So lovely and so yummy (photo: Sharon Heinrich)

We first came across Japanese chiffon cakes in a Japanese pastry shop in Paris that sold nothing but cakes of this type. Chiffon cakes are light and airy and contain no butter, which makes them delicate and spongy. Usually they’re baked in a chiffon cake pan, a tall pan with a hole in the middle and little legs that come out of the sides. The legs prevent the cake from collapsing onto itself. The Japanese love chiffon cakes and make them in a wide variety of flavors and with different icings.

 

We recently took a trip to Japan—a dream come true. I, of course, came back to Paris completely inspired by Japan and with lots of interesting ingredients, which make me want to get right into the kitchen and put them to work in Western desserts. First I decided to try my hand at chiffon cake. I baked this amazing Chocolate Chiffon Cake which you can find here. This time I decided to try the Black Sesame paste which I brought from Nishki market in Kyoto. This creation is one of my favorites and I think it will become a”bestseller” at our home.

With or without ganache (photo: Sharon Heinrich)

 

Black Sesame Chiffon Cake

22-cm chiffon or angel food cake pan

 

Ingredients

160 grams all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

100 grams sugar

 

5 egg yolks (from medium eggs)

50 ml vegetable oil

100 ml water
60 grams black sesame paste (without sugar)

A few drops of vanilla extract

 

6 egg whites (from medium eggs)

100 grams sugar

 

100 ml heavy whipping cream

150 grams white chocolate
1 teaspoon black sesame paste (without sugar)

 

 

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Unlike most cakes, do not grease or line the pan—this helps the cake grab onto the sides and rise. 

2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and 100 grams sugar. 

3. In another bowl, mix together yolks, oil, water, black sesame paste and vanilla

4. In a third bowl, beat the egg whites using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, gradually adding the 100 grams sugar. Beat until stiff and glossy

5. Add the egg yolk mixture to the dry ingredients and beat together until well combined. 

6. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter in thirds, until well combined. 

7. Pour into the pan and bake for about 50 minutes, until firm to the touch. 

8. Remove the cake from the oven. If you used a chiffon cake pan, turn the pan over and let it cool upside down, resting on the pan’s legs or tube. This way, it won’t collapse inward and will instead remain tall and airy. 

9. Remove the cake from the pan, using a thin knife to gently separate it from the sides. Transfer the cake to a platter with the top down. 

10. Put cream in a small pot and bring to a simmer. Put white chocolate in a bowl and pour the hot cream over it, stirring gently until you have a smooth ganache. Add black sesame paste and stir. Pour over the cake. 

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Yours
Sharon