Name: Black Sesame Chocolate Cake with Matcha Glaze (Vegan)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 cup unsweetened soy milk*; 1 tsp apple cider vinegar; 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup cocoa powder; 1 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp sea salt; 1/2 cup toasted black sesame seeds + 1/4 cup granulated or coconut sugar; 4 oz dark chocolate, chopped; 1/2 cup olive oil or neutral-tasting oil; 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2-3 tbsp non-dairy milk; 1 tsp matcha powder; 1 cup powdered sugar

Jump to Recipe

A deep dark loaf cake laced with the rich, nutty undertones of black sesame, drizzled with a matcha glaze. Moist and chocolatey with a tender crumb.

Who else is obsessed with black sesame?? Frequently used in Asian sweets, black sesame has a distinctive flavor and nuttiness that I’ve found pairs beautifully with dark chocolate. For this vegan loaf cake, I toasted half a cup of black sesame seeds and ground them into a coarse powder with coconut sugar, and folded this mixture into the cake batter. The ground black sesame infuses the whole loaf with an intoxicating aroma, adding to the richness of the crumb as well.

The charming thing about loaf cakes is their simplicity; they’re easy to slice, serve, and store. I made this cake initially for a photoshoot so I decided to elevate the slices with fancier plating, with sifted matcha powder, pistachios, and flower petals. But honestly the cake tastes just as good drizzled with a quick matcha glaze.

How to make the cake:

The first step is to toast your black sesame seeds in a dry skillet until they begin to pop slightly (be careful not to burn them, it’s hard to tell since they’re so dark in color). Add them to a food processor/blender with the sugar, and pulse them into a mixture that resembles a coarse powder.

Next, preheat your oven to 350F. Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.

Make the batter:

In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together soy milk and apple cider vinegar and allow to sit for 1-2 minutes to curdle. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Melt the chocolate, either in the microwave (in 15 to 30 second increments) or over a double broiler, stirring frequently.

Add the melted chocolate to a large mixing bowl, along with the oil, remaining coconut sugar, black sesame mixture, and vanilla extract, beating vigorously by hand or with an electric mixer, about 2-3 minutes. Add the milk mixture and the flour mixture, alternating about ¼ cup at a time, folding until just combined (do not over mix).

Transfer batter to baking pan and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean.

Let cool on a wire rack before removing cake from the loaf pan.

Make the glaze:

Whisk together matcha and non-dairy milk in a small bowl until no clumps remain. Gradually add in the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth, adding more milk as necessary to achieve a pourable consistency. Drizzle glaze onto cake and let set for a few minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!

More Black Sesame recipes:

If you made this cake let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and a rating below! Also be sure to follow along on Pinterest and Instagram for all the latest recipes.

📖 Recipe

Black Sesame Chocolate Cake with Matcha Glaze (Vegan)

★★★★★

4.7 from 3 reviews

A deep dark loaf cake laced with the rich, nutty undertones of black sesame, drizzled with a matcha glaze. Moist and chocolatey with a tender crumb.

Author: Hannah
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 55
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 8 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Bake

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup unsweetened soy milk*
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp sea salt
½ cup toasted black sesame seeds + ¼ cup granulated or coconut sugar
4 oz dark chocolate, chopped
½ cup olive oil or neutral-tasting oil
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Matcha Glaze:

2–3 tablespoon non-dairy milk
1 tsp matcha powder
1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

In a dry skillet over medium-low heat, toast sesame seeds until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. (You can skip this step if you’re using pre-roasted black sesame seeds.) Add to a food processor/blender along with the sugar, and pulse until the mixture forms a finely ground powder.
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together soy milk and apple cider vinegar and allow to sit for 1-2 minutes to curdle. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Melt the chocolate, either in the microwave (in 15 to 30 second increments) or over a double broiler, stirring frequently.
Add the melted chocolate to a large mixing bowl, along with the oil, remaining coconut sugar, black sesame mixture, and vanilla extract, beating vigorously by hand or with an electric mixer, about 2-3 minutes. Add the milk mixture and the flour mixture, alternating about ¼ cup at a time, folding until just combined (do not over mix). Transfer batter to baking pan and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean. Let cool on a wire rack before removing cake from the loaf pan.
To make the glaze, whisk together matcha and non-dairy milk in a small bowl until no clumps remain. Gradually add in the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth, adding more milk as necessary to achieve a pourable consistency. Drizzle glaze onto cake and let set for a few minutes before slicing.

Notes

*I recommend using soy milk because of its higher protein content (it curdles well with the vinegar for leavening power), but you can also use other non-dairy milks like hemp, almond, etc.
I use dutch-processed cocoa powder for a more intense chocolate taste.
For a gluten-free cake, sub 1:1 gluten free all-purpose flour.

Black Sesame Chocolate Loaf Cake with Matcha Glaze (vegan)