Halloween Black Sesame Traybake with Matcha Icing
Looking for a Halloween bake that’s a little different from the usual spooky treats? This Halloween black sesame traybake combines the distinctive, nutty flavour of black sesame with earthy matcha icing, a white icing drizzle and playful 4D gummy eyeballs. The dark cake and bright green icing create a striking contrast, while the googly eyes give each square a fun, spooky look.
Cut into nine squares, this Halloween black sesame traybake is perfect for sharing at a Halloween party or enjoying with family and friends. The combination of dark cake, green matcha icing and spooky gummy eyeballs makes each piece a little treat that’s as fun to decorate as it is to serve.
Alright, let’s bake!
Why You’ll Love this Halloween Black Sesame Traybake
- A unique flavour combination: Nutty black sesame pairs beautifully with earthy matcha icing for something a little different from traditional Halloween bakes.
- Fun Halloween decoration: Green icing, white icing drizzle and 4D gummy eyeballs give each square a playful, spooky look.
- Easy to share: Cut the traybake into nine squares, making it ideal for Halloween parties or sharing with family and friends.
- A bake for adventurous home bakers: If you enjoy exploring flavours beyond chocolate and vanilla, this is a fun way to try something new.
- Customisable decoration: Have fun arranging the gummy eyeballs and drizzling the icing to give each piece its own spooky character.
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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, moisture and a tender crumb while helping create a soft, buttery cake.
- Caster sugar: Sweetens the cake and helps keep the crumb moist and tender.
- Eggs: Provide structure, bind the ingredients together and help the cake rise. They also contribute richness and moisture.
- All-purpose flour: Forms the structure of the cake, giving it enough strength to hold its shape when baked.
- Black sesame powder: Gives the cake its distinctive nutty flavour, dark colour and unique character.
- Baking powder: Helps the cake rise, creating a lighter texture.
- Bicarbonate of soda: Reacts with the acidity in the buttermilk to help the cake rise and contributes to a tender crumb.
- Buttermilk: Adds moisture and a gentle tang while helping create a softer, more tender texture.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a lovely aroma and rounds out the nutty flavour of the black sesame.
- Salt: Enhances the flavours and balances the sweetness of the cake.
Tips for the Perfect Black Sesame Traybake
- Use softened butter: Let the butter come to room temperature before you start. It should be soft enough to press with a finger but not greasy or melted. This helps it cream properly with the sugar.
- Cream the butter and sugar well: Beat them until the mixture looks pale and fluffy. This incorporates air into the batter, helping create a lighter cake.
- Use room-temperature ingredients: Bring the eggs and buttermilk to room temperature before baking. This helps the ingredients combine more evenly and reduces the risk of the batter splitting.
- Sift the dry ingredients: Sift the flour, black sesame powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt together to remove lumps and distribute the ingredients evenly. Black sesame powder can have a slightly coarse texture depending on the brand you use. If some of it doesn’t pass through the sieve, gently press it through with the back of a spoon. This helps ensure the dry ingredients are evenly combined, giving you a more uniform cake batter.
- Avoid overmixing: Once you add the dry ingredients, mix just until everything is combined. Overmixing can develop too much gluten, resulting in a tougher crumb.
- Check the cake for doneness: Insert a skewer into the centre. If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, the cake is ready. If wet batter clings to it, bake for a little longer.
- Cool completely before decorating: Let the cake cool fully in the tin before adding the matcha icing. A warm cake can cause the icing to melt and slide off.
- Add the gummy eyeballs at the right time: Drizzle the white icing over the matcha layer, then arrange the gummy eyeballs while the icing is still slightly tacky so they stay in place.
- Cut into neat squares: For cleaner slices, let the icing set slightly before cutting. Use a sharp knife and wipe it clean between cuts to keep the green icing and white drizzle looking tidy.
How to Serve
- For Halloween parties: Arrange the traybake squares on a serving platter for a fun addition to your Halloween dessert table.
- Customise the decoration: Feel free to get creative with different icing colours, sprinkles or Halloween-themed sweets to suit your celebration. You can also swap the matcha icing for my coconut mascarpone frosting or matcha whipped cream for a different finish.
- As an afternoon treat: Enjoy a square with a cup of tea or coffee. The nutty black sesame flavour pairs beautifully with a warm drink.
- For sharing: Serve the cake at room temperature for the best texture and flavour.
How to Store
- At room temperature: Store the undecorated cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, away from direct sunlight and heat.
- If decorated: If you’ve topped the cake with matcha whipped cream or coconut mascarpone frosting, store it in an airtight container in the fridge and follow the storage guidance for your chosen topping.
- Before serving: If the decorated cake has been refrigerated, let it sit at room temperature briefly before serving so the cake can soften slightly. Avoid leaving cream-based toppings out for extended periods.
Halloween Black Sesame Traybake FAQs
I recommend using black sesame powder for this recipe because it distributes more evenly throughout the batter and gives the cake its distinctive nutty flavour and dark colour. If you only have whole black sesame seeds, you can grind them into a fine powder using a spice grinder or coffee grinder. Make sure the seeds are ground as finely as possible for the best texture, and avoid grinding for too long, as the seeds may start releasing their oils and turn into a paste.
This recipe is developed for a 7-inch square tin. Using a different size or shape will affect the cake’s depth and baking time. A larger tin will produce a thinner cake, while a smaller tin will give you a deeper cake that may need longer to bake.
Absolutely! You can use a different icing or frosting to suit your taste. Coconut mascarpone frosting and matcha whipped cream would both be lovely alternatives to try with the black sesame cake.
Yes! You can bake the cake a day ahead and store it in an airtight container. For the best results, let the cake cool completely before storing it, and decorate it closer to serving time.
I recommend enjoying the cake fresh for the best texture and flavour. If you would like to prepare ahead, baking it a day in advance is a good option.
More Halloween Recipes You Might Like
Looking for more Halloween treats or festive baking inspiration? Head over to my Holiday Baking page to explore more seasonal recipes and find your next bake!
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Halloween Black Sesame Traybake
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins
- Yield: 7-inch cake 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Asian, Fusion, Western
Description
This Halloween black sesame traybake features a nutty black sesame cake topped with earthy matcha icing, a white icing drizzle and spooky gummy eyeballs. Cut into nine squares, it’s a fun and unusual Halloween bake to share at parties or enjoy with family and friends.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 200 g unsalted butter, softened,
- 150 g caster sugar
- 4 eggs
- 180 g all purpose flour
- 45 g black sesame powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 80 ml buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 tsp salt
For the Matcha Icing
- 110 g icing sugar
- 2 tsp matcha powder
- 2 – 3 tbsp milk
For the White Icing
- 60 g icing sugar
- 1 – 2 tsp milk
For the Decoration
- gummy eyeballs
- Halloween sprinkles
Instructions
Make The Cake
- Preheat the oven to 170°C fan. Grease and line a 7-inch (18 cm) square cake tin with baking paper, leaving a little overhang to help lift out the cake later.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, black sesame powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Black sesame powder can be slightly coarse depending on the brand. If some doesn’t pass through the sieve, gently press it through with the back of a spoon.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and caster sugar together until pale and fluffy. This helps incorporate air into the batter for a lighter cake.
- Add the vanilla extract and the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. If the mixture looks slightly curdled, don’t worry; it should come together when you add the dry ingredients.
- Add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk in two additions. Begin and end with the dry ingredients, mixing gently after each addition until just combined. Avoid over mixing the batter.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared tin and spread it evenly into the corners.
- (Optional) Soak a cake baking strip in water, squeeze out the excess, and wrap it around the outside of the cake tin. This helps the cake bake more evenly and reduces doming on the top.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 170°C fan for around 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If the cake needs more time, continue baking and check again after a few minutes.
- Leave the cake to cool in the tin for about 10–15 minutes, then lift it out using the baking paper and transfer it to a wire rack. Allow it to cool completely before decorating.
Make the Icing
- Make the matcha icing: Mix the icing sugar and matcha powder into a bowl. Add the milk gradually, mixing until you have a thick but spreadable consistency. You may not need all the milk.
- Make the white icing: Mix the icing sugar with the milk in a small bowl, adding the milk gradually until you have a thick but drizzleable consistency. If the icing is too thick, add a little more milk; if it is too runny, mix in a little extra icing sugar. If you’re using a piping bag to drizzle the icing, transfer it to a small piping bag. Alternatively, you can use a spoon to drizzle the icing over the matcha icing in an irregular pattern.
Decorate the Cake
- Spread the matcha icing evenly over the cooled cake. Leave it for around 15–20 minutes so the surface can begin to set slightly.
- Drizzle or spoon the white icing over the matcha icing in your preferred pattern, depending on the look you want to achieve.
- While the icing is still slightly tacky, arrange the gummy eyeballs and Halloween sprinkles over the top. If the icing has already set, use a little extra icing to secure the decorations.
- Once the icing has set enough to handle, cut the cake into nine squares and serve.
Notes
Get creative with your decorations! Use different Halloween sprinkles, sweets or icing designs to make the cake as spooky as you like and suit your Halloween theme.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 296kcal
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 278mg
- Fat: 23g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 122mg
Final Thoughts
I hope you’ll have fun making this Halloween black sesame traybake! I love how the dark, nutty cake contrasts with the green matcha icing and spooky gummy eyeballs, making it a little different from the usual Halloween treats.
Feel free to get creative with the decorations and make it your own. Whether you’re baking for a Halloween party or simply want to try a new flavour combination, I hope this cake inspires you to have a little fun in the kitchen.
Thanks for joining me in the kitchen today. Happy Halloween! 🎃👻💛
