Black Sesame & Black Bean Cake with Pear for #CookForFamily

What a day!

So glad that i can have this post up today. Was a tad worried that i wasn’t able to initially. But of course, this post’s here is all because i gave up 90 minutes of my resting + sleeping time. Yes, you Daniel, you.. i’m deprived from my rest + beauty sleep because of my promise to you! But hey, great initiative. ;)

As some of you may have known already, apart from supplying the family 3 meals a day, i’m also their supplier for tea-time break in the late afternoon and often, after-dinner dessert. Yeah, don’t pray pray ah.. ma life is definitely not a bed of roses ah! Without the helper, i’m still doing EVERYTHING, well.. almost la. :P

Yupyupyup, if this mother of 3 can cook and bake for the family so many times a day without a helper, so can you. It doesn’t have to be complicated. A lot of times, the food i cook is so simple that i only need 15-30 minutes to whip it up. And one-pot-meals? My all time favourite!
(i think you’ve already known that. i’m just being very the lor soh! :P)

Just tonight, all i cooked for dinner was blanched kailan with oyster sauce, soya sauce and fried garlic dressing, and, a pot of radish soup with fish maw and fish ball. How simple is that? The boys couldn’t wait to slurrrrpp their soup in their bowl of rice i tell ya. So easy to eat!

Instead of posting another savoury, proper main dish, i picked this, a cake — which i whipped up specially for my beloved family (fine, mostly for myself okie but but, they did gobble the slices up in minutes! :P).

One glance at the cake’s name and i was sold.

Pwaahhh.. i mean, seriously?!?!

Black sesame cake? With pear?! And then yogurt?! And holy moly, what’s that? YOGURT?!?! C’mon, how can i not bake this cake, right?! Wait, i should say, how can i not have this cake post up today right? Riiiight? HEH.

Black Sesame Pear Loaf

Makes one loaf

1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup almond flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup black bean & black sesame seed powder
2 tbsp toasted black sesame
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 medium pears, peeled, cored, and cut into small cubes

Method

1. Preheat oven to 150C and grease a regular size loaf pan.
2. Whisk together the flour, the almond flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and 2 tablespoons of black sesame seeds in a bowl.
3. Use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until fluffy.
4. Add the black bean & black sesame powder and beat till blended.
5. Add the egg and egg yolk.
6. On low, add in the flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk.
7. Toss the pear cubes with the remaining 2 tbsp flour in a small bowl and fold into the batter.

8. Bake about 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a tester comes out clean when inserted into center.

(Adapted from Bon Appetit)

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As a Chinese, ingredients like black sesame, black bean and pear are not uncommon in desserts. Many times, these ingredients in Chinese desserts are well known for their nourishing properties (read : for health & beauty!). So you can’t quite blame me when i helped myself with at least 3 slices of this cake, all in the name of ermm, well.. health and beauty (sugar, butter, white flour? Apa itu?). HAHA!

Verdict :

I’ve only got 3 words for ya — BAKE IT NOW!

Trust me, you’ll L-O-V-E it. ;)

ps : but i might just omit the pear next time. i don’t quite fancy pears when they’re baked. Mushy much, no like.