Hanami, or cherry blossom viewing, is usually an indication that spring has arrived! It’s that time of year when people in Japan flock in droves to the parks to appreciate the beauty of the sakura or cherry blossoms. The age old practice of admiring the beautiful flowers has existed for centuries. For the Japanese, it is known to have started in the Nara Period (710-794) when the custom was limited to the Imperial court but it soon spread to the common Japanese people and then the world!

Cherry blossoms have since become more than just being admired for their beauty, they have become a coveted ingredient for baking pastries. They literally “look good enough to eat!” I don’t know who the person was who had the idea that cherry blossoms could be yummy, but he (she?) sure was enterprising!

Many Japanese pastry shops proudly display eye-popping (and later, gut-popping) creations that are at most times too pretty to eat. As the saying goes, “you not just eat with your mouth, but with your eyes as well.” Truth be told, eating something aesthetically pleasing as well as delicious makes double the pleasure.

The good news is that anyone with a bit of basic baking skills can make such delectable goodies that use cherry blossoms. (Remember our petit fours? from March) All you need are a few choice ingredients such as a good sponge cake recipe, some sakura extract (or syrup), and matcha (green tea) to bring out the natural color of your creation. The sakura and matcha give that hint of exotic taste that no other ingredient can provide. After sinking our teeth into this cake (which we bought) we liked it so much that we wanted to duplicate it.

Cherry blossoms are usually available all year round because of the pickling process that only involves salt. The taste is surprising similar to pickled plums with a hint of tangy sourness. It isn’t at all flowery, it’s rather pleasant, and the outcome looks amazing!

{What You’ll Need}

1. Matcha Powder Or From Japan.

2. Pickled Cherry Blossoms. Other Options.

3. Cherry Blossom Syrup (you can reduce this to bring out more of an extract than syrup)

Recipe Adapted from Cookpad Japan
Cherry Blossom & Matcha Adzuki Layer Cake (Entremet)

For the Sponge Cake

Matcha
1 egg
40g of Sugar
30g cake flour
1 tablespoon milk
10g of Butter
5-10 grams of matcha powder

Sakura

1 egg
40g of Sugar
30g cake flour
1 tablespoon milk
10g of Butter
1 teaspoon of cherry blossom essence
or Cherry Blossom Leaf Powder
All Natural Pink Food Coloring (from plants)

Directions for Sponge Cake

Beat the egg white from one egg, slowly adding the 10 grams of sugar until it reaches a stiff peak.
Mix in the yellow egg by cutting the Egg white batter but not mixing. Warm the milk and butter (and flour) in the range (microwave). Add this to the batter along with the flour and mix well.

Line a pound cake pan, pour the batter into the pan and tap it a few times to release any bubbles. Bake at 170c for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the tin and allow the cake to cool.

Set aside on your cutting board and cut the cake evenly into three slices.

Sakura and Matcha Adzuki Cream

100g of fresh whipping cream
10 Sugar
All natural pink food coloring.
3g of Cherry Blossom Leaf Powder or Cherry Blossom Essence.
Beat on High.

Matcha Adzuki Cream

100g of fresh whipping cream
10 Sugar
15 grams of matcha powder
Beat on High.
Fold three tablespoons of adzuki beans (sweetened adzuki beans from a can).

Simple Syrup for the Layers

30g of water
10g of sugar

Directions: Dissolve sugar in water on range until it reaches a boiling point, remove.

Assembling the Cake

Taking the appropriate amount of simple syrup coat each layer with a pastry brush. Matcha Sponge for the bottom layer, then apply the Matcha Cream with Adzuki to the first layer. Add the Sakura Layer (sponge), apply some simple syrup, then add the Sakura Cream.

You can apply the white topping with an open tip, top with a single pickled Cherry Blossom Flower, or use the Mont Blanc tip to apply the top layer with the Sakura cream, feel free to be creative here. You can dress with a few adzuki beans, sprinkle match powder, etc.

Photography Data:
Featured
Marie Cinq-Mars
NIKON D7000
F 5.6
Focal Length 105
Exposure Time: 1/30

Hanami, or cherry blossom viewing, is usually an indication that spring has arrived! It’s that time of year when people in Japan flock in droves to the parks to appreciate the beauty of the sakura or cherry blossoms. The age old practice of admiring the beautiful flowers has existed for centuries. For the Japanese, it is known to have started in the Nara Period (710-794) when the custom was limited to the Imperial court but it soon spread to the common Japanese people and then the world!

Cherry blossoms have since become more than just being admired for their beauty, they have become a coveted ingredient for baking pastries. They literally “look good enough to eat!” I don’t know who the person was who had the idea that cherry blossoms could be yummy, but he (she?) sure was enterprising!

Many Japanese pastry shops proudly display eye-popping (and later, gut-popping) creations that are at most times too pretty to eat. As the saying goes, “you not just eat with your mouth, but with your eyes as well.” Truth be told, eating something aesthetically pleasing as well as delicious makes double the pleasure.

The good news is that anyone with a bit of basic baking skills can make such delectable goodies that use cherry blossoms. (Remember our petit fours? from March) All you need are a few choice ingredients such as a good sponge cake recipe, some sakura extract (or syrup), and matcha (green tea) to bring out the natural color of your creation. The sakura and matcha give that hint of exotic taste that no other ingredient can provide. After sinking our teeth into this cake (which we bought) we liked it so much that we wanted to duplicate it.

Cherry blossoms are usually available all year round because of the pickling process that only involves salt. The taste is surprising similar to pickled plums with a hint of tangy sourness. It isn’t at all flowery, it’s rather pleasant, and the outcome looks amazing!

{What You’ll Need}

1. Matcha Powder Or From Japan.

2. Pickled Cherry Blossoms. Other Options.

3. Cherry Blossom Syrup (you can reduce this to bring out more of an extract than syrup)

Recipe Adapted from Cookpad Japan
Cherry Blossom & Matcha Adzuki Layer Cake (Entremet)

For the Sponge Cake

Matcha
1 egg
40g of Sugar
30g cake flour
1 tablespoon milk
10g of Butter
5-10 grams of matcha powder

Sakura

1 egg
40g of Sugar
30g cake flour
1 tablespoon milk
10g of Butter
1 teaspoon of cherry blossom essence
or Cherry Blossom Leaf Powder
All Natural Pink Food Coloring (from plants)

Directions for Sponge Cake

Beat the egg white from one egg, slowly adding the 10 grams of sugar until it reaches a stiff peak.
Mix in the yellow egg by cutting the Egg white batter but not mixing. Warm the milk and butter (and flour) in the range (microwave). Add this to the batter along with the flour and mix well.

Line a pound cake pan, pour the batter into the pan and tap it a few times to release any bubbles. Bake at 170c for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the tin and allow the cake to cool.

Set aside on your cutting board and cut the cake evenly into three slices.

Sakura and Matcha Adzuki Cream

100g of fresh whipping cream
10 Sugar
All natural pink food coloring.
3g of Cherry Blossom Leaf Powder or Cherry Blossom Essence.
Beat on High.

Matcha Adzuki Cream

100g of fresh whipping cream
10 Sugar
15 grams of matcha powder
Beat on High.
Fold three tablespoons of adzuki beans (sweetened adzuki beans from a can).

Simple Syrup for the Layers

30g of water
10g of sugar

Directions: Dissolve sugar in water on range until it reaches a boiling point, remove.

Assembling the Cake

Taking the appropriate amount of simple syrup coat each layer with a pastry brush. Matcha Sponge for the bottom layer, then apply the Matcha Cream with Adzuki to the first layer. Add the Sakura Layer (sponge), apply some simple syrup, then add the Sakura Cream.

You can apply the white topping with an open tip, top with a single pickled Cherry Blossom Flower, or use the Mont Blanc tip to apply the top layer with the Sakura cream, feel free to be creative here. You can dress with a few adzuki beans, sprinkle match powder, etc.

Photography Data:
Featured
Marie Cinq-Mars
NIKON D7000
F 5.6
Focal Length 105
Exposure Time: 1/30