Black Sesame Chiffon Cake
It's been so crazy with my current job that I can hardly have the luxury of trying new recipes, but it helps to have an event to bake for - I committed to baking a cake for the monthly StrengthsFinder Singapore Network meetup!
Please remind me to cut my freshly baked chiffon with a proper knife and not a cake spatula in future - those jagged lines are the bane of this entry!
That aside...YES! I finally baked black sesame chiffon! In Asian cuisine, sesame seeds are more often used in savoury dishes like Sesame Chicken, Sesame Noodles, etc. I'd always give my ramen an extra dash of sesame seeds if the restaurant provides it. Would sesame taste as awesome in a cake?
I'd recently gotten a packet of Redman's Roasted Black Sesame Powder - which is so awesomely fragrant, I swear I'd try spoonfuls of it on its own - and this jar of Healthymate Organic Black Sesame Butter with added organic honey.
None of the recipes I found had black sesame butter in them, so I modified an existing recipe from Baking Language. Feedback was encouraging; tasters liked the fluffyness, and that it wasn't too sweet! One even kindly wrote a testimonial:
"Clare's black sesame chiffon cake had just the right texture, neither too dry nor too moist. It had the distinct taste of black sesame without being too sweet, which is great for someone who is health conscious. This cake will definitely leave you wanting for more."
Personally, I think people gave it more credit than it deserved. My mum, Charlene, and I thought the black sesame taste wasn't strong enough. So, my opinion is that the recipe isn't perfect. I'd suggest adding more black sesame powder next time, maybe a handful of black sesame seeds or chia seeds, and reducing the flour or eggs. Until I refine this recipe, it isn't going up for sale!
Ingredients:
Egg yolk mixture -
5 egg yolks
30g caster sugar
85g cake flour
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
30g black sesame powder
75g milk
50g corn oil
30g organic black sesame butter
Egg white mixture -
5 egg whites
60g caster sugar
Method:
1. Pour hot water in the bowl you're using to beat your egg whites to remove traces of grease. Let it sit while you measure your other ingredients.
2. Remove the hot water and wipe the bowl dry. Separate the egg yolks and egg whites into different large bowls. Set aside the bowl with the egg whites.
(Tip: Crack the eggs over the bowl for the egg whites, holding the shell upside such that the yolk remains in the shell while the whites drip into the bowl. This is probably the most fool-proof way of making sure your whites are not contaminated by your yolks, which is necessary to whip up a good meringue!)
3. For the egg yolk mixture, beat egg yolks and caster sugar on high speed till thick, creamy pale yellow.
4. Sift the dry ingredients into a flour mixture. Fold in 1/3 of the flour mixture to the egg yolk mixture, then 1/3 of the milk. Repeat until the flour and milk are finished.
5. Gently stir in the oil and black sesame butter until well-incorporated.
6. Use a handheld mixer or KA stand mixer to beat egg whites on medium speed till foamy. Then add in one third of caster sugar and continue beating till creamy. Add in remaining caster sugar in half-portions and beat till meringue is glossy and has firm peaks. Turn the bowl upside down - if nothing slides out, you got it right.
--> Here's a good time to preheat your oven to 160C. I don't do it too early because it saves electricity.
7. Portion about a third of meringue into your black sesame batter and mix well.
8. Pour the black sesame batter into the remaining meringue and fold gently until well mixed.
9. Pour batter into a 18cm chiffon cake tin. Tap gently on the table to remove air bubbles.
10. Bake at 160C for about 50 min or until tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool upside down completely before unpanning the cake.
