Raspberry Matcha Pound Cake

While this is raspberry matcha pound cake uses classic pound cake methods, it is anything BUT classic. I normally don’t make cakes with a butter base, I’m much more of an oil-and-whisk kind of girl, but this pound cake was calling to me. Bright, zippy raspberries swirl in perfectly with green, vibrant matcha, making a simultaneously rich but interesting pound cake. And yes, this cake does use the same ratio as all pound cakes (1 pound butter + 1 pound eggs + 1 pound sugar + 1 pound flour), but to keep your loaf pan from losing its sanity, I’ve taper down the ratios a bit so that nothing runs over!

The full recipe, plus what makes a pound cake a pound cake, is below. Read on for helpful tips, plus some background on how this raspberry matcha pound cake came to be!

What is a pound cake?

Pound cake is a cake I almost never make, but it’s a very classic American baked good, and that’s probably due to its simplicity! Pound cake was traditionally made with a pound each of flour, butter, eggs and sugar. Which truly sounds bland, until you taste how delicious that simplicity can be.

It’s widely credited that the book American Cookery, published in the late 1700s, is the first book to have included pound cake. Which I find very Americana, and very adorable. Since that first publication (which how cool is it that people have been making cookbooks for thousands of years!?) there have been many riffs on pound cakes, with marbling, flavoring, and many mix-ins added in. That’s how this raspberry matcha pound cake came to be, of course! But the one thing that always holds true to a pound cake is that it is made up of these four base ingredients, and it doesn’t use a leavener. Pound cake is classic, easy, and delicious, as it should be!

Ingredients you will need for this pound cake

Now that we’ve talked about what a pound cake is, here is what you will need for this raspberry matcha poundcake version:

• Salted butter, at room temperature – I am adamant that I always bake with salted butter, it just gives you an extra insurance policy that your baked goods will turn out flavorful and buttery. Make sure that your butter here is softened, but not to the point where it is too soft and starting to melt on the edges.
• Granulated sugar – I have never tried to make a brown sugar pound cake…but I’m not saying it’s off the table! Granulated sugar is just better for this type of cake, since it has a lower moisture level and is a better leavener for whipping with the butter!
• Vanilla extract – a pound cake without vanilla just always feels a bit lacking to me. This amount is small for the denseness of the cake, but it truly adds so much!
• Large eggs – I always like to cook with large or extra large eggs. They add more structure and moisture to a baked good, simultaneously! Making the perfect for a raspberry matcha pound cake.
• All-purpose flour – while cake flour is known for giving you a lighter crumb, in pound cakes we want the crumb to be a little more dense. With this cake I recommend all-purpose flour, it’s both easy to find and delicious!
• Kosher salt – While we are using salted butter, that’s still no excuse not to season! Salt and sugar are best friends, and also part of the reason that some cakes end up tasting better than others, it’s all in the salt baby!
• Fresh raspberries – You can also use frozen in this recipe, just make sure they are fully thawed before macerating them!
• Ceremonial grade matcha – This fine matcha powder gives such a delicate, yet complex flavor to foods that I couldn’t help but add it to this raspberry matcha pound cake.

Why don’t pound cakes use baking powder?

Pound cakes have not one, but two natural leaveners baked in to them! No pun intended, because WHO DO YOU THINK I AM?

But the first of the two leaveners is when you beat together the sugar and butter. This is why I am adamant that you beat the sugar for an extended period of time. This whips the sugar molecules against the butter, whipping air into the mixture, and causing it to double in size. An adequate amount of whipping time is what will ensure your pound cake is light, has a tender crumb, and doesn’t collapse while baking.

The second natural leavener is the egg aspect of the recipe. When you beat in the eggs one at a time, they combine with the already whipped butter to create a base for the batter that will rise naturally in the oven. Just make sure the first egg is fully incorporated before adding in the next, otherwise, you run the risk that your batter may curdle.

How to make the raspberry matcha pound cake batter

Now that we’ve gone through the logistics of why we do things, let’s talk about how!

To make the batter for this raspberry pound cake, simply add the butter, sugar and vanilla extract to a stand mixer and cream together for 4-5 minutes, or until the mixture is a shade lighter and almost doubled in size.

Then crack in an egg at a time, beating on medium speed until each egg is combined with the batter.
Add in the flour and salt and mix on low until the batter is just combined, making sure to scrape down the sides. You want the batter to be all the same shade of yellow!

Now you have the base of the batter, and it’s time to add the mix-ins.

Do I need a stand mixer for this?

The short answer is, yes – it will help a ton! The longer answer is that you can whip together the butter and sugar using a hand mixer, but just make sure your arm is ready to do some work! The most complicated part of this answer is that you can’t make this cake by hand. Believe me, I’ve tried, and common man just simply isn’t strong enough to do it alone.

How to prepare the raspberries for the raspberry matcha pound cake

The raspberries are my favorite part of this. When you mash them with sugar they just get so jammy and delicious!
To add them to the batter – in a small bowl, smash the raspberries together with 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar to make a paste.
Swirl the rasberries in with the batter, only do a few swirls to make sure there are still pockets of yellow batter. Swirl in the matcha next, stopping when it is just combined.

Tips & tricks on adding flavors to a pound cake

My biggest tip when adding flavorings to a pound cake is to swirl them in with a spatula just enough. I say 3-4 swirls MAX. You still want big pockets of batter so that the cake bakes up into a beautiful, marbled swirl.
When in doubt, I say undermix!

How can I tell when a pound cake is done?

The best way to test when a pound cake is done is the toothpick method – it’s old school, I know, but a pound cake is so dense that oftentimes it will look golden and dry on top, when the inside still needs some cooking time!

This cake takes a long time in the oven, but don’t fear, it won’t dry out. The raspberries and butter will make sure of that!

Other frequently asked questions

Why is this recipe in grams?

Baking is a very finicky and exact science. The only way to ensure complete accuracy is through measuring by weight, and not volume. As much as I wish I could give you multiple ways to measure ingredients, in this recipe measuring by cups might cause some volatility and miss-matched results. I want to ensure you get the best results with this recipe (and I want to keep this recipe fool-proof!) so I highly recommend getting a small affordable kitchen scale if you want to move forward with this particular recipe!

Looking for other baking recipes?

Here are a few favorites!

And that’s it for this raspberry matcha pound cake!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3