/30×45 cm pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk egg whites on low speed until frothy. Add salt, turn up the speed to medium. Slowly add sugar and turn the speed to high. Whisk until stiff peak is form and the mixture looks shiny.
- Fold in egg yolks into the mixture with a spatula until well combined. Sift in flour and matcha. Fold until well combined.
- Pour the mixture onto the baking pan and spread evenly using an offset spatula. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly pressed.
- Let the sponge cake cool in the pan on a rack. Set aside.
Matcha Syrup
- While waiting for the sponge cake to cook, add matcha and sugar into a small bowl.
- Add little bit of hot water into the matcha and mix until well incorporated. This will prevent the matcha forming too much lumps. Then, add the remaining hot water to the matcha mixture until well combined.
- Let the mixture cool completely, then add rum and stir until well combined.
Matcha Mascarpone Cream
- In a heatproof bowl that rests easily in your saucepan without touching the surface of the water (bain-marie), whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture is pale, thick, and hot to the touch. Make sure the sugar is fully dissolved. Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk heavy cream using an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
- Once egg yolk mixture has cooled, add the mascarpone, rum, and sift in matcha powder. Whisk the mixture until well combined. Then, gently fold in the whipped cream in until smooth.
Assemble
- Cut out circles on sponge cake with a 2.5-inch/6 cm cookie cutter.
- In a 2.5×3-inch/6×7.5 cm glass, put in a cut out sponge cake. Spoon matcha syrup over the sponge cake, making sure it is soaked with the syrup. Spoon a dollop of the mascarpone cream mixture on top.
- Repeat with layering filling and ladyfingers, creating 3 layers in total.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Right before serving, dust the top with matcha powder. Serve cold.
