This decadent black sesame gateau cake is the ultimate fusion of Eastern and Western flavors. Rich, moist, chocolate gateau infused with nutty black sesame covered with sweet chocolate ganache and black sesame cream to create a truly elegant cake. Each bite melts in your mouth with intense black sesame flavor, making this cake incredibly hard to resist. Read on to learn about the luxurious flavors of black sesame and this cake’s elegant gateau style.
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Not Your Traditional Gateau
The gateau au chocolat in this recipe is quite far from the traditional French gateau. There is no delicate, layered rounds of chocolate sponge cake or ganache. Instead, this gateau au chocolat features a single, thick, rich chocolate base that taste almost like a brownie.
When baked, the cake rises in the oven to a great height, but it quickly deflates as it sits in room temperature, creating a natural cave to receive the sweet chocolate ganache and a unique trapezoidal shape, different from the traditional cylindrical cakes.
So, while this is called a gateau au chocolat, it departs from convention. The unique silhouette and sophisticated section create an artistic, non-traditional take on the classic French gateau au chocolat.
Popularity of Black Sesame Desserts in Asia
Black sesame is widely used to create desserts and sweets across Asia. The jet black color and aromatic fragrance make it a favorite ingredient. You’ll find black sesame in everything from ice cream to mochi cakes in Japan and Taiwan. The Chinese turn sesame into decadent sesame balls with red bean paste. Koreans even make sesame oil for drizzling over desserts.
No Asian bakery is complete without some black sesame creations. Flaky sesame cookies, creamy sesame mochi, even sesame shards atop shaved ice. The popularity of sesame desserts shows how versatile and crave-able this little seed can be. Now you can bring that same intense sesame flavor into your baking with this black sesame gateau cake recipe.
Decadent Black Sesame and Chocolate Flavors
Black sesame imparts a uniquely nutty, aromatic flavor that takes any creation to the next level of deliciousness. When combined with velvety chocolate ganache in this gateau cake, the result is luxurious. The rich chocolate complements the earthy sesame seeds perfectly. Every layer reveals itself as you dig into this elegant fusion cake.
The black sesame seeds add delightful texture and nuttiness to the chocolate sponge cake layers. Bold Asian black sesame meets European chocolate in each bite. This blend of flavors is sophisticated, complex and utterly craveable.
What You’ll Need
Although ingredients and tools used in this recipe should be quite familiar and easy to find in most grocery stores, we’ve included some links to the exact ones we used in this recipe. We are not endorsing these specific brands; these are similar points of references for you. Feel free to explore different brands and options that suit your preferences and availability. It’s all about creating a delightful culinary experience tailored to your taste buds. Now, let’s get ready to whip up this fantastic Asian fusion dessert!
Recipe – Black Sesame Gateau
Black Sesame Gateau Au Chocolat
Equipment
- 1 hand mixer
- 1 thermometer
- 1 electronic scale
Ingredients
For the Gateau
- 50 g butter
- 75 g couverture white chocolate
- 35 g heavy cream
- 2 large eggs
- 6 g sugar
- 40 g sugar
- 20 g cake flour
- 30 g black sesame praline may substitute with black sesame paste. See tips.
For the ganache
- 50 g couverture white chocolate
- 30 g heavy cream
- 10 g butter
- 6 g black sesame praline
For the whipped cream
- 38 g cream cheese at room temperature
- 10 g sugar
- 150 g heavy cream
- 12 g black sesame praline may substitute with black sesame paste. See tips
Instructions
For the gateau
- Preheat oven to 335F
- Melt butter, white chocolate, and cream together over double boiler. (see tips for what a double boiler is)
- Separate egg whites from egg yolks and whip the egg yolk together with 6 g of sugar until mixture whitens and volume doubles.
- Add egg yolk mixture in the chocolate mixture in step 2.
- Sift cake flour and fold into the liquid mixture.
- Whisk egg whites and 40g of sugar over a warm water bath until the mixture reaches 115F. Remove from heat and continue to whip into firm peak.
- Fold the egg white into the batter from step 5.
- Fold in black sesame praline just until incorporated.
- Line a 6" cake pan with parchment paper and fill with cake batter.
- Bake for 35 – 40 minutes.
- Remove from tin and cool on rack. Let deflate and refrigerate while you prep the ganache and whipped cream.
For the ganache
- Melt white chocolate, cream, and butter together over double boiler.
- Fold in black sesame praline.
- Spread and fill top cavern of cooled gateau.
- Return cake to refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour before frosting.
For the whipped cream
- Whip cream cheese and sugar together until there are no lumps.
- Add heavy cream and whip over ice bath until firm peak.
- Fold in sesame praline just until incorporated.
- Frost and decorate cake as desired.
Notes
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- A double boiler is a two-pot tool used in baking to gently heat delicate ingredients like chocolate, custards, and frostings. The bottom pot holds simmering water, while the top pot sits above it to melt or warm ingredients using indirect steam heat. This prevents scorching or cooking too rapidly. The double boiler’s gentle, controlled heating allows delicate ingredients to smoothly melt or cook without ruining their taste or texture.
- Must use room temperature cream cheese to avoid lumps in your cream. If you’re pressed for time, microwave the cheese in 15 sec intervals until you can easily press into it with a spoon.
- If you don’t want to make the black sesame praline yourself. You can substitute it with store bought black sesame paste. Make sure it is made genuinely with black sesame without additives. (Link for the one I use in in the What you’ll need section on this post). Do note that these come unsweetened though so you’ll need to compensate for the sweetness by adding sugar to it. I usually add base on a 1 to 5 ratio (1 part sugar, 5 part paste).
- The cake doesn’t need to be completely chilled when you spread the ganache on it. But it must be completely chilled before frosting with the whipped cream or else it will melt the whipped cream. The ganache also needs to harden so it won’t stick to the cream.
A Touch of Luxury for Special Occasions
With its beautiful shape and decadent flavors, this black sesame gateau cake is perfect for special occasions. The elegant presentation makes it a stunning showstopper at birthdays, weddings and holiday parties. The unique combination of chocolate and nutty sesame will leave your guests wanting more.
To create a true luxury experience, garnish with edible gold leaf or edible flowers for over-the-top elegance. Serve tiny slices with dark chocolate or champagne for indulgence at its finest.
