Matcha Roll Cake (抹茶ロールケーキ) is Matcha flavored sponge cake rolled with Anko (sweet red bean) whipped cream.  This western style dessert has traditional Japanese flavors, however, it is light enough to be a perfect ending after any kind of meal.

Matcha is a kind of green tea that is in a powdered form, traditionally used for the Japanese tea ceremony, and it is different from regular green tea leaves.  Matcha tastes rather strong and bitter by itself, but its refreshing flavor goes very well with dairy and sugar.  It is an excellent complement to baked goods especially, leaving no bitterness but a nice fragrance.  Matcha has become a common flavor for many drinks and desserts in the US too, such as Matcha Ice Cream and Matcha Latte that you may have seen before.  The cream inside this cake is flavored with Anko which is another very authentic component for Japanese desserts.  By mixing with whipped cream, Anko becomes a milder taste so that two big flavors don’t crush each other.