This matcha cake has complexity of nutty and earthy flavors from olive oil and poppy seeds. Made with almond and oat flours in just ONE BOWL, this tender gluten-free cake recipe has a crisp exterior that cracks when sliced and a moist delicate crumb that gets even better as it sits.
This post is sponsored by Lucini Italia, using their extra virgin olive oil.
At some point over the years of celebrating my birthday a day late on St. Patrick's Day, Matcha March became my tradition. I celebrate the dual occasion with recipes tinted naturally green by my favorite ingredient, matcha. With this gluten-free olive oil matcha cake, Matcha March 2019 is in full swing.
If you're new here, my Ultimate Guide to Matcha contains everything you need to know about buying, drinking, and cooking with matcha.
When my buddy Angi took a job in the South Bay that shifted her schedule to early am alarms and reasonable bedtimes, she stopped coming over for our weekly dinner. I don't blame her though. It would take her nearly 2 hours to get here in rush hour traffic, plus another 30 minutes home if she stays past bedtime to wait out the return traffic. I've promised a lot of things to get her to come visit on a work night - hugs, homemade lasagna, cat snuggles, a personalized interpretive dance. Nothing's worked.
Until I texted her about this cake.
She'd tasted a three-day old slice from a test batch and I promised to freeze some of the final version for her. All I had to say was "you have cake here" and she knocked on my door way past her bedtime on a weeknight. Say no more.
This cake has allure.
The more I cook with matcha, the more I've come to love and play up its savory sweet profile. (If you're not there yet with matcha, I understand. Though, I urge you to give it another go with this cake, equipped with my tips of finding a quality matcha).
Olive oil desserts similarly walk that line between savory and sweet. As you can guess, I'm a mega fan of olive oil with my dessert. Please drizzle some on my ice cream with flakey salt.
This matcha olive oil cake lives in that delicate savory sweet dessert place and celebrates it.
Taste and Texture: Almond Olive Oil Cake with Matcha and Poppy Seeds
This gluten-free olive oil cake has a characteristically crispy golden brown exterior that cracks when sliced, giving way to a super moist and delicate matcha-infused center. Poppy seeds add subtle crunch to the tender cake. With Lucini extra virgin olive oil as the fat, the moisture of the cake only improves the longer it sits. It even holds up well in the freezer.
Where traditional olive oil cakes boast the subtlety of the olive oil flavor, this matcha poppy seed version leans into that flavor profile. Each element chosen for the ways it augments the olive oil's notes. Almond flour. Matcha. Poppy Seeds.
For this cake, start with a flavorful quality olive oil like Lucini's premium select extra virgin olive oil. It's got slightly savory herbal notes with hints of almond. We're going to build on those notes.
Drawing from the classic flavors in an almond olive oil cake, this matcha poppy seed version has even more layers of complexity. Matcha adds a vegetal grassy pop with sweet nuttiness. Poppy seeds, too, add a subtle sweet nuttiness and woodsy herbal flavor - both enhance the olive oil's savory herbal notes. Sugar balances out the earthiness, with just enough to draw out the sweet side of the ingredients.
Taken together, the flavor is simultaneously potent and subtle. You'll taste all the layers and wonder which flavor you're actually tasting.
And if you're so inclined, a dollop of vanilla-scented whipped cream on top perfectly rounds out the flavors.
How to make Olive Oil Cake
This cake takes one bowl, a measuring cup, and a whisk, plus about 5-10 minutes to mix it all up and pour it in the pan. You don't need to fuss with aerating butter with sugar, bringing ingredients to room temperature, or whipping egg whites.
Need cake fast? (Me, always). I've got your back.
What kind of matcha for a green tea cake
When you make a matcha cake, you want that iconic green color to pop.
I've got a few tricks to keep the cake bright green, but most important is the quality of the matcha you use. Many culinary grade matcha brands that you'll find at the supermarket are oxidized and brown right out of the bag. If you don't start with a vibrant green matcha, your cake might bake up dull and muddy brown. While sugar may serve to mask much of the bitterness from a lower quality matcha in a baked cake, I recommend using a high quality culinary grade or "latte grade" matcha for baking if you want a naturally vibrant green cake.
My Ultimate Guide to Matcha will help navigate the various types and brands of matcha.
Once you've got a quality vibrant green matcha, my tip to keeping your matcha cake green is to use strictly baking powder leavening. Baking powder is made up of baking soda + a built-in acid that will keep your cake crumb from turning brown during the long bake. You need that acid to ward off a chemical reaction that would turn your matcha brown.
How to infuse the most flavor in a poppy seed cake
The texture of poppy seeds adds little flecks of crunch, but their real power lies in their subtle flavor. Flavor that requires a bit of coaxing. Let the poppy seeds soak in the liquid ingredients for just 5 minutes before adding them to the dry ingredients. This will unveil their sweet yet earthy nutty notes.
This cake takes one bowl to whip up while offering four subtle ingredients melded together into a super flavor that's greater than the sum of its parts. As a frosting-free cake, you can enjoy it for breakfast with a cup of tea or as an after dinner dessert!
Or...both.
Disclosure: Special thanks to Lucini Italia for providing the olive oil for this recipe and sponsoring this post! And thanks to you for supporting the companies that keep Snixy Kitchen cooking!
Recipe
Gluten-Free Olive Oil Matcha Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for the pan
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1¼ cup + 2 tablespoons, 166g superfine blanched almond flour
- ½ cup + 3 tablespoons, 83g gluten-free oat flour
- ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon, 168g granulated sugar
- 1½ tablespoons high-quality matcha powder, I use Encha
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, or vanilla bean paste
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a glass measuring cup, whisk together olive oil, milk, and poppy seeds and let sit for 5 minutes while you prepare the baking pan.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch cake pan with olive oil and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.
- Whisk the eggs and vanilla extract into the liquid ingredients.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, oat flour, sugar, matcha, baking powder, and salt. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well until just combined. Pour the batter into the pan and use a spatula to smooth the top.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the cake springs back when poked and a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto a wire baking rack then flip right side up to cool. I use two wire racks to invert the cake right side up.
- Meanwhile, Prepare the whipped cream. In stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a medium bowl with a hand mixer or metal whisk, whisk the together the whipped cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form.
- Use a fine mesh sieve to dust the cake with powdered sugar. Serve slices warm or at room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of olive oil (optional). The cake can sit out in an airtight container for 3-5 days or freezer for up to a month.
Helen -
Hi, do you think I can add the black sesame streusel that's in one of your other recipes to this cake?
Sarah Menanix -
I think that'd be great!
Naomi -
could you make this as a cake loaf?
Sarah Menanix -
Hm - I've not tried it so I cannot say. Sorry! If you try it, please let me know!
Lisa -
I have now made this for two dinner parties and can attest to how perfect it is and how popular it was. I reduced the sugar to 1/2 C as well and everyone thought it was just the right amount of sweet. I followed the suggestion to add some salt on top (skipped the sugar). The twist I added which I loved was to use a Yuzu olive oil. The hint of citrus really complemented the nuttiness.
Cheryl -
hi there! im wondering if you have some 'standard ratios' to follow for gluten free baking? for instance, a certain homemade blend that can be used across all recipes? would appreciate if you have a guide on that too :) Thank you!
Linda -
America’s Test Kitchen has a great homemade GF flour blend recipe. I’m sure you can look it up but it’s the first recipe in their cookbook called “How can it be gluten-free.” Give it a try
joanne -
I just tried this recipe as muffins because I love matcha, but the 168g of sugar seemed way off compared to the 3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp according to my scale. I was getting more than 1 cup with the weight given. I substituted coconut sugar and used the cup measurement instead, and added a few chocolate chips. ☺️. It also only took 20 minutes for the toothpick to come out clean. Thanks for the recipe!
Sarah Menanix -
I'm so glad they turned out! Sounds like a delicious swap. I think the issue is that coconut sugar weighs less than granulated sugar. 1 cup of coconut sugar weighs 180g while 1 cup of granulated sugar weighs 200g.
Evelyn -
Great recipe! I’ve made this several times now and also tried with modifications (other types of tea instead of matcha, or with fruit instead of tea) always turns out soft and moist! I decrease the sugar by more than half and it works great still!
Judy -
hey, judo you think lowering the amount of olive oil in the recipe to maybe 1/4 cup and using yogurt for the rest would work?
Janet -
I loved this! Made it twice this week because my husband couldn't stop eating it 😂. Thanks for the recipe!
joanne -
Can I substitute maple syrup for the sugar? If so, how much would I use, and how would I compensate for the added liquid?
Can coconut sugar or maple sugar also substitute for the granulated sugar?
Would the amount remain the same?
Thanks!
Sarah Menanix -
Hi! I've not tested it with either. I would guess coconut sugar might work, but it would change the color quite a bit. My guess is that maple syrup would add too much moisture though. Sorry I'm not more help! if you try either, please let me know!
Christina -
This cake is SO GOOD! It was simple to make, and the flavors are incredible. I love that it can stand alone without frosting. It's such a great snack cake. Olive oil cakes for the win!
Elaine -
Hi Sarah, I love this recipe! The cakes turned out so good! I didn't have poppy seeds so I left that out, and used Bob's Red Mill gluten free 1:1 baking flour instead of oat flour, also reduced the sugar a little bit. They were perfect and the flavour combination is so unique! Instead of a round cake, I baked them in a muffin tin. The recipe is just enough for 12 standard cupcakes. Works perfectly. Thank you!
Connie -
I can’t have oat or sorghum flour, they are not paleo friendly. What other flours can you recommend? Really want to try out this recipe, thanks
Barbara -
We cannot have oats, what would be a good substitute for the oat flour?
Sarah Menanix -
I've not tested this recipe without oats, but you're actually in luck because a commenter just after you said she replaced the oats with Bob's Red Mill gluten-free 1:1 baking flour and it worked great! I would have suggested replacing with a combo of half sorghum flour and half tapioca flour by weight, though I haven't tested it so I'm not certain you wouldn't also need to make other changes. Sorghum is very similar to oat flour, but doesn't get quite as fluffy when baked, so this is why I would also add a bit of tapioca flour to add in some of that fluffiness (though subbing it for all tapioca flour would make it too fluffy, is my guess).
Alexis -
Made this with almond milk and gluten free all-purpose flour instead of oat flour, turned out great!
Tatevik Torossian -
This is a regular at our house! At least a few times a month! My husband loves it, the kids love it and me, well, I could finish it all the same day. Sometimes I make the cream, sometimes I don’t, if I’m out of heavy cream. It’s delightful all the same! So light and earthy! Thank you SnixyKitchen!
Nancy -
This is now a go-to cake recipe for me. Love it! Thanks! Have you tried freezing this cake? I plan to make one for my mother who lives in NY (I’m in Massachusetts) and mail it to her. I’m guessing it will be two day shipping. Should I freeze the cake before sending? Any general packing/mailing hints?
Thank you,
Nancy
Sarah Menanix -
Hmmm - I've not tried to mail cake, so I don't have any good tips for you. I will say though that frozen cake defrosts really quickly (like within an hour), so I don't think freezing it is necessary in this case! I would just make sure it's packed super airtight so it doesn't get stale through the mail!
Nancy -
Thanks, Sarah. I’ll let you all know
how it goes in case you or any of your readers are curious.
Althea Alabab -
Hello Sarah,
I’m inspired to make your matcha cake and I do have some matcha tea in my pantry already.
Could I use brown rice flour instead of the almond flour?
Kindly,
Althea
Sarah Menanix -
I don't have a lot of experience baking cake with brown rice flour, but I don't think it would be a suitable substitute in this cake because almond flour has a lot of fat/oil and definitely adds to the moisture of the cake. Brown rice flour is more finely ground and a bit more brittle so I think it would soak up moisture differently. Sorry I'm not much more help with that recommendation!
Ashley -
Hi Sarah,
This looks absolutely incredible. I was just wondering if you have any tips for cutting or substituting sugar in this recipe without throwing anything off? (Monkfruit sugar, honey, syrup, partial substitutions, or just adding less sugar)
Just trying to cut back on my sugar intake, but I imagine I will try the OG recipe at some point anyway as it looks delicious!
Thank you ????
Chris -
I tried this recipe today with 1/2 cup sugar instead 3/4 cup sugar and it turned out fine! I might try it with honey next round as I’m also trying to cut down on simple sugars :)
Dalia -
Hi Sara
Thank you the super work. Can I use:
1. chia seeds instead of poppy seeds (or any type of seeds)?
2. buckwheat flour instead of oat flour?
Sarah Menanix -
I do not think chia seeds would work in place of poppy seeds because they absorb so much moisture that it would definitely influence the texture/moisture of the cake. If you prefer to, I think you could leave the poppy seeds out though (I have not tested this though!). I also have not tested it with buckwheat, but in my experience, I don't think buckwheat flour would work in place of oat flour. Oat tends to create a very cakey texture that's moist and tender, where buckwheat is a bit more delicate If you're looking to replace the oat flour, I'd suggest sorghum flour. Hope this is helpful!
Miranda -
Hi Sarah! Would almond meal instead of almond flour work okay?
Sarah Menanix -
I'm not sure - I use almond flour because of its superfine texture, so I think almond meal might not work quite the same way. If you try it, please let me know!
Ayelet -
Hi Sarah
Would love to try this.Looks like my cup of tea :/)
Question: can I use almond flour made in food processor? Ditto for oats.
Thanks so much
Ayelet
Sarah Menanix -
I almost exclusively use oat flour made in my food processor so that will definitely work! Almond flour is a bit trickier to get as finely ground without it turning into almond butter, so your texture of your cake might vary a bit. I recommend using blanched almond flour, so you'd need to start with (dry!) blanched almonds. Then I'd recommend processing the oats and almonds together to keep the almond flour from turning into almond butter. Hope this helps!
Ayelet -
Thank you Sarah!
I ended up making almond flour in the food processor and it worked beautifully. The cake was not as beautifully green because I did not use blanched almonds but so delicious. It was a big hit and have made it a few times before. Since I, like you, love the savory sweet combo, I ended up not using powdered sugar and instead sprinkle some maldon salt instead:-)
This recipe is superb! Thanks so much.
Tammy -
I made this ???? with Aquafaba & ???? milk from the can. It turned out amazing. Thank you.
Anthony Back -
Easy to make, delicious, lovely matcha flavor
Jessica -
Could this recipe be used with normal white flour?
Sarah Menanix -
I've not tried to make this cake with normal white flour - my instinct is that it should work, but because almond flour does offer more fat than regular flour, you might end up having to increase the fat in the recipe. The almond flour also adds quite a bit to the flavor of the cake! If you wanted to sub in white flour, I'd recommend doing so only for the oat flour, but keeping the almond flour. If you do try it this way, please let me know how it turns out!
Nancy -
I’ve made this a few times - once as cupcakes and it’s always a big hit! Even with folk that typically aren’t gluten-free!
Lisa -
This Cake turned out fantastic. I made 4 small rounds instead of one large cake. I used them like cupcakes at a friends 1 year old party. The cake was a hit.
CatinSunnyWindow -
My daughter and I have made this together twice and both times the cake has turned out beautifully. We made it the night before for a breakfast cake for the morning, cutting down on the sugar. We also substituted sesame seeds for poppy seeds (what we had on hand) and the texture was terrific. Thanks for this wonderful recipe!
Sylvia -
Can almond milk be used instead of whole milk?
Sarah Menanix -
While I haven't actually tried it with this cake, I think it should work just fine! I sub in almond milk in my other cakes regularly whenever I need a dairy free version and it works great. Let me know if you try it and how it turns out for you!
Sara @ Cake Over Steak -
You certainly have a way with matcha - this cake is gorgeous!!!
Emily R -
This was such an intriguing flavour! I felt inspired to re-stock my matcha supply yesterday once your recipe came out, so I could make it last night in order to have for breakfast this morning (kind of like having a matcha latte in the morning... right?). It was super easy to make and I found it took around 40 minutes in my oven. The cake is super moist and earthy (but in a good way). Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Suzanne -
I assume the matcha goes with the dry ingredients
Sarah Menanix -
Oh gosh - what an oversight! You are correct - I've updated the recipe! Thank you for catching that!
Veronica -
Sarah you are an artist and amazing chef! I am in awe!
Adam :) -
Hi Sara!
I’m about to go shopping for the ingredients for this recipe ! I have a dinner party in 2 days. Do you think the cake will be good if it sits 2 days? Plan to warm it and serve with homemade matcha olive oil ice cream
Sarah Menanix -
Hi! I think it will be fine, especially if you plan to warm it! I would cover it with plastic wrap and wait to dust with powdered sugar until just before serving.