Green Tea Bundt Cake: Who you calling an ajumma?

To the Luke House Church Ajummas - thanks for iniviting me join the club!


Ajumma (아줌마): A Korean term implying a married woman. It used to be used as term of respect. While the husband's sole role in Korean society was to contribute sperm and a paycheck, a married woman traditionally raised the children, helped them with their homework, cleaned the house, paid the bills, handled the family finances, clothed her family, cared for her husband's aged parents, and took an incredibly menial job to pay off her husband's debts. Because an ajumma has little time left in the day to keep up on current fashions, Korean society has rewarded the ajumma's efforts by turning her into a symbol of uncouth backwardness. (Definition from Seoul Survivors)

I remember the very first time I was called an ajumma.  I was living in Hong Kong, newly married and my older cousin and her husband were visiting me in Hong Kong.  My cousin's husband upon seeing me said, "Now you're an ajumma."

 My cousin defended me and said, "She's not yet!"  and he responded, "She's married.  That's what she is.  Ajumma."  He basically ended the conversation with that and I sat in my chair thinking, me an ajumma?  I'm not even 30 yet.  How can I be an ajumma?

Then kids came, and the body started morphing into some strange shape, my hair took on curl (totally not by my choice, but my hair has a perm like quality without a perm if I don't do some pretty punishing things to it), and I've stopped caring about my dress, simply because I have no time.   Last night, at my house church, as I served this cake, friend YK said, "This is a cake that ajummas like."

 I looked at her and said, "What do you mean Ajummas like it?"  (My voice had an edge of defensiveness as the term was not one of my favorites.)

She said, "Hey, I'm an ajumma.  I like the word.  I'm not scared of it.  I like being called it.  And I like this cake."

Another friend, MUCH younger than I, BK, said, "I'm an ajumma.  I know I am."  And as I looked at the two of them, I realized, hey - I'm one too.  And it ain't that bad to be one. As all the ajummas around the table dug into the cake, I thought, hey this cake is celebrating my new found acceptance of ajumma-dom.

According to my house church female guinea pigs, this cake is an ajumma cake.  It's not too sweet, has a really lovely green tea flavor and has a striking color and look to it.  In addition, it's very easy to throw together quickly (I made two bundt cakes on the same day in the same pan just so you know how much easier a bundt is) and the ajummas love it.  I know, because there isn't any left.  If you're looking for something that is super sweet look elsewhere - this cake is about letting the green tea flavor sing with a subtle note of sweetness.  (It is very similar to flavor of green tea ice cream)

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

Cake
Ingredients
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

Powdered sugar topping
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon 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. Let cake cool.

After cake has cooled, put powdered sugar and matcha together into a sieve or strainer and dust the entire surface of the cake with the powder.

Printable recipe

Care to join me in a slice of this?  (and hereby be inducted into the Ajumma Society?)

The pan I love

























This is a lot of powder....