A healthy but still amazing Matcha Protein Cake with Japanese green tea flavor, subtle sweetness and soft sponge cake texture. This healthy matcha cake recipe is sweetened with protein powder, has no sugar and very little butter – the perfect healthy matcha dessert!

Okay I was actually a little disappointed in the cake when I took it out of the oven because the color was not bright enough.

But then I cut into it for the shoot and saw that bright green tea color in the matcha cake and it was just spot on! Spent quite a while on the shoot because I really loved how the texture was as well.

And then I tried it – soft and just perfectly sweet, like a high protein matcha sponge cake!

2 slices went down right there!

Ingredients for Matcha Protein Cake:

This matcha green tea protein cake is a healthy dessert recipe with protein powder to replace the sugar and Greek yogurt to add extra protein and moisture – a low fat recipe too with barely any butter.

See the alternatives later in the post.

Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
Vanilla Protein Powder – this replaces the sugar in this recipe and is the key to what makes it a high protein cake. I used half ProteinWorld Slender Blend for this recipe (use the code HAYLSKITCHEN for a discount) and half Quest Nutrition’s Vanilla protein powder – it’s a whey-caesin blend.
Matcha Green Tea Powder – A good quality one here
Non-fat Greek Yogurt another protein-packed ingredient for a high protein cake.
Almond Milk for a slightly low calorie and healthy matcha dessert; No buttermilk needed here
An Egg
Just a bit of melted butter
Baking Powder and Baking Soda

And for the frosting?

I just went for a simple fosting for this matcha cake – sugar free cool whip for a healthy recipe.

Ingredient? Just the one:

Sugar free Cool Whip

And optionally, some toasted shredded coconut for color 🙂

How to make Green Tea Protein Cake

This protein powder matcha cake not only has simple ingredients, but is also really easy to make.

Here’s what you have to do:

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a round 8” cake pan with parchment paper

Combine the dry ingredients in bowl: whole wheat pastry flour, whey and whey-caesin vanilla protein powder, matcha powder, baking powder and baking soda.

Whisk the wet ingredients in a large bowl: Greek Yogurt, almond milk, egg and butter.

Add the flour mixture to the wet mix and fold together. DO NOT OVER-MIX the batter or the cake will be too dense at the bottom.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan.

Bake for 22 minutes. A tester inserted into the center should come out dry – no crumbs or batter.

For an 8 x 8” baking pan, bake for about 25 minutes.

For a 9 x 13” pan, double the recipe and bake for about 25-30 minutes again, but start checking early.

For the Sugar Free Cool Whip Frosting

The healthy cool whip frosting is the most easy part of this healthy matcha cake recipe.

Mix together the cool whip to smoothen, and spread on top of the healthy cake!

Tips for this High Protein Matcha Sponge Cake Recipe

Use melted butter
You want to be able to whisk it completely into the wet ingredients; If you just took it out of the fridge, microwave it for about 20 seconds.

Use room temperature Yogurt, Milk and Eggs
Microwave these too for about 5 seconds if you took them out of the fridge, otherwise they will make the butter harden.

Don’t over-mix the batter!
Make sure you gently fold the dry mix into the wet to combine them.
If you over-mix it, the gluten from the whole wheat flour – and also the protein powder – will make it tough, dense and gummy.

Let the cake cool completely before frosting
Or the frosting will melt on the cake!

Make ahead and store Protein Powder Matcha Cake

Another great part about this green tea protein cake recipe is that you can make in advance for a party, and even store leftovers!

You can keep the protein powder cake out at room temperature (on the countertop) for a day – as long as it has no frosting. A few hours if it has the frosting.

Store any leftover of this spinoff Japanese matcha cake in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

To freeze his healthy matcha sponge cake, slice it, wrap each piece in plastic wrap, and place the pieces in a freezer-safe zipper bag. They keep in the freezer for a few months.
You can even store the whole matcha dessert by itself!

Alternate Ingredients for Healthy Matcha Cake Recipe

I strongly recommend using the ingredients and brands I recommended to get the perfect matcha green tea protein powder cake, but here’s some alternatives to try. I haven’t testing them all, so I can’t say how your cake might turn out.

Whole Wheat Pastry Flour: All purpose flour or 1:1 gluten free baking flour; Measure this by weight, not cups.
Greek Yogurt: Applesauce, Banana or Pumpkin Puree
Or Coconut yogurt for a dairy free recipe
Milk: Any other milk
Butter: Melted Coconut Oil for dairy free

Alternative Protein Powder frostings for Green Tea Cake:

Protein powder cream cheese frosting for a classic matcha and cream cheese flavor

Or an extra high Greek yogurt protein cake frosting (it’s part of that cake recipe).

More Healthy Matcha Desserts Recipes:

More Quest Protein Powder Desserts Recipes: