Black sesame apple blueberry Halloween cake

Here comes the Halloween festival-Tasty treats and Spooky tricks

Effortless elevating with my newfound tasty treat, black sesame seed paste is my dessert for our P. I group. Make every get-together moment special with a range of different culture mains, too. Thank you, God, for making it possible for us to attend the fellowship at one of my friend’s humble abode, the perfect hostess!!!

“Black sesame seed paste is a rich spread made by grinding whole, unhulled black sesame seeds (sometimes lightly toasted) until they release their natural oils. Similar to tahini or nut butter, it has an intense, nutty, earthy flavour and is widely used in East Asian desserts such as sweet sesame soup, fillings for tangyuan (glutinous rice balls), and as a spread for toast and pastries. Black sesame seeds are high in calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc, which support strong bones, muscles, and nerve function, and contain lignans like sesamin and sesamol that help reduce oxidative stress and cellular damage. Unhulled black sesame products are also rich in phytosterols and healthy unsaturated fats, which may help lower cholesterol and support healthy blood pressure. Their healthy lipids and omega fatty acids nourish brain cells and aid cognitive function, and in traditional East Asian practices, black sesame is consumed to support the kidneys, digestion, and vibrant skin and hair.”

“Apples and blueberries are widely consumed, nutrient-dense fruits rich in fiber, vitamins, and powerful plant antioxidants. Though they have distinct flavors and nutritional strengths, comparing or combining them shows how they support overall health. Apples: High in soluble fiber (pectin), which nourishes beneficial gut bacteria and supports smooth digestion. Provide quercetin and fiber linked to improved blood vessel function and lower systolic blood pressure. Their high water and fiber content help keep you full and may naturally reduce overall calorie intake.”

“Blueberries: Exceptionally high in anthocyanins and vitamin C, which help neutralize cell-damaging free radicals. Regular intake is linked to better cognitive flexibility, improved memory, and a lower risk of age-related cognitive decline. Anthocyanins also improve how your body handles glucose and insulin, supporting metabolic health. Blueberries contain more vitamins K and C and more manganese, while apples offer slightly more potassium. Both provide a strong fiber boost. Apples have a slightly lower glycemic index (~36) than blueberries (~53), and both fit comfortably into a balanced diet.”

Savour the rich, nutty flavour of black sesame seed paste with apples and blueberries. Thank you, God, for this colourful, delicious, spooky dessert. The eyeball decorations are very hard, do be careful not to crack your teeth. I removed them from my plate. Let’s bake with grateful hearts to God.

Ingredients

250 g plain flour
225 g castor sugar
200 ml thickened cream
150 g butter
150 g blueberries, wash and dry
50 ml thickened cream, for black sesame seed paste batter
50 ml thickened cream, for rose water plain batter
30 self raising flour
6 royal gala apples, cut chunky
3 eggs
3 Tbs black sesame seed paste
2 Tbs plain flour for coating apples and blueberries
1 Tbs rose water
1 1/2 Tsp baking powder
1/2 Tsp bicarb soda
3 tiny dots of black food colouring gel
pinch of salt

Garnish

icing sugar
eyeball decorations

Method

Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease your 23 cm design tube pan thoroughly with lot of butter. Set aside. Wash, dry, cut, and core apples into chunky sized about 1cm. Place them in a medium bowl. Wash and dry blueberries and place together with chunky apples. Add 2 Tbs plain flour, toss to coat the berries well. Set in fridge.

In medium plate, mix plain flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt. Set aside. In mixing bowl, place butter in and melt in microwave for 25-30 seconds and let it cool for 1 minute. Then beat butter for 5 minutes. Add castor sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy for 3-5 minutes.

Add egg one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually alternate adding dry ingredients and 200 ml thickened cream to the butter-egg mixture, starting and ending with flour. Mix just until combined.

Divide batter into 2 bowls; 2/3 batter, add 1 Tbs rose water and 50 ml thickened cream. The 1/3 batter warmed up 50 ml thickened cream about 30 seconds. Then add 3 Tbs black sesame seed paste and 3 tiny dots of black food colouring into warmed up thickened cream and stirs to mixed well. Set aside.

Spoon some berries and layer all around the bottom of prepared design tube pan. Spoon half of big metal spoon of rose water batter and place on one side. Then spoon half of the big metal spoon black sesame seed paste batter next to it. Repeat with rose water batter next to black sesame seed paste batter. So, there are two rose water batter and two black sesame paste.

Now add the half of the remaining berries on top of both batter all around. Followed by half big metal spoon rose water batter, and then half big metal spoon black sesame seed paste batter. There are two rose water batter and two black sesame paste. Now gently press in the remaining half berries into both the batter. Give a couples of gentle knocks on the bench top to release any bubbles caught inside.

Bake 50 minutes first. Test with skewer and if skewer comes out wet with batter. Cover the tube pan with a extra big metal bowl. Increase oven to180°C. Bake a further 20 minutes or until skewer out clean. Switch off oven. Leave the tube pan with cake inside with door shut for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes, open the oven door and removed the extra big metal bowl. Then bring out the tube pan with cake out to rack to cool completely for 45 minutes. After cool completely, use a palate knife gently run the knife around the edges and center tube. The place a plate on top with mittens hold the tube pan and plate and flip over. My cake comes out perfectly. Leave it on the table. Cover with food cover with holes.

Next day, 1 hour before leaving for my friend’s humble abode. Spoon 1-2 Tbs icing sugar onto a small sift and sprinkles the icing all over the top of the cake and place some eyeball decorations all around the top of the cake. Cut up and serve with tea, coffee or soft drink. Enjoy!!!

Note: You may omit the black food colouring. However, the cake will not have dark black colour but greyish black colour. Instead of rose water you can use vanilla extract or yuzu juice or lemon juice.

“Because black sesame paste can sometimes be slightly oily or dense, keeping it to 1/3 of the batter ensures the cake stays structurally sound while giving you a striking visual contrast against the fruit batter.”

“Apples and blueberries release moisture as they bake. The bicarb of soda you included is excellent here because it will help lift the heavier, fruit-laden batter!”