Hojicha Japanese Roll Cake (Printer-friendly)

Delicate sponge roll with roasted green tea cream and fresh mango filling

# Required Ingredients:

→ Sponge Cake

01 - 4 large eggs, separated
02 - 5.6 oz granulated sugar, divided
03 - 2 fl oz whole milk
04 - 1.7 fl oz vegetable oil
05 - 2.5 oz cake flour, sifted
06 - 0.35 oz cornstarch
07 - 1 tbsp hojicha powder
08 - 1/4 tsp salt

→ Hojicha Cream

09 - 6.8 fl oz heavy cream, chilled, minimum 35% fat
10 - 2 tbsp powdered sugar
11 - 2 tsp hojicha powder

→ Filling

12 - 1 ripe mango, peeled and sliced into thin strips

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 340°F. Line a 9 x 13 inch baking tray with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk separated egg yolks with 2.8 oz sugar until pale and creamy. Add milk and vegetable oil, mixing until smooth.
03 - Sift together cake flour, cornstarch, hojicha powder, and salt. Fold into the yolk mixture until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
04 - In a clean bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add remaining 2.8 oz sugar and continue beating to stiff peaks.
05 - Gently fold the meringue into the yolk-flour mixture in three additions, preserving airiness and avoiding deflation.
06 - Pour batter into prepared tray, smoothing the surface. Tap gently to release air bubbles. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes until cake springs back when lightly pressed.
07 - Remove from oven. While warm, invert cake onto fresh parchment paper. Carefully peel off original baking paper and cover loosely with clean kitchen towel. Cool completely.
08 - Whip chilled heavy cream with powdered sugar and hojicha powder to medium-stiff peaks.
09 - Spread hojicha cream evenly over cooled sponge. Arrange mango strips along one short edge. Using parchment as guide, roll cake tightly from mango edge, forming spiral. Wrap in parchment.
10 - Refrigerate assembled roll for at least 30 minutes to set. Trim ends for neat presentation and slice to serve.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The sponge stays impossibly tender because the hojicha powder is whisked in with the dry ingredients, not scattered on top like an afterthought.
  • Rolling it while warm teaches you something your hands will remember forever about patience and confidence at the same time.
  • One bite tastes like you spent hours perfecting it, but the whole thing comes together in under two hours from cold kitchen to chilled, sliceable perfection.
02 -
  • The moment you invert the hot cake is when most people panic, but that parchment is your friend—it will not stick if you've lined correctly, and peeling it away while warm is actually easier than waiting.
  • Overbeating the egg whites makes them grainy and hard to fold; you want them glossy and smooth, not dull and separated, or they'll weigh down your cake instead of lifting it.
03 -
  • Bring all ingredients to room temperature except the cream, which must stay cold—temperature consistency matters more than most recipes admit, and your cake will thank you with a finer crumb.
  • If you can't find hojicha powder, look for it at Japanese markets or specialty tea shops; it's worth the hunt because nothing else tastes quite the same, and a small tin lasts for months if you store it properly.
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