Matcha-vanilla checkerboard cake

I love making checkerboard cakes. For TasteBUds, I actually prepared a chocolate-vanilla one inspired by Lady M. Since I love making them, I figured I would share a different recipe from that one, this one featuring matcha, and using chiffon cakes instead of genoise. While genoise are sturdier and can hold up to being cut better, chiffon cakes have such a light, airy texture to them that you know you’ll have a better eating experience with those over the slightly tougher genoise sponge.

So I prepared two sponges, one with matcha, one, vanilla, with a vanilla bavarian cream that I spread around the entire cake and between layers, to act like a glue to hold all of that shit together.

For the chiffon cakes:
For the vanilla sponge:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
3 egg whites
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
a pinch of salt

Whip egg whites until stiff, adding in 1/4 cup of the sugar. Combine the rest of the sugar with yolks, oil, vanilla, and salt. Sift flour. Fold together. Pour into a lightly oiled 6 inch ring mold and bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes. Cool completely before running around the edges with a knife and removing.

For the matcha sponge:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
3 egg whites
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
a pinch of salt
1 tablespoon matcha powder

Whip egg whites until stiff, adding in 1/4 cup of the sugar. Combine the rest of the sugar with yolks, oil, vanilla, and salt. Sift flour and matcha powder. Fold together. Pour into a lightly oiled 6 inch ring mold and bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes.

For the bavarian cream:
4 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons gelatin powder + 3 tablespoons cold water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
a pinch of salt

Bloom gelatin and add into a pot with the milk and salt. Bring to a simmer. In a bowl, whip egg yolks with sugar. Temper eggs and whisk over heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain to remove lumps. Allow the mixture to cool at room temperature until it is just below lukewarm. Whip heavy cream to stiff peaks and fold together. Cover in clingwrap and chill until it is time for assembly.

For assembly:
Trim around the edges of the cake first so that they are perfectly circular in radius. Cut the cakes in half horizontally first. Then cut the cakes into three rings. Swap out the rings between layers so that they are of the other cake.