Equipment
Ingredients
White Chocolate Molten Core
- 60 g white chocolate, finely chopped
- 30 ml heavy cream, liquid
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
Mold Preparation
- 15 g unsalted butter, softened
- 5 g all-purpose flour, dry
Matcha Sponge Batter
- 100 g white chocolate, chopped
- 80 g unsalted butter, cubed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- 30 g caster sugar
- 15 g matcha powder, sifted
- 45 g all-purpose flour, sifted
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 564 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbohydrates
- 43 g
- Fat
- 40 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 32 g
- Sodium
- 81 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 23 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 12 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 253 mg
- Potassium
- 285 mg
- Calcium
- 130 mg
- Iron
- 1.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 12 mg
- Phosphorus
- 177 mg
- Zinc
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 906 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 7 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 6 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.7 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.07 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.30 mg
- Niacin
- 0.5 mg
- Folate
- 31 mcg
- Water
- 34 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Make the white chocolate ganache cores: Place the 60g chopped white chocolate in a small bowl. Heat the heavy cream until just simmering, then pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute, add vanilla, then stir until smooth. Pour into 4 small ice cube molds and freeze for at least 1 hour until rock solid.
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Prepare the molds by brushing with softened butter in upward strokes. Dust the inside with the flour/matcha mixture, tapping out any excess. Chill the molds until needed.
Melt the 100g white chocolate and 80g butter together in a bain-marie (heatproof bowl over simmering water). Stir until smooth and set aside to cool slightly.
In a stand mixer, whisk the whole eggs, yolks, and caster sugar until pale and thick (ribbon stage), approximately 5 minutes.
Gently fold the cooled white chocolate mixture into the eggs. Sift the flour and matcha powder over the mixture and fold delicately until no green streaks remain. Do not deflate the eggs.
Spoon the matcha batter into the prepared molds until half full. Place one frozen white chocolate ganache puck into the center of each. Cover with remaining batter, leaving 1cm at the top.
Bake for 11-13 minutes. The edges should be set and slightly pulling away, while the center should still have a slight wobble.
Rest for 2 minutes before unmolding. Invert onto a plate and dust with extra matcha powder or powdered sugar. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- The quality of matcha is vital; use a bright green 'ceremonial' grade for the best color and flavor.
- White chocolate burns at a lower temperature than dark chocolate, so we bake at 190°C instead of 200°C to preserve the green color.
- If you find the white chocolate too sweet, add a pinch of salt to the matcha batter.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Best eaten immediately. Can be kept in the fridge unbaked for up to 24 hours.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze unbaked. Bake from frozen for 16-18 minutes.
Reheating: Microwave for 15 seconds if already baked, but quality will diminish.
Cultural Context
This recipe is a modern East-meets-West fusion of the classic French 'Fondant au Chocolat' and Japanese tea culture. It replaces the traditional dark chocolate profile with the creamy, lactic notes of white chocolate and the vegetal, umami-rich depth of Uji matcha.
