Thinly sliced sweet apples run through this tender, fluffy and buttery Sesame Apple Cake. This apple cake screams simplicity and comfort, a cake that is not overtly sweet and so so satisfying.
That abundance mentality vs scarcity mentality. We are human, we want it all. Recognition, success, respect, money – these are all things that most of us dream of having in abundance on a daily basis.
Steven Covey in his book Seven Habits of highly successful people coined this well.
_________”Most people are deeply scripted in what I call the Scarcity Mentality. They see life as having only so much, as though there were only one pie out there. And if someone were to get a big piece of the pie, it would mean less for everybody else.
The Scarcity Mentality is the zero-sum paradigm of life. People with a Scarcity Mentality have a very difficult time sharing recognition and credit, power or profit – even with those who help in the production. The also have a a very hard time being genuinely happy for the success of other people.
The Abundance Mentality, on the other hand, flow out of a deep inner sense of personal worth and security. It is the paradigm that there is plenty out there and enough to spare for everybody. It results in sharing of prestige, of recognition, of profits, of decision making. It opens possibilities, options, alternatives, and creativity.”_____
Being a content creator, and on social media, I see more of scarce behavior than abundance. It’s a practice to have an abundant mentality.Takes time and effort. The world is large enough for all, to support each other and to try and not get envious of other’s achievements. They’ve worked hard to achieve what they have, they haven’t taken anything from you. Envious behavior reeks, you can spot it and smell it from far away. I have to admit, I’ve operated with a scarcity mindset at times. It sure does take patience to see the world with a wide angle. Positive outlook, supportive attitude and self love brings you to a point of an abundant mentality.
There’s enough of everything to go around for everyone. Read that again. We need to know that. Most of all LOVE YOURSELF.
Now, let’s get to this abundantly delicious & flavorful Autumn cake aka Sesame Apple Cake.
You can see I have quite a few recipes with black sesame seeds. This sesame apple Cake though is my priced and most favorite creation. It was a recipe I created years ago for the blog. Although I didn’t know SEO at that time, didn’t post on social media much, it’s one of the most clicked cake posts and loved recipe. I decided to re shoot to do justice and to give a fresh new look to old recipes with not so great pics(that I’m not ashamed of:)).
This is one of my favorite autumn cake to bake, and that’s huge because I’ve had my fair share of cakes. It has a distinct flavor from the sesame seeds, which we do use a lot in Indian Cooking. The apples get soft, yet remains crisp and the sweetness it lends to this not so sweet cake, is perfect! This cake tastes better as it sits and binds together overnight or even for a day before you slice it up.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE Sesame APPLE CAKE
Select baking apples like honey crisp, pink lady for this recipe. If you like a bit of a tart in your cake, granny smith works great. Feel free to combine different varieties for a more nuanced flavor. That’s what I love to do, I use a combo of honey crisp and granny smith.
Use Black sesame seeds, powder it and use it in this recipe. This recipe calls for almond flour, which you can easily substitute with equal amounts of all purpose flour. If you make this in winters when the air is dry, try adding a little liquid. It’s quite a forgiving cake. It is a slow bake cake.
I used a 10 inch Angel food cake pan since I doubled the recipe I’ve written here.
Take a moment to relax, bake yourself an Autumn Cake, have a slice with your coffee and enjoy the NOW. Spread some love and lot of hugs.
- 1 stick softened unsalted butter or 113 grams
- ⅔ caster sugar, plus 2 tbsp
- 2 medium eggs
- 1¼ cup ground almonds/almond flour
- ¾ cup Cake flour or All purpose flour
- ¼ cup Black sesame seed powder (get the seeds and powder it)
- 1 tsp baking powder (+ ½ tsp if using plain all purpose flour)
- 2 honey crisp apples sliced thin, add a tbsp of brown sugar and 2 tsp flour, mix well and set aside
- ⅓ tsp almond extract if you use almond flour
- a pinch of salt
- ⅓ cup of whole milk if the batter is too dry
- Preheat oven at 350 degree. Grease and Line or flour a 9' by 5' loaf pan or a 7 inch round pan, or an angel food pan works really well here. You can use any pan you want.
- Mix all the dry ingredients together, the ground almonds, all purpose or cake flour,black sesame seeds flour, baking powder and salt. Mix it well with a whip or a fork until it is well incorporated.
- In a mixing bowl, add the softened butter and whip it by hand or an electric mixer until it is soft and creamy. It will take around 2 minutes. Add the eggs and sugar alternating between the two, mix and whip well until everything is silky and smooth and lighter. It will take another 3 minutes.
- Switch to a rubber spatula and add a few tablespoons of dry ingredients at a time to the wet ingredients and fold carefully.
- After all the ingredients are folded well, pour half the batter in the prepared pan and tap it lightly to take out any air bubbles. Add half of the apples and spread it evenly. Add the remaining batter and top it with the apple.
- Bake in the center of the oven for 45- 1 hour depending on the size of the pan and your oven. If you see that the top it browning a bit fast or darkening, use an aluminium foil and wrap on top, so the tops remain golden brown.
- Check with a tooth pick or skewer to see if it's done. Take it out and cool.
Buy black sesame seeds and Powder it for the recipe. THIS RECIPE does not taste as good with white sesame seeds.
I doubled the recipe so I used a 10 inch angle cake pan.Use a 6-7 inch cake pan or a 9 inch loaf pan for this exact quantity I've mentioned here.
If you make this Autumn Cake/Apple Cake/Black Sesame Apple Cake,*Please do tag me on Instagram @foodfashionparty if you make this, using the hashtag #foodfashionparty. Check out my book MASALA AND MEATBALLS.
Stay in touch for more delicious food on Instagram and Pinterest.
