Hi Nibblers!
I hope all your bellies are filled with good laughs and chocolate this weekend even if you’re not celebrating Easter! I sure have had an amazing weekend just chilling and eating. I think the diet will just have to wait for Monday – but then again, it’s still Easter Monday so perhaps, Tuesday instead? I’ve been planning this cake in my head for a few weeks and it’s turned out exactly how I imagined it to be. The cake was moist and the black sesame flavour shone through giving a lovely creamy/ nutty after taste. It was also very easy to make so don’t be put off by the different components that this cake entails. Trust me – it’s easy and you can do it too! You can also cater your decorations to whatever occasion you’re baking it for and one to please the crowd. So here’s how!
How To: Funfetti Black Sesame Cake with Vanilla/ Matcha Buttercream and Matcha Drip
Makes 3 layer 20cm round cake – Serves 8 – 12 (depending on serving size)
What you’ll need:
Black Sesame Cake
– 450g of self-raising flour (or plain – add 2 tsp. of salt)
– 5 tsp. baking powder
– 200g black sesame cereal (Ready-to-drink black sesame sachets – I used the GREENMAX satchets – found in most asian grocers)
– 375g of sugar
– 625mL if milk
– 5 eggs
– 4 tsp. vanilla essence
– 1/2 cup 100s & 1000s
– 125g unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
Vanilla / Matcha Buttercream:
– 375g unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
– 150g powdered sugar
– 1 tsp. vanilla essence
– 20g Matcha powder (I used a ready-to-drink satchet – 1 x GREENMAX satchet – found in asian grocers)
Matcha Drip:
– 100g thickened cream
– 100g white chocolate
– 20g Matcha Powder
Decorations (optional)
– 150g dark chocolate
– 1/3 cup of 100s and 1000s (for chocolate Easter eggs)
– 1/4 cup of 100s and 1000s for cake border
– Cardboard cut-out animals
How To:
Black Sesame Cake component:
1. Pre-heat oven to 150 degrees Celsius or 300 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Spray or line 3 x 20cm cake tins then put aside (Note: if you only have one cake tin – simply use that and evenly cut into three even layers later on – bake time will vary)
3. Combine black sesame powder, flour and baking powder in a bowl then set aside
4. Beat butter and sugar together until well combined
5. Add eggs and vanilla essence to batter and beat
6. Add 1/4 of the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and sesame powder) with 1/4 of the milk to batter and beat until well mixed
7. Repeat step 5 until all ingredients are used
8. Fold in 100s and 1000s
9. Evenly divide batter into 3 seperate tins (or just into one)
10. Pop each layer of cake into the oven for approximately 30-25 minutes or until cooked (use a skewer to check) – For just one tin, cooking time may take up 45mins to 1hr +
11. Leave cakes to cool on a cooling rack lined with baking paper to cool completely (to accelerate cooling – place cakes in the freezer or fridge
Vanilla / Matcha Buttercream
1. Beat unsalted butter on high for at least 5 minutes until butter turns from a yellow to and off white colour
2. Add vanilla essence and beat until well combined
3. Add icing sugar to butter and beat on high for 5 minutes
*Note: If you prefer a denser buttercream add a Tbs. of icing sugar until desired texture
If you prefer a thinner buttercream, add a tsp. of water until desired texture
4. Take about 45% (a little less than half) of the finished vanilla buttercream and place it into another mixing bowl
5. Add the matcha powder to the 45% portion and beat until well combined then set both buttercream bowls aside
Matcha Drip:
1. Over a double boiler, place thickened cream, chocolate and matcha powder and melt until creamy – stirring occasionally (ensure the bowl with the contents is not touching the water in the pot) then set aside
Decorations:
1. Lightly spray or line a flat baking tin with baking paper then set aside
2. Over a double boiler, place dark chocolate in the bowl until all melted and silky
3. Using a tsp. or piping bag, draw out different sized shaped easter eggs – (large, medium, small or even other Easter related characters) – filling the shapes completely with chocolate then sprinkle with 100s and 1000s
4. Place tray into fridge or freezer to set
It’s Assemble time!
1. Cut the three cake layers to look as similar as possible (Eat the excess cake or safe to make some cake pops)
2. Place a tsp of vanilla buttercream in the middle of the cake board and then apply the first layer down
3. Evenly smear the first cake layer with 1/2 of the Matcha buttercream
4. Place second layer on top of the first then smear the rest of the Matcha buttercream on top of the second layer
5. Place third and top layer on top of the first two to complete the stacks of cake
6. Ice the whole cake with vanilla buttercream and smooth as evenly as possible (I usually crumb coat first – pop into the fridge for 10 minutes then add the next layer of buttercream however, I was short on time and with a little bit of TLC – it smoothed out perfectly)
7. Using a teaspoon, dab 100s & 1000s along the bottom edges of the cake to create a border
8. Ensuring the Matcha drip is cooled, slowly pour Matcha sauce along the edges of the cake to control the depth of your drips and distance (I use a spoon o manually go around the edges of the cake)
9. Slowly pour the rest of the Matcha sauce in the middle of the cake to fill in the edges (ensuring to do this slowly as to not overflow the cake)
10. Place set chocolate speckled eggs as desired over the cakes with cardboard cut outs (if you have them on hand) then enjoy!
See? That wasn’t too bad at all was it? Remember, if you loved this recipe or try it, be sure to comment below! Or if you have any queries, I’m happy to help out. Let me know how it all goes.
Nibble Away,
Jo
Nibble Nation 