Blood Orange and Black Sesame Cake

Blood oranges are one of my favorite winter fruits, especially for desserts. They’re pretty, from the crimson-red interior to the orange-to-red ombre exterior. And the zest has a lot of flavor.

Ease of Olive Oil Cakes

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, I am excited to share this lovely recipe: Blood Orange and Black Sesame Cake. Olive oil cakes are light, moist and slightly fruity in taste. But most importantly, they come together easily and don’t require a stand mixer.

As I developed this recipe, I thought of the first Valentine’s Day I celebrated with my now-husband. We had been dating for 10 months, and I wanted to make it special. He loves miniature things of any kind. So I went to World Market and made him a little basket from their mini food section. I also bought him vanilla cupcakes with pink frosting. He knew I love stationery, so he gave me a beautiful photo album featuring handmade paper. It was thoughtful and sweet.

Now, we’ve been married for almost 20 years, and we have built a beautiful family together, with two kids. Time sure does fly.

Why the combination of blood orange and black sesame?

Back to the cake: I love the combination of black sesame and blood orange. The citrus imparts brightness and the black sesame brings nuttiness. It is a wonderful combination and I have made several recipes with this combination.

How to make the black sesame paste?

You can make the black sesame paste a day in advance (or use a store-bought version). Simply grind the black sesame seeds, then add powdered sugar and process until it forms a smooth paste. Be sure to lightly toast the black sesame seeds first, so that they release their oils in the food processor.

How to store the black sesame paste?

The paste can be stored in a glass jar, in a cool place for upto a month. The oils from the sesame seed will turn rancid so it cannot be stored for longer than a month.

How to make the blood orange and black sesame cake?

You don’t need a stand mixer for this recipe. You simply mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. To get an attractive marbled look, you’ll remove some of the cake batter and mix in  black sesame paste, then swirl that into the rest.

Pan for the cake

The baking pan that I use for this cake is linked here. It is an 8×8 baking pan, and I use it for many other cakes including stacked square cakes.

Ingredients for the Blood Orange and Black Sesame Cake

The ingredients of the Blood Orange and Black Sesame Cake are:

• All purpose flour
• Baking soda and baking powder: Both are leavening agents and required for a good rise
• Salt : is used to balance out the sweetness in the cake
• Olive oil : Provides the moistness and beautiful flavor to the cake
• Granulated Sugar
• Eggs: make the cake light and airy
• Greek yogurt : gives body, tanginess and lightness to the cake
• Blood orange juice and zest : used in the entire cake batter
• Black sesame paste: Some portion of the cake is removed and black sesame paste is added for that beautiful nutty flavor and gray color.

The blood orange buttercream can be made while the cake bakes in the oven. Decorating is totally optional, but if you plan to, prep the different colored buttercreams and piping bags while the cake cools.

If you decide not to decorate, the buttercream recipe can be cut in half. Simply layer the buttercream on top of the cake; a few sprinkles on the top can give it a festive look quickly. The cake can be stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to one week.

More Blood Orange Inspiration

There are loads of blood orange recipes on my blog. Here are some of them:

• Blood Orange and Pistachio Bundt Cake with Hibiscus Glaze
• Blood Orange, Raspberry and Black Tahini Tarts

Happy Valentine’s Day!

XO
Amisha

Blood Orange and Black Sesame Cake

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• Amisha Gurbani

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Black Sesame Paste:

• ⅔ cup black sesame seeds, lightly toasted
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon of honey

Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Zest of 3 blood oranges
• ⅓ cup blood orange juice

Buttercream:

• ¾ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons blood orange juice

Decoration (optional):

• Pink food gel
• Dark pink food gel
• Sprinkles

Get Recipe Ingredients

Method:

Make the Black Sesame Paste:

1. In a mini food processor, add the black sesame seeds and grind until a fine powder forms, about 3 minutes. The sesame seeds will start to release their oil. Add the powdered sugar and honey and grind until you get a smooth paste with a thick, viscous consistency.

Bake the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and make sure one rack is in the middle of the oven.
2. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper and spray again. Set aside.
3. Add the dry ingredients — all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt — to a bowl. Whisk to combine.
4. In a separate large bowl, add the olive oil and sugar. Whisk thoroughly to combine. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine.
5. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet, whisking until just combined.
6. Place about ¾ cup of the cake batter into a bowl and set aside.
7. Pour the remaining batter into the prepared cake pan.
8. If you are decorating the cake, set aside about 1 tablespoon of black sesame paste. You’ll use it to color some buttercream. Add the rest of the black sesame paste to the reserved ¾ cup of cake batter. Mix with a rubber spatula until well combined.
9. Pour dollops of the black sesame cake batter on top of the cake batter in the baking pan.
10. Using a wooden stick, make swirls or figure eights in the batter. Don’t overdo it, or else you’ll end up with a gray cake instead of a swirled one.
11. Bake the cake for about 50 minutes. Place a toothpick into the center of the cake to see if it comes out clean. If not, bake the cake for another 5 minutes and check again.
12. Once baked, allow the cake to cool completely in the pan, about one hour.

Make the buttercream:

1. Add the butter and salt to a large bowl. Using a rubber spatula, mix it vigorously in a circular motion for about 1 and a half minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, powdered sugar and blood orange juice. Slowly mix to combine, and then start mixing vigorously until cohesive and light, about 1 and a half minutes.

To assemble and decorate (optional):

1. If you are decorating the cake, remove about ⅔ cup of the buttercream and set aside. Divide the remaining buttercream into 3 bowls. (If you are not decorating the cake, skip ahead to removing the cake from the pan and proceed with your halved buttercream recipe.)
2. Add a drop of the pink food gel in one bowl and mix with a mini rubber spatula until cohesive. Repeat with the remaining bowls, adding a drop of the dark pink good gel in one and the reserved tablespoon of black sesame paste into the third bowl.
3. Place the piping tips in each of the piping bags, snipping the ends of the piping bag to ensure a tight fit.
4. Place the colored buttercreams into each of the piping bags, pushing the buttercream all the way down to the tip.
5. Remove the cake from the cake pan. Trim the top of the cake slightly with a serrated knife to ensure it’s flat.
6. Invert the cake onto a serving platter.
7. Using an offset spatula, spread the original ⅔ cup buttercream on the top of the cake, forming a thin, even layer. Clean the sides of the cake using a bench scraper.
8. Take the 3 piping bags with colored buttercreams and, using your creativity, pipe rosettes, rounds and stars on the cake to form a pattern. Decorate with sprinkles for more pizzazz, if you’d like.
9. The cake can be sliced and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Remove from the fridge and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before eating.

Notes

• The cake can be made in an 8 inch round pan as well.
• The black sesame paste can be stored in a glass jar, in a cool place for upto a month.
• The blood orange buttercream can be made while the cake bakes in the oven. Decorating is totally optional, but if you plan to, prep the different colored buttercreams and piping bags while the cake cools.
• If you decide not to decorate, the buttercream recipe can be cut in half. Simply layer the buttercream on top of the cake; a few sprinkles on the top can give it a festive look quickly.
• The cake can be stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to one week.