This chocolate sesame oil cake is moist and tender, with a deep nutty flavor, and a melty dark chocolate ganache.
February 2, 2025
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Cookbook author. Food writer. Lover of beautiful things. Here you'll find recipes, home inspo, entertaining tips, and more—all in good taste.
I'm Arlyn
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This chocolate sesame oil cake is moist and tender, with a deep nutty flavor, and a rich melty ganache.
This chocolate sesame oil cake comes from my cookbook, Sugarcane. It’s an easy recipe with generous rewards. For one, it’s low-key gorgeous, with its shiny surface and speckled garnish. But it also delivers on flavor, merging the earthiness of chocolate with the nuttiness of sesame. This moist, tender cake is pretty enough for a dinner party yet simple enough to serve as a casual chocolate snack cake. Needless to say, you will definitely be making this recipe more than once.
• Sesame oil: This does two things. First, it serves as the fat (mirroring the concept of an olive oil cake). And second, it gives this cake a soft nutty, savory flavor that complements the chocolate. Both regular and toasted varieties work well here.
• All-purpose flour: We’re using regular AP flour here. No need for special cake flour.
• Cocoa powder: Unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder is my go-to choice. Cocoa powder that has been “dutched” indicates it’s been treated with alkaline, which neutralizes the acidity. This creates a more pure, chocolatey flavor. I use the kind by Hershey’s (which can be found in most grocery stores). Droste is another great brand.
• Instant decaf coffee: Coffee amplifies the flavor of chocolate (it’s magic). Even a trivial amount can transform a chocolate-forward recipe. It’s one of those signature baker’s tricks. I always use decaf, simply because I don’t want it to keep me up past my bedtime (this is dessert, after all). I like the kind by Mount Hagen.
• Sesame paste: Chinese sesame paste and tahini both work great here. Chinese sesame paste has a richer, more robust flavor. Tahini is more mellow, in comparison.
• Granulated sugar: This isn’t a super sweet cake. But every cake needs a little sugar.
• Baking powder: This is the leavening agent that makes the cake rise. If all you have is baking soda, scale it back to 1/2 teaspoon.
• Chocolate: Bar chocolate melts down better than chocolate chips. Period. Chocolate chips generally contain additives that help maintain their shape. We want melty for this recipe! A dark chocolate with around 70% cacao is my go-to when it comes to chocolate.
• Sesame Seeds: This is the final garnish. A signal for what flavors can be expected in the cake. And a faint crunch added to every bite. I like to toast the sesame seeds, to bring out the nutty flavor even more.
• After you’ve made the sesame ganache, let it sit for a bit. Give it a chance to thicken up a little. This will make the ganache easier to control. It should drip off the whisk nice and slow before pouring over the cake.
• Pour the ganache over the cake, right in the center. As you’re spreading it out, gently coax some thick drips over the sides. Let gravity do some of the work.
• Bake the cake on the center rack in the oven. And keep an eye on your baking time! Every oven is different and you don’t want to over bake it. Check in around the 25 minute mark.
Definitely! Bake the cake and let it cool completely. Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap (I even go the extra mile and seal it inside a 2-gallon zip top freezer bag) and stick it in the freezer. The night before you plan to serve, pull the cake from the freezer and let it sit on the counter at room temperature overnight. You can top with ganache in the morning. Or add the ganache closer to serving.
This cake can be stored at room temperature. Cover with a glass cake dome. Or cover with foil or plastic once the ganache has set.
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