Black Sesame Cake With Coconut Mascarpone Frosting
I’ve always loved anything made with black sesame. I love its distinctive nutty flavour, and I’m always happy to try it in different bakes. So, for my birthday cake, I knew I wanted to make something with black sesame!
This black sesame cake with coconut mascarpone frosting brings together three lovely textures and flavours. The cake is soft and buttery with a rich, nutty black sesame flavour, while the coconut mascarpone frosting is smooth, creamy and gently sweet. To finish, I’ve added homemade black sesame brittle for a little crunch.
I love how the coconut complements the black sesame, and the brittle adds an extra layer of texture that makes every slice a little more special. If you’re a fellow black sesame lover, I hope you’ll enjoy baking and sharing this cake as much as I did!
Alright, let’s bake!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Rich, Nutty Black Sesame Flavour: If you love black sesame as much as I do, you’ll enjoy its distinctive, nutty flavour in every bite of this buttery cake.
- Soft And Tender Crumb: The butter cake has a soft, tender texture that pairs beautifully with the rich flavour of black sesame.
- A Beautiful Natural Colour: The black sesame powder gives the cake its lovely grey colour, making it a little different from a traditional butter cake.
- Perfect For Layer Cakes: This cake is baked in three 6-inch round cake tins, giving you three layers ready to stack, frost and decorate for a special occasion.
- A Lovely Cake For Special Occasions: Whether you’re celebrating a birthday or simply fancy baking something a little different, this black sesame butter cake is a lovely choice for fellow black sesame lovers.
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Buy Now → Ingredients in this Black Sesame Cake Recipe
At a glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe. Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
- Unsalted Butter: Adds richness, flavour and moisture, giving the cake its soft, buttery texture.
- Caster Sugar: Sweetens the cake and helps create a light texture when creamed with the butter.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds a gentle aroma that complements the nutty flavour of black sesame.
- Eggs: Provide structure, moisture and richness, helping the cake hold its shape.
- All-Purpose Flour: Forms the main structure of the cake.
- Cornflour (Cornstarch): Helps create a finer, softer crumb by reducing the overall protein content of the flour mixture.
- Black Sesame Powder: The star of the show, it gives the cake its distinctive nutty flavour, aroma and characteristic grey colour.
- Baking Powder: Helps the cake rise, giving it a lighter texture.
- Milk: Adds moisture and helps bring the batter together, keeping the cake soft.
- Salt: Enhances the overall flavour and balances the sweetness.
Tips for Success
- Use Softened Butter: Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature before you start. It should feel soft enough to press gently but not greasy or melted. This helps it cream properly with the sugar, creating a light, fluffy base for the cake batter.
- Sift The Black Sesame Powder: Black sesame powder can be quite coarse and may contain small lumps. Take your time when sifting and gently press the powder through the sieve if needed, so it combines evenly with the other dry ingredients.
- Add The Eggs One At A Time: Beat in each egg before adding the next, and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. If the mixture looks slightly curdled, don’t worry. Adding the dry ingredients should help bring the batter together.
- Avoid Overmixing The Batter: Once you add the flour mixture and milk, mix on low speed until the batter is almost combined. Stop the mixer and finish incorporating any remaining dry ingredients gently with a spatula. This helps prevent overmixing and keeps the cake tender.
- Weigh The Batter For Even Layers: The total batter weighs 900 g, so divide it equally between the three 6-inch cake tins, with 300 g in each. This gives you layers of the same thickness, helping them bake at a similar rate.
- Use Cake Baking Strips To Reduce Doming: This step is optional, but damp cake baking strips can help reduce doming. Since these are relatively small cake layers, flatter tops mean less cake needs to be trimmed off after baking.
- Check The Cake Before Removing It From The Oven: Bake at 170°C fan for approximately 20–25 minutes, but remember that every oven is different. The cakes are ready when the tops spring back lightly when touched and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Let The Cake Layers Cool Completely: Leave the cakes in their tins for about 10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack. Allow them to cool completely before frosting, as warm cake layers can soften the frosting and make assembly more difficult.
How to Serve this Black Sesame Cake
Personally, I love enjoying a slice of this black sesame cake with a cup of coffee. The rich, nutty flavour of the black sesame goes beautifully with the coffee, making it a lovely treat for an afternoon break.
If you’ve kept the assembled cake in the fridge, let it sit at room temperature for a short while before serving. This allows the cake to soften slightly and the flavours to come through.
Whether you’re sharing it with family and friends or treating yourself to a quiet coffee break, I hope you enjoy every slice as much as I do!
How to Store this Black Sesame Cake
Since this black sesame cake is covered with coconut mascarpone frosting, it’s best to store the assembled cake in an airtight cake container in the fridge.
For the best flavour and texture, I recommend enjoying it within 3 days. Before serving, let each slice sit at room temperature for about 15–20 minutes so the butter cake softens slightly and the frosting becomes creamier.
If you’re baking the cake layers ahead of time, allow them to cool completely before wrapping them individually in cling film. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, or refrigerate them if you need to keep them longer before assembling.
I recommend assembling and decorating the cake closer to the time you plan to serve it for the best results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can grind black sesame seeds into a fine powder using a spice grinder. However, avoid grinding them for too long, as the seeds can release their natural oils and turn into a paste. For the best results, use finely ground black sesame powder so it incorporates more evenly into the cake batter.
Yes! You can bake the cake layers a day ahead. Once they have cooled completely, wrap them individually in cling film and store them in an airtight container. This makes assembling the cake easier when you’re ready to decorate it.
Weighing the batter helps you divide it equally between the three cake tins, giving you cake layers of a similar thickness that bake at a similar rate. I highly recommend having a kitchen scale on hand, as it makes measuring ingredients and dividing cake batter much more accurate and consistent.
No, cake baking strips are completely optional. They help reduce doming, which is particularly useful for smaller cake layers when you want flatter tops and less cake to trim away after baking. You can still make this cake without them.
I recommend using three 6-inch cake tins as written in the recipe. Baking all the batter in one deep tin would require a different baking time, and the outside could bake before the centre is fully cooked. Dividing the batter between three tins also gives you ready-to-assemble layers.
You can freeze the undecorated cake layers once they have cooled completely. Wrap each layer tightly in cling film and place it in an airtight freezer-safe container. Thaw the layers completely before assembling the cake. For the best texture, avoid frosting them while they are still frozen or cold.
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Black Sesame Cake
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 23 mins
- Total Time: 53 mins
- Yield: 1 x 6-inch, 3-layer cake 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Asian
Description
This black sesame cake features a rich, nutty sesame flavour, soft and buttery layers, and a creamy coconut mascarpone frosting. Finished with crunchy black sesame brittle, it’s a beautiful cake for birthdays, special occasions, or whenever you fancy something a little different.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 225 g unsalted butter
- 150 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 175 g all purpose flour
- 25 g cornflour
- 55 g black sesame powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 60 ml milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the Frosting
- 250 g mascarpone cheese, full-fat and chilled
- 240 ml double cream, chilled
- 90 g coconut cream
- 60 g icing sugar
- pinch of salt
- Super black gel food colouring (optional)
For the Brittle
- 100 g caster sugar
- 30 ml water
- 30 g black sesame seeds
- Pinch of salt
- 14 g unsalted butter
Instructions
Make The Cake
- Preheat the oven to 170°C fan. Grease three 6-inch cake tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
- Make the cake batter: In a bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornflour, black sesame powder, baking powder and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and caster sugar together on medium speed for about 3–5 minutes, until pale, light and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla extract, then beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. If the mixture looks slightly curdled, don’t worry; it should come together when you add the dry ingredients.
- Add the dry ingredient mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed just until incorporated. Avoid overmixing to keep the cake tender.
- The total weight of the batter is around 900 grams, weighing 300 grams of batter into each prepared 6-inch cake tin, dividing the batter evenly between the three tins. Smooth the tops with an offset spatula.
- (Optional) Soak the cake baking strips in water, squeeze out the excess, and wrap them around the outside of the cake tins.
- Bake the cakes: Bake for approximately 20 – 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Baking time may vary depending on your oven.
- Cool the cakes: Leave the cakes in their tins for about 10 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto a cooling rack. Remove the baking parchment and allow the layers to cool completely before assembling with the coconut mascarpone frosting.
Make The Frosting
- Refrigerate the can of coconut cream overnight to allow the thick cream to separate from the liquid. Carefully scoop out 90 grams of the thick coconut cream, leaving the watery liquid behind. Keep chilled until needed.
- Mix the salt with the icing sugar until evenly combined. Set aside.
- Place the chilled mascarpone cheese, thick coconut cream and icing sugar mixture in a large mixing bowl. Use a spatula to roughly combine the ingredients, then whisk on low speed until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Gradually pour in the chilled double cream while whisking on low speed. Once all the cream has been incorporated, increase to medium speed and whisk until the frosting thickens and holds its shape. Be careful not to over whip.
- Cover the bowl with a lid and refrigerate the frosting until ready to use.
Make the Brittle
- Place a silicone baking mat on a heatproof baking tray and set aside.
- Add the caster sugar and water to a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a boil. Avoid stirring once it starts boiling; gently swirl the pan if needed.
- Continue cooking until the syrup turns a golden amber colour. Keep a close eye on it, as caramel can burn quickly.
- Remove the pan from the heat and quickly stir in the salt, black sesame seeds and butter until evenly coated.
- Immediately pour the mixture onto the silicone mat. Use a heatproof spatula to spread it into a thin, even layer.
- Leave the brittle to cool completely until hard and crisp. Peel it off the silicone mat and break it into pieces for decorating the cake.
Assemble And Decorate The Cake
- Trim The Cake Layers: Place each cake layer on a turntable and carefully trim off the domed tops with a serrated knife to create flat, even layers.
- Stack And Fill The Cake: Spread a little coconut mascarpone frosting in the centre of the cake stand to help secure the cake. Place the first cake layer on top, then spread an even layer of frosting over it using an offset spatula. Repeat with the second cake layer and another layer of frosting. Place the third cake layer on top, upside down, with the bottom facing up to create a flat surface.
- Apply The Crumb Coat: Cover the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of frosting to trap any loose crumbs. Use a dough scraper to smooth the frosting, then refrigerate the cake for 15 minutes to allow the crumb coat to set.
- Apply The Final Coat: Spread a thicker layer of frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Use a dough scraper to smooth the frosting and create an even finish.
- Create The Watercolour Effect (Optional): Scoop out a small amount of frosting and add a tiny amount of super black gel food colouring. Mix gently until the colour is evenly distributed. Randomly apply small dollops of the coloured frosting around the sides of the cake. Using a dough scraper with a very light hand, gently smooth the frosting to create a soft watercolour effect.
- Pipe And Decorate: Transfer the remaining frosting to a piping bag fitted with a 2D piping tip, or your preferred piping tip. Pipe decorative swirls on top of the cake, then garnish with pieces of homemade black sesame brittle.
Notes
- If you don’t have cake baking strips, you can bake the cakes without them. The tops may dome slightly, so you can level the cakes with a serrated knife once they have cooled completely, if needed.
- Use full-fat mascarpone and keep all the dairy ingredients well chilled.
- Use only the thick, solid coconut cream, not the watery liquid, to help maintain a stable frosting.
- Avoid overwhipping, as mascarpone frosting can become grainy if beaten for too long.
- If the frosting becomes too soft while decorating, chill it briefly to help it firm up.
- Hot caramel can cause serious burns, so avoid touching it while it is hot. Work quickly once you add the sesame seeds, as the caramel hardens as it cools.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 913kcal
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 408mg
- Fat: 77f
- Saturated Fat: 47g
- Unsaturated Fat: 29g
- Carbohydrates: 67g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 14g
- Cholesterol: 293mg
Final Thoughts
Black sesame has always been one of my favourite flavours, so making this cake for my birthday felt extra special. I love how the soft, buttery cake brings out the nutty flavour of black sesame, especially when paired with the creamy coconut mascarpone frosting and crunchy homemade black sesame brittle.
For me, a slice of this cake with a cup of coffee is such a lovely treat. I hope you enjoy making it as much as I did!
Thanks for joining me in the kitchen today. Enjoy and keep baking! 💛
