I often feel like I need to bake exactly with the season, but that leaves me in quite the predicament when what I want is something totally different. Sometimes I want peach pie in December or pecan pie in August.
Several months ago, I became obsessed with mochi ice cream from our international grocery store. I particularly loved the green tea and the black sesame flavors. The green tea was so earthy and refreshing, and I loved the toasty flavor of the black sesame. And those colors! So baking with them was sort of a no brainer.
Rather than make one batter and halve it, as with most marble cakes, I just made two separate batters. This makes for dirtying more bowls than I normally like, but I preferred this method to ensure I had even amounts of each batter and that the batters didn’t end up overmixed. Worth it. 
This cake is somewhere between a quick bread and a pound cake in texture and taste. The sesame and matcha really work perfectly together, and the marbling ensures the perfect amount of swirled and separated bites.
Step by Step Guide to Making Matcha and Black Sesame Swirl Pound Cake
Preheat and Prepare Pan
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Grease an 8x4x3-inch (20x10x7 cm) loaf pan and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides for easy removal.
Make the Batters
In two separate bowls, whisk together the dry ingredients for each batter:
Matcha Batter: flour, matcha, baking powder, salt
Sesame Batter: flour, baking powder, salt
In two more bowls, whisk the wet ingredients:
Matcha Batter: eggs, oil, sugar, coconut milk, vanilla
Sesame Batter: eggs, oil, tahini, sugar, coconut milk, vanilla
Gently stir dry ingredients into their respective wet mixtures until just combined. Do not overmix.
Layer and Marble
Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, alternate scoops of matcha and sesame batters across the bottom of the loaf pan.
Continue layering batters in alternating colors until used up (about 4 layers).
Drag a knife through the batter in a large zigzag pattern from top to bottom, then repeat side to side to create a swirl.
Bake and Cool
Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift out using parchment and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Matcha and Black Sesame Swirl Pound Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 10 slices 1x
Description
This eye-catching, marbled loaf marries earthy matcha green tea with nutty black sesame tahini. Made with coconut milk and oil instead of butter, it’s soft, moist, and full of flavor—with a dramatic swirl to match.
Ingredients
Matcha Batter
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (115 grams)
1 1/2 tablespoons matcha powder (12 grams)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs
1/4 cup grapeseed oil (56 grams)
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons cane sugar (125 grams)
1/4 cup light coconut milk (60 ml)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Black Sesame Batter
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (115 grams)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs
1/4 cup grapeseed oil (56 grams)
1 1/2 tablespoons black sesame tahini (30 grams)
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons cane sugar (125 grams)
1/4 cup light coconut milk (60 ml)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat and Prepare Pan
-
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
-
Grease an 8x4x3-inch (20x10x7 cm) loaf pan and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides for easy removal.
Make the Batters
-
In two separate bowls, whisk together the dry ingredients for each batter:
-
Matcha Batter: flour, matcha, baking powder, salt
-
Sesame Batter: flour, baking powder, salt
-
-
In two more bowls, whisk the wet ingredients:
-
Matcha Batter: eggs, oil, sugar, coconut milk, vanilla
-
Sesame Batter: eggs, oil, tahini, sugar, coconut milk, vanilla
-
-
Gently stir dry ingredients into their respective wet mixtures until just combined. Do not overmix.
Layer and Marble
-
Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, alternate scoops of matcha and sesame batters across the bottom of the loaf pan.
-
Continue layering batters in alternating colors until used up (about 4 layers).
-
Drag a knife through the batter in a large zigzag pattern from top to bottom, then repeat side to side to create a swirl.
Bake and Cool
-
Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
-
Let cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift out using parchment and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Always bring butter, eggs, and dairy ingredients to room temperature before mixing. This ensures smoother batter, better aeration, and a more even texture.
Measure flour correctly by lightly spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off. Too much flour can result in dry, dense cakes.
Properly cream butter and sugar until fluffy and pale—around 3 to 5 minutes. This crucial step creates air pockets that yield a lighter pound cake.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition to incorporate air and prevent curdling.
When incorporating dry ingredients, mix just until combined. Over-mixing can activate gluten and make your pound cake tough.
Use a heavy-duty, non-stick loaf or bundt pan to ensure even heat distribution, easier release, and beautifully shaped cakes.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 55 mins
- Category: Baking, Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Asian Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 356
- Sugar: 24g
- Sodium: 105mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 43g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
Hello, can we substitute coconut milk with other milks like Almond/soy?
Couldn’t not come here and leave a comment about how great the cake is, the black sesame part is so delicious, very similar in taste with a very appreciated turkish sweet – halva…and I’m going to repeat again, an absolutely finger-licking recipe…thank you a lot or sharing it, it’s already saved in my best recipes’ library :)))