Matcha Red Bean Layered Cake with Strawberries


For the matcha cake:

250 gr or 1 1/2 cup ground almonds or almond meal 
360 gr or 1 1/2 cups salted butter, melted and cooled slightly 
10 egg whites
1 tsp baking powder
140 gr or 1 cup + 2 tbsp flour, sifted 
2 tbsp matcha powder, sifted 
400 gr or 4 cups icing sugar, sifted
1 can red bean paste, if you prefer homemade, see below (it requires overnight soaking of the beans)
1 cup of strawberries, sliced 

Set the oven at 375 F

To make the matcha cake, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form.

Add the flour, ground almonds, butter, baking powder, matcha powder and icing sugar and mix with a wooden or silicone spoon to combine.
Fill the 2 round 9 inch cake tins halfway and add spoonfuls of red bean paste through the pans, reserving about 1/4 cup for later. Pour the rest of the batter over top.

Bake cakes for 25-30 min until a toothpick comes out clean. Set aside to cool.

To assemble the cake, spread a thin layer of red bean paste near the edge of the cake. Place some sliced strawberries on top of the red bean paste, about 1 inches apart. Carefully place the top layer of the cake on top and decorate the top with sliced strawberries.



Recipe for homemade red bean paste:
250 gr or 1 cup red beans, soaked in water overnight
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp canola oil
Water to boil beans 

After soaking the red beans overnight, boil them in clean water for 1 to1 1/2 hours until they’re very soft and grainy. Drain water. 
Using a high powered blender, blend the cooked red beans with 2 tbsp of oil and 2 tbsp water for 5 min.

Place the red bean paste in a saucepan over low heat, add sugar and stirring constantly. This allows for the excess water to evaporate and the sugar to melt. Turn off heat after 10 min and let the red bean paste cool.

**Note, traditionally the red beans are smashed and strained after cooking (and before the sugar is added) to remove the husk and create a smoother paste. When I make it, I skip this step and use the high-powered blender as it is much easier and creates a similar texture after being blended.

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