How is this different from a Western tart?

In Matsuyama, a castella-style sponge rolled with bean paste is what people call a tart. It is not a butter-crust pastry. A clear spiral in the slice is the hallmark, and the flavor is Japanese, with a distinct yuzu aroma.

Why does the sponge crack when I roll it?

Usually it was baked too long, cooled too much, or the paste was too stiff. Take it out as soon as the surface colors, loosen the filling until it spreads, and roll while the sponge is still warm. Small cracks can be pressed back into shape.

Can I make the filling a day ahead?

Yes. Mix the smooth bean paste with water and yuzu zest, then seal and refrigerate. Bring it back to room temperature before rolling, and loosen with a little water if needed. Still add the zest off the heat so the aroma stays.

The cross-section has no clear swirl?

Start the roll a little loose and tighten evenly as you go; do not cinch the middle too hard. Rest it seam-side down, let it cool completely, then cut with a sharp knife so the spiral shows.

What if I cannot find yuzu?

Yuzu is the classic perfume. At home a little lemon zest can stand in, though the taste will lean more Western. Some shops fold in cherry-blossom paste or amakusa mandarin as a seasonal variation.

Matsuyama Tart

Name: Matsuyama Tart
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 1本分（約8切れ）
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: Square cake pan, 20 cm × 20 cm; Eggs (large), 2; Caster sugar, 70 g; Wheat flour, 60 g; Store-bought smooth red-bean paste (koshi-an), 250 g; Finely grated yuzu zest, 5 g; Water, 50 ml

By Chef Cannon

Cuisine: Japanese

Region: 愛媛県

Servings: 1本分（約8切れ）

Matsuyama Tart, the yuzu bean-paste roll of Matsuyama in Ehime Prefecture, is a castella-style sponge spread with yuzu-scented smooth red-bean paste and rolled into a spiral. It is not a Western butter-crust tart; locally, this bean-paste roll is simply called a tart.

At a glance

Time: about 40 min · 1 roll (about 8 slices) · Difficulty: medium · ≈ 180 kcal per slice (estimate)

Ingredients

Square cake pan, 20 cm × 20 cm
Eggs (large), 2
Caster sugar, 70 g
Wheat flour, 60 g
Store-bought smooth red-bean paste (koshi-an), 250 g
Finely grated yuzu zest, 5 g
Water, 50 ml

Steps

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line the 20 cm square pan with baking parchment. Sift the flour in advance.
Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the sifted 70 g caster sugar, and stir lightly. Warm the batter over a water bath or in the microwave to about 40°C, then beat well with a hand mixer. It is ready when a ribbon of batter sits on the surface for a moment and then slowly disappears.
Add the sifted 60 g flour and fold it in gently with a spatula just until no dry flour remains. Overmixing knocks out the bubbles; scoop from the bottom to mix evenly.
Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the surface. Bake in the preheated oven for 7–8 minutes, until the top takes on a light color. Once it has colored, take it out, unmold it, and let it cool on the parchment. While it is still warm, gently stretch it a little so it will be easier to roll.
Grate 5 g yuzu zest and set it aside. Put 250 g smooth red-bean paste and 50 ml water in a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over moderately low heat, stirring. When it is loose enough to spread, take it off the heat and stir in the yuzu zest until even.
Spread a thin, even layer of yuzu bean paste on the browned side (the top) of the sponge. Starting at one end, roll it into a spiral, firm but not too tight. Place it seam-side down, tidy the shape, let it cool, then slice on the diagonal or into rounds.

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Notes

A spiral swirl in the cross-section is the look that marks a Matsuyama Tart. Start the roll a little looser and tighten evenly as you go so the shape holds.

If the smooth bean paste is too stiff it can crack, so loosen it with a little water until it spreads easily. Yuzu zest loses its aroma quickly, so add it after you take the pan off the heat.

Warming the eggs to about 40°C before beating helps you get a fine, castella-like sponge. Do not dump all the sugar in at once; stir it in lightly, then warm, so it dissolves more readily.

Seasonal shop versions sometimes fold cherry-blossom bean paste, amakusa mandarin, or chestnut into the filling. At home, store-bought smooth bean paste plus yuzu zest is the easiest basic form to reproduce.

Overbaking makes the sponge prone to cracking, so take it out as soon as the surface colors. Slice after it has cooled for a clean cross-section.

Time and temperature

Preheat oven to 180°C · Beat the batter 8–12 min (warm eggs to about 40°C first) · Bake 7–8 min until lightly colored · Cook filling over moderately low heat 3–5 min · Spread and roll 5–8 min · Cool at least 15 min before slicing

Nutrition

180 kcal · Protein 3 g · Fat 2 g · Carbs 38 g

1 slice (one roll cut into 8), estimate

Substitutes

Fresh yuzu zest → zest from yuzu tea, or soaked dried zest, sparingly
Smooth bean paste → chunky red-bean paste (a grainier bite)
Caster sugar → the same weight of granulated sugar
20 cm square pan → a roll pan of similar area, lined
Hand mixer → a balloon whisk, allowing more time

Storage

Place the roll seam-side down, wrap it, and keep it at room temperature the day it is made or until the next day. Because of the bean paste, refrigerate it in hot weather and bring it back to room temperature about 30 minutes before serving. Freezing tends to harden the sponge, so use it only for a short time. Slice just before eating for a clean swirl.

FAQ

How is this different from a Western tart?: In Matsuyama, a castella-style sponge rolled with bean paste is what people call a tart. It is not a butter-crust pastry. A clear spiral in the slice is the hallmark, and the flavor is Japanese, with a distinct yuzu aroma.
Why does the sponge crack when I roll it?: Usually it was baked too long, cooled too much, or the paste was too stiff. Take it out as soon as the surface colors, loosen the filling until it spreads, and roll while the sponge is still warm. Small cracks can be pressed back into shape.
Can I make the filling a day ahead?: Yes. Mix the smooth bean paste with water and yuzu zest, then seal and refrigerate. Bring it back to room temperature before rolling, and loosen with a little water if needed. Still add the zest off the heat so the aroma stays.
The cross-section has no clear swirl?: Start the roll a little loose and tighten evenly as you go; do not cinch the middle too hard. Rest it seam-side down, let it cool completely, then cut with a sharp knife so the spiral shows.
What if I cannot find yuzu?: Yuzu is the classic perfume. At home a little lemon zest can stand in, though the taste will lean more Western. Some shops fold in cherry-blossom paste or amakusa mandarin as a seasonal variation.

Origin and history

Matsuyama Tart is the signature confection of Matsuyama in Ehime Prefecture: a castella-style sponge spread with yuzu-scented smooth red-bean paste and rolled into a spiral. It is not a Western pastry tart; in Matsuyama, this bean-paste roll is what people call a tart.

In 1647 (Shoho 4), the first lord of the Matsuyama domain, Matsudaira Sadayuki, encountered a Nanban tart in Nagasaki and is said to have brought the method home. In citrus-growing Shikoku, yuzu and adzuki-bean paste were used in place of jam, turning it into a Japanese flavor. A method once kept in the Hisamatsu family spread to confectioners after the Meiji era, and today it is popular across the prefecture as a souvenir and gift. The name is variously traced to Dutch taart or Portuguese torta.

This recipe makes one roll (a 20 cm square sponge). The batter is 2 eggs, 70 g caster sugar, and 60 g flour, filled with 250 g smooth bean paste, 50 ml water, and 5 g yuzu zest. It can be enjoyed as a tea sweet all year.