My never ending enthusiasm to minutely change the taste buds once in a while has a profound effect on how my family enjoys food. Many of us are quite familiar with Sesame laddoos; we grew up eating it. This cake is definitely inspired by the sesame laddoos. The pungent flavors, the colors, and textures are very unique, and definitely not conventional ones. The creamy custard is the crowning glory, which tops the cake to give it a perfect balance. It is absolutely out of the world delicious.
It looks impressive and is a deceptively easy cake to make.
It was an honor and pleasure to shoot for Z Gallerie, my favorite store. You can find the Cake Stands , the dessert plates, Server Set and accessories in their store or online at www.zgallerie.com.
Thank you all for you kind words and for the support that keep us all motivated to continue to do what we do. Bloggers rock!! Thanks again for stopping by.
- 1⅓ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup black sesame seeds toasted and finely powdered
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1 stick or 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla paste or vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup Whipping cream
- 1 cup half and half
- 5 large egg yolks
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 3-4 tbsp sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 vanilla bean or vanilla paste
- 2 tbsp turbanado sugar for bruleeing
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a round 61/2 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Line Set aside.
- In a large bowl add the all purpose flour+powdered sesame seeds+baking powder+baking soda+salt. Using a egg beater, mix everything well or you can sift everything together.
- In a mixing bowl, add softened unsalted butter and whip it for 2-3 minutes. Add one egg at a time, beat till well incorporated. Add the granulated sugar and whip it for another 2 minutes on high or till it is pale. Add the vanilla paste or extract and mix.
- Slowly add the buttermilk to the butter mixture and whip for 10 seconds. Do not worry if the mixture looks grainy and separated.
- Add the buttermilk-butter mixture to the dry ingredients and mix till all the dry mixture is well combined. Pour in prepared pan and BAKE for 40-50 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.
- YOU can leave it over night too before you top it with the creme brulee mix.
- Mix the egg yolks, cornstarch, sugar and salt and make a very thick slurry. Add the whipping cream to the slurry and mix well until there are no lumps.
- Keep a pan ad bring the half and half to a slow simmer. Add the vanilla paste or take the seeds out of the vanilla bean and add the bean to the pot. When you see small bubbles around the corner, the mixture is ready to temper the slurry.
- Add the hot liquid to the slurry slowly and vigorously stir so no lumps form.
- Add everything back to the pan and bring it to a very slow simmer. You will see the mixture thicken, it will take 5 minutes. Make sure it doesn't burn, so keep stirring. It should coat the back of the spoon. It should be thicker than a custard.
- Take it out and strain the custard with a fine sieve. Let it cool completely, making sure to whisk every few minutes so that it does'nt form a coating. You can speed the process by keeping the custard with the pan on a shallow bowl filled with ice. Be careful not to allow the water to mix with the custard. Stir well.
- If the cake is uneven, level it lightly. Turn the cake upside down if you want. Use a wax paper to wrap at least so that the paper comes 2 inches above the top of the cake and secure with a thread. Now pour the creme brulee mixture on top of the cake. Refrigerate it for at least 2-3 hours or overnight. Just before serving, add the turbanado sugar and torch it. SERVE immediately.
If you leave it in the refrigerator overnight, bring the cake to room temperature for atleast an hour before you torch and serve it.
The custard has to get thick or it is not going to set.
Disclaimer: Thank you to Z Galleries for sponsoring this post. All opinions expressed are purely my own.