Black Sesame Chocolate Cake with Matcha Glaze (Vegan)
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.
- 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 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
Matcha Glaze:
- 2–3 tbsp 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 1/4 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.