Easy, soft, and moist black sesame flavor eggless sponge cake can be easily baked in the oven or in the rice cooker.
Sponge cake is a beloved classic in the world of baking, known for its light, airy texture and versatility in accommodating various flavors and fillings. Traditionally, sponge cake recipes rely on eggs to achieve that coveted spongy texture. However, with the increasing demand for eggless and vegan baking options, I thought I wanted to try out the black sesame version of eggless sponge cake
The Key to Eggless Sponge Cake Success
The secret to creating a perfect eggless sponge cake lies in finding suitable egg substitutes and maintaining the right balance of ingredients. While eggs are typically responsible for leavening, binding, and moisture in traditional cake recipes, a combination of plant-based ingredients can achieve the same results in an eggless version.
1. Measure with a digital kitchen scale
It is very important that you measure your ingredients accurately. I don’t recommend cup measurements. Measuring the weights gives you a consistent result
2. Use buttermilk
I usually don’t have buttermilk in stock, but we can “make” our own by combining milk with vinegar. Buttermilk contains lactic acid, which reacts with baking soda to produce carbon dioxide gas. This gas helps leaven and lighten the texture of baked goods, resulting in a tender and moist crumb.
3. Leavening agents
The cake depends on baking powder and baking soda to leaven it. So, make sure both baking powder and baking soda aren’t expired. To test baking powder, put 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder in a bowl and pour 1/4 (60 ml) of boiling water and it should bubble up immediately. If it doesn’t, the baking powder is no longer good and do not proceed with the recipe until you get a fresh baking powder. DO NOT substitute with the same amount of baking soda, it will taste bitter. To test baking soda, put 3 Tablespoons of vinegar into a small bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Give it a stir. The mixture should bubble up almost immediately. If there is no reaction, your baking soda is no longer active/fresh. The buttermilk also helps to activate the baking soda. The acid in the buttermilk reacts with the baking soda, producing carbon dioxide gas, which causes the batter to rise and creates a softer texture.
4. Cornstarch
Cornstarch makes the cake tender but also help as a “binder” since there is no eggs used in the recipe
5. Use all-purpose flour
I don’t recommend using cake flour. I usually use cake flour in my other non-vegan/non-eggless cake recipe for that soft tender texture, but since this is an eggless cake, the all-purpose flour is appropriate for that “structure” while the cake is still soft and fluffy
Eggless Black Sesame Sponge Cake
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 190 g all-purpose flour
- 15 g cornstarch
- 6 g baking powder
- 3 g baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
Wet ingredients:
- 240 g milk or non-dairy milk
- 30 g vinegar
- 180 g sugar
- 100 g cooking oil
- 50 gr black sesame paste
- 2 Tbsp toasted black sesame seeds optional
Vegan frosting (optional): enough to frost 2-layer cake
- 194 g peanut butter
- 100 g vegan butter see note 1
- 200 g icing sugar more or less to your preference
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp water as needed
Instructions
- This recipe fits 8-inch round cake pan or 2 of 6-inch round cake pans. If you use a rice cooker, it fits 7 or 8-inch inner pot of rice cooker
- This cake can also be made into a 2-layer cake and dressed with frosting. Simply double the recipe to make 2 8-inch cakes. I do not recommend doubling the recipe and bake in one pan. I highly recommend making the cake the day before. The crumbs are more stable and won't be crumbly after chilled overnight. If you bake with rice cooker, you will have to do it one cake at a time
- You can also of course just bake one cake and slice in half horizontally to make two layers, it just yields shorter cake
Prepare the cake batter:
- Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C) for conventional oven, 330 F(165 C) for convection oven. Line the bottom of an 8-inch round pan with parchment paper.
- If you use your rice cooker, grease the bottom part of the inner pot of your rice cooker with some butter. Alternatively, you can also cut out a parchment paper and line the bottom with it.
- Combine milk with vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes. The milk will curdle.
- Combine the dry ingredients, whisk and set aside. Combine the oil, black sesame paste, sugar, and the milk mixture. Combine the dry ingredients, whisk and set aside. Combine the rest of the wet ingredients and add the vinegar-milk mixture. Whisk to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and gently fold to combine. The batter is medium thick. Don't overmix. As long as you don't see any pockets of flour, you are done mixing.
To bake in the oven:
- Line the bottom of the pan with a parchment paper. Transfer the cake batter to the cake pan. Tap the pan firmly but gently on the countertop for a few times to pop up any large bubbles
- Place on the middle rack, 3rd from the top in my oven, and bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes for 8-inch cake, 30-35 minutes for 6-inch cake or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean with some cooked crumbs is fine. DO NOT open the oven door during the first 30 minutes as the cake may sink. The top of the cake should be dry to touch and spring back when you touch. Bake a bit longer if they are not cooked yet and test with a cake tester
- Let the cake cool down in the pan for at least 30 minutes before removing from the pan. Eggless cake tends to be more crumbly especially when it is still warm.
To bake in the rice cooker:
- Transfer the cake batter into the inner pot of the rice cooker. Tap the inner pot firmly but gently on the countertop for a few times to pop up any large bubbles
- Every rice cooker may be different. I don't have a cake function on my rice cooker. So I used the brown rice function, which cooks roughly about 90 minutes or so. If you have a very basic rice cooker without any functions, you will need a few cycles once the cook button switches off. You may need to wait before you can switch it back on again to continue cooking
- How can you tell the cake is cooked ? The top should be dry to touch and it shouldn't be jiggly. It should spring back when you touch. Use a skewer and insert into the middle of the cake and if it comes out clean, the cake is done. When the cake is done, remove from the rice cooker and let it cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes. Eggless cake tends to be crumbly especially when it is still warm.
To serve: (best the next day)
- Don't try to cut into the cake if it's still warm. It needs to cool down completely. The cake is best served the next day for the best texture and flavor. The crumbs are more stable and less crumbly. Keep it wrapped in a cling wrap or store it in an air-tight container. The cake can be served as is or if you like, you can serve it with some whipped cream and some fresh berries would be nice too. You can also make it into a 2-layer cake with some frosting
If you want to make this into a 2-layer cake:
- After the cakes have cooled down completely, wrap them in a cling wrap and keep them in a zipper bag or an air-tight container and store them in the fridge.
To make the vegan frosting: (optional)
- Combine all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl. The consistency should be thick, smooth, and spreadable. If it's too thick, you can add a bit more water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Cover and they can be kept in the refrigerator for about a week. Let it come to a room temperature and stir again before using
- Apply the frosting on the surface of the first layer of the cake. Then top with the second layer. Cover with top and the side with some frosting. This is just to crumbcoat the cake. Chill it in the fridge for about 1 hour to let the frosting somewhat set. Apply the rest of the frosting to cover the cake. Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving to firm up the frosting
How to store frosted cake:
- The cake can be kept in an air-tight container at room temperature for 3 days. It has nothing that contain perishable ingredients, so it's stable at room temperature.
Notes
Recommended products:
Nutrition
How to bake eggless black sesame sponge cake in the oven
1. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C) for conventional oven, 330 F(165 C) for convection oven. Line the bottom of an 8-inch round pan with parchment paper.
2. Combine milk with vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes. The milk will curdle.
3. Combine the oil, black sesame paste, sugar, and the milk mixture
4. Sift in the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to fold to combine. The batter is medium thick. Don’t overmix. As long as you don’t see any pockets of flour, you are done mixing. Some lumps are okay
5. Transfer the cake batter to the cake pan. Tap the pan firmly but gently on the countertop for a few times to pop up any large bubbles
6. Place on the middle rack, 3rd from the top in my oven, and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. The top of the cake should be dry to touch and spring back when you touch. Bake a bit longer if they are not cooked yet
7. Let the cake cool down in the pan for at least 30 minutes before removing from the pan. Eggless cake tends to be more crumbly especially when it is still warm.
8. Then transfer to a cooling rack to let it cool down completely. Peel off the parchment paper on the bottom
9. Don’t try to cut into the cake if it’s still warm. It needs to cool down completely. The cake is best served the next day for the best texture and flavor. Keep it wrapped in a cling wrap or store it in an air-tight container. The cake can be served as is or if you like, you can serve it with some whipped cream and some fresh berries would be nice too
How to bake eggless black sesame sponge cake in a rice cooker
1. Follow the instruction on how to prepare the cake batter above or in the recipe card. Then Transfer the cake batter into the inner pot of the rice cooker. Tap the inner pot firmly but gently on the countertop for a few times to pop up any large bubbles
2. Every rice cooker may be different. I don’t have a cake function on my rice cooker. So I used the brown rice function, which cooks for roughly about 90 minutes or so. If you have a very basic rice cooker without any functions, you will need a few cycles once the cook button switches off. You may need to wait before you can switch it back on again to continue cooking
3. How can you tell the cake is cooked? The top should be dry to touch and it shouldn’t be jiggly. It should spring back when you touch. 
4. Use a skewer and insert into the middle of the cake and if it comes out clean, the cake is done. 
5. When the cake is done, remove from the rice cooker and let it cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes. Eggless cake tends to be more crumbly especially when it is still warm.
Sponge cake bake in the rice cooker VS oven
1. Texture
Both version gives a soft and fluffy texture. The one baked in the oven has a slightly lighter and airier texture compared to the one baked in the rice cooker
2. Time
Rice cooker takes longer to bake the cake because the heat is gradual. It takes about 90 minutes to bake this cake, while the oven version takes about 30-35 minutes
How to store eggless black sesame sponge cake
Room temperature: the cake can be stored at room temperature for about 3 days unless your kitchen gets really warm, then you may need to store them in the refrigerator. Wrap the cake (sliced or not sliced) in a cling wrap and then keep in an air-tight container to keep it from drying out
Refrigerator: Wrap the whole cake or cake slices in a cling wrap and keep in an air-tight container for up to one week. The longer you keep it, the drier the cake is going to be. Let it come to room temperature before serving so they will be softer or you can warm it up briefly in a microwave until they are just warm if you prefer. This cake is made with oil and no butter, so the cake should be softer compared to one made with butter as oil doesn’t solidify in cold temperature
Did you make this eggless black sesame sponge cake recipe?
I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag it to show me what you’ve made. Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!
YOU MAY WANT TO TRY THIS RICE COOKER JAPANESE CHEESECAKE TOO
8 comments
The recipe was very easy to follow and my cake turned out just as expected. However, I find it dry/ sticky in texture when eating. I guess the yogurt made it taste slightly sour too. But thanks for sharing your recipe!
Hi Anita, what a coincidence that I actually just re-baked this cake, several times last month because I was experimenting with eggless cake not using yogurt and I actually like this version that I have just updated. The cake comes out so much fluffier and lighter. Because of its softer texture and the cake is much better if you let it rest overnight and serve the next day, it’s less crumbly. It is also important not to overbake the cake. So, if you ever try out this newer version of eggless cake again, hopefully you will like it better. There are always room for improvements. I do plan to try out eggless cake that includes flax egg in the future to see if that makes the cake less crumbly. Please let me know if I can help you to clarify anything in the recipe.
Okay, this review won’t make much sense because I ignored the instructions and used AP flour (I just don’t buy cake flour for anything) and Greek yogurt (which is waaay too thick) and got a bit-too dense cake. But honestly, it’s still very cake-like, tastes good, was easy, and had a no-fuss rice-cooker clean up… and all that made up for my sins, lol! I’ve made rice-cooker cake before, so I’m sure if I followed the recipe properly, it would have been flawless, but even as a “desperation” cake, it’s not bad! I loved the mild-nuttiness from the sesame and the sweetness was juuuust right!
I can totally understand! Not everyone stock up cake flour and Greek yogurt at home LOL! I’m the only one who eat Greek yogurt at home. No one seems to be interested ha..ha..!
Can you do this with non-dairy yoghurt i.e. coconut or almond yoghurt?
Hi Elly, absolutely!
The black sesame flavour really shone through and the colour was gorgeous! Thanks for the recipe.
I’m glad you like 🙂