Black Sesame Cake with Marshmallow Webs
Three layers of black sesame cake coated with black sesame buttercream and topped with marshmallow webs. This is ultimate Halloween cake! Yield: 6-inch cake
Servings: 10
Calories: 792kcal
Ingredients
Black Sesame Cake:
- ⅓ cup sesame paste* (recipe follows)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup black sesame flour (or powder)
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 10 Tablespoons (6 oz) unsalted butter, room temp
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup whole milk, room temp
Black Sesame Frosting:
- 1 cup (8 oz) unsalted butter, room temp
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temp
- 2 Tablespoon black sesame paste*
- 2 Tablespoon black sesame flour (or powder)
- 2 ⅓ cup confectioners' sugar
- pinch fine sea salt
Black Sesame Paste: (Makes enough for cake & frosting)
- ½ cup black sesame seeds
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
Marshmallow Web:
- 10 large marshmallows, or more as needed
- orange food gel coloring, as needed
Instructions
Black Sesame Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line three 6-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Lightly grease pans and set aside.
- Whisk together flour, black sesame flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter. Add sugar and mix until smooth. Scrape down bowl as needed. Add eggs, vanilla, and black sesame paste. Mix until incorporated.
- In three additions, alternate adding dry mixture and milk to batter. Mix on low speed. Scrape down bowl occasionally to make sure all ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Divide batter among prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes before unmolding. Place cake on wire rack and allow to cool to room temperature.
Black Sesame Frosting:
- In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add black sesame paste, black sesame flour, and powdered sugar. Mix on low speed. Scrape down bowl as needed to ensure thorough mixing.
Black Sesame Paste:
- Pulse black sesame seeds in a food processor. Process until almost all the seeds have been ground into a powder. Add honey and corn syrup. Continue to process until thick paste is achieved.
Marshmallow Web:
- Place marshmallows in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds until marshmallows have puffed. Stir until smooth and thick. (Mixture will be very HOT!) Add a few drops orange food gel coloring. Mix together and add additional coloring as desired.
- Use two forks to pull out about a tablespoon of marshmallow mixture. Stretch and pull into strands and gently drape over the top and sides of frosted cake.
Notes
Black Sesame:
- Black sesame flour (or powder) is available at Asian supermarkets. Big Asian supermarkets with nationwide locations include: 99 Ranch Market (Chinese), H Mart (Korean), and Seafood City (Filipino).
- The black sesame products are usually stocked along with the rice flours and tapioca starches. It may also be alongside teas and powdered drink mixes.
- Be careful when purchasing black sesame powder. Some versions are mixed with sugar, barley, or rice to make drinks or soups. Look for 100% black sesame in the ingredients list.
Nutrition
Calories: 792kcal, Carbohydrates: 99g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 42g, Saturated Fat: 21g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 12g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 117mg, Sodium: 378mg, Potassium: 227mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 72g, Vitamin A: 1022IU, Vitamin C: 0.04mg, Calcium: 343mg, Iron: 4mg