Green Tea Bundt Cake Soaked with Green Tea Syrup: Sweeter moments

Daughter #2 has historically been very different from Daughter #1.  Where Daughter #1 has confidence and "swagger" if you will, Daughter #2 has been far more timid and shy in all aspects of her life.  During her first year of preschool, she never said a single word to her teacher.  They communicated with her by asking yes or no questions to which she would nod or shake her head.  She talked to her friends but never to adults.  She also had a fear of change, new experiences and the unknown.  It was hard for me to watch as a mother, but even more difficult for me because I saw those things as coming directly from me; she was very much how I was at her age.

However, I decided that I would give her different opportunities to challenge herself and put her in situations that would force her to develop some of the survival skills I felt that she needed.  This summer, instead of signing her up for a camp with all of her preschool friends, I decided to send her where she knew no one, so she'd be forced to really struggle and try and do something outside of her comfort zone.  I was sending her to a camp that she had attended last year so it wasn't completely unfamiliar; it would just have unfamiliar campers.  I didn't tell her what she was doing too far in advance but over the weekend I mentioned that she'd be attending and immediately I noticed the look of worry and anxiety cross her face.  I braced myself for the hysterics that would follow and they inevitably came.  I gently reassured her and told her she'd be fine, and then I pulled out my secret weapon - BRIBE.  (note to Husband: should you want me to do something very much against my wishes, you might want to dangle a bribe in front of me.)  I promised that if she could make it through two weeks of the camp without crying, I'd have a special prize (ahem...book) for her at the end that she could enjoy.  She pondered this and then seemed to be satisfied.

However, this morning, as we prepared ourselves getting ready, I felt her anxiety and worry about camp.  I gently prodded her to get ready and everything was met with a whine and a total reluctance to do things.  I kept prodding and she kept resisting and finally we were in the car on the way to camp.  Her brows were furrowed, her little lips were quivering and her body language definitely was one of I don't want to go.  I kept my tone bright and then she suddenly blurted out, "I want my prize today!"

"You can't have it today.  You have to do 2 weeks of camp with no crying."

"Can I have SOMETHING today?" she countered.

"Okay.  The Hello Kitty tattoos you've wanted can be yours today."

"All right mommy."

As we walked into the waiting area, I braced myself for the tearful goodbye, the reluctant departure, the fitful sobs, but none of it happened.  She walked in, saw a station she was interested in and walked over and began to color with a counselor.  I was so stunned and shocked I almost sat down in the middle of the room. The lead counselor recognized her (because how do you not remember the kid who cried for hours on end for three weeks the year before?) and said, "She's so different now since she's older."

And that was it.  She's growing up.  Her maturity has won over her babyhood.  And I'm a bit sad and almost longing for the cries that she used to shed as the lack of them means she's growing up.  But the other part of me is so thrilled that she handled her challenge and handled it very well.  At pick up, the counselor commented that she had already gotten her citizen point for the week by "showing friendship."  And I puffed my chest out a bit at Daughter #2's accomplishment, because I know that at her age, I could not have done it myself.

Ah so sweet.  Sweeter than sweet.  I decided that I should post a sweeter than the non-syrup green tea bundt cake.  It DOES change how it looks as the cake takes on a slightly interesting (someone called it ghastly actually) green hue, but I find it more striking than horrible.  The inside is bright green (the intensity of the green on the inside depends on what kind of matcha powder you are using) and the flavor is sweeter than the original green tea bundt I posted.  Depending on your personal preference, you can decide if you want to go with the syrup or go plain.

Green Tea Bundt Cake Soaked in Green Tea Syrup
Makes 10-inch bundt cake, serving 12 to 14

Ingredients
Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons matcha powder (available at your local Asian or Japanese Supermarket)
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream

Green Tea Syrup
⅔ cup of sugar
⅔ cup of water
1 tablespoon matcha powder

Method
Place rack in center of oven, and preheat oven to 350. Grease and lightly flour inside of 10 inch bundt pan.

Whisk together flour, matcha powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

Using either a stand mixer (paddle attachment) or a hand mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar and beat at medium-high speed until the mixture is light in texture and color, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating for 30 to 40 seconds after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary. Beat in vanilla extract. At low speed, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with sour cream. (Add a bit of flour, a bit of sour cream, a bit of flour, a bit of sour cream, a bit of flour.)

Scoop batter into pan and spread evenly with spatula.

Bake cake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then invert it onto another rack.

While cake is baking, make syrup. Combine sugar, water and matcha powder in a small non reactive saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Using a pastry brush, dab syrup generously all over surface of the warm cake, allowing it to soak into the cake before reapplying. Let the cake cool completely.

Printable recipe

tried a sprinkling of powdered sugar to help overcome the green color

sliced open

found this matcha powder at my local Chinese and Japanese markets...about $8

the fabulous bundt pan I love