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This black sesame coffee cake with cocoa streusel is soft, tender, and filled with a deep, nutty flavor from ground black sesame seeds, complemented by a crunchy, chocolatey topping. Not overly sweet and perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon coffee break.
If you’re a black sesame fan like me, you’re going to love this cake. The nutty, earthy flavor of black sesame pairs so beautifully with cocoa, and the toasted sesame oil adds that extra aromatic boost without overpowering anything. The cake itself is tall, fluffy, and incredibly moist—honestly even better the next day. This has quickly become one of my favorite “not-too-sweet” cakes to bake for breakfasts, brunches, and mid-day coffee breaks.
Why You’ll Like This Recipe
Perfectly balanced flavor – The nutty sesame and cocoa streusel complement each other without being overly sweet.
Super tender crumb – Thanks to the sesame oil and the mixing method, the cake turns out soft and moist.
Beautiful height – This is a tall, bakery-style coffee cake that looks impressive with zero fuss.
Flexible pan sizes – Works with a 9-inch springform, 8×8 square pan, or even a 6-inch pan for half the recipe.
Even better the next day – The flavors deepen and the cake gets even more moist.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Brown sugar — light or dark; coconut sugar works too.
All-purpose flour — whole wheat pastry flour can be used for a slightly heartier streusel, but for the cake I recommend using all-purpose flour. Youc an use cake flour too for a softer crumb
Fine sea salt — kosher salt works; just use a pinch more.
Unsalted butter — salted butter is fine; just reduce added salt slightly.
Cocoa powder — Dutch-processed or natural both work; black cocoa can be added for deeper flavor.
Baking powder — no substitute recommended.
Baking soda — essential for proper rise with the sesame and milk.
Fine sea salt — same as above, kosher works too.
Eggs — must be at room temperature for best texture.
Granulated sugar — cane sugar or superfine sugar works.
Whole milk — 2% milk works; oat milk also works surprisingly well.
Neutral oil — any neutral-tasting oil work here so it doesn’t compete with the toasted sesame oil flavor
Toasted sesame oil — don’t skip! It enhances the black sesame flavor.
Ground black sesame seeds — store-bought or homemade (grind roasted black sesame finely).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I skip the toasted sesame oil? You can, but the sesame flavor will be noticeably lighter. The toasted sesame oil really enhances the aroma without overpowering the cake.
Can I reduce the sugar? I have reduced the amount of the sugar in the recipe. I recommend following the recipe as is for the first time. If you still find it too sweet, then you can try to reduce the sugar in the cake batter by 10–20% without affecting texture. Avoid reducing sugar in the streusel or it won’t clump properly.
Can I make this cake gluten-free? I haven’t tried this myself, but you can try to use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend. The texture may be slightly denser and baking time might be longer too. You will have to experiment with it
Why is my cake taking longer to bake? This is a fairly tall cake, so baking times vary depending on your oven. Start checking at the 60-minute mark, but it may take up to 75 minutes.
This black sesame coffee cake checks all the boxes for me—moist, fragrant, not too sweet, and beautiful to serve. The cocoa streusel gives it that irresistible crunch, and the sesame flavor deepens overnight, making leftovers even better. I hope this becomes one of those “bake again and again” recipes in your home the way it has in mine!
Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) for conventional oven. Lower the temperature by 20 F (15 C) if using a convection oven.
You can bake this recipe using 9-inch springform pan or 8 x 8 inch square pan. If using a springform pan, line the bottom round with parchment paper. If using 8-inch square pan, line with parchment paper sling, overhanging on all sides
You can also use 9-inch square pan. The baking time will be slightly shorter. Start checking at 50 minutes
If you want to do 1/2 of the recipe, bake in a 6-inch springform pan or a pan with a loose bottom.
Prepare the cocoa streusel:
Melt the butter and let it cool until it is just warm. Combine brown sugar, flour, salt, and cocoa powder in a mixing bowl and whisk to mix thoroughly. Add melted butter and use a fork to stir to let it mix into small and large clumps. Cover and put this in the freezer while you prepare the cake batter
Prepare the cake batter:
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl and set aside
In another mixing bowl, combine milk, oil, toasted sesame oil, eggs, and ground black sesame. Whisk until well-combined
Add the flour mixture and use a spatula to gently fold until combined.
The batter may be lumpy, but as long as you don't see anymore pockets of flour, you are done mixing. You don't want to overmix
The batter is thick but flowy. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to knock out any large air bubbles trapped inside the cake batter
Remove the streusel from the freezer and use your hands to gently break up some large clumps. Sprinkle this evenly over the batter. Gently use your fingers to lightly press on the streusel. This helps the streusel to stick to the cake later after baking
Baking:
This recipe yields a pretty tall cake, so the baking time does take a bit longer because of the height.
Bake in the middle rack for 65-70 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean with just a few sticky crumbs. It shouldn't be wet. If it is, bake another 5 minutes and check again. Every oven can be so different, so start checking at around 60-minute mark
Cooling:
Place the pan on a cooling rack and let the cake cool on the rack for 10 minutes and then loosen the sides of the cake using an offset spatula if you are using a springform pan. If you are using a square pan, simply grab on the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan onto a cooling rack. Let it cool down completely before cutting and serving
This cake tastes best the next day to be honest! The flavor has time to develop and the cake is moister too. Once the cake has cooled down completely, I store the whole uncut cake back into the pan without a cover (to preserve the crunchy top). Then serve it the next day!
*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*
Nutrition Facts
Black Sesame Coffee Cake (with Cocoa Streusel)
Serving Size
1 serving
Amount per Serving
Calories
364
% Daily Value*
Fat
21
g
32
%
Saturated Fat
4
g
25
%
Trans Fat
0.2
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
6
g
Monounsaturated Fat
10
g
Cholesterol
38
mg
13
%
Sodium
275
mg
12
%
Potassium
135
mg
4
%
Carbohydrates
40
g
13
%
Fiber
2
g
8
%
Sugar
16
g
18
%
Protein
6
g
12
%
Vitamin A
175
IU
4
%
Calcium
120
mg
12
%
Iron
3
mg
17
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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