Black Sesame and Lime Cake

By Leite's Culinaria

Ingredients

11 tablespoons (5 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter (at room temperature, plus extra for the pan)
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
3/4 cup superfine sugar (or blitz granulated sugar in a food processor until finely ground)
1 cup self-rising flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 large eggs
Finely grated zest of 2 oranges (preferably organic)
Finely grated zest of 2 limes (preferably organic)
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
Scant cup confectioners' sugar (sifted)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (plus more if needed)
Finely grated zest of 1 lime (preferably organic)
Black sesame seeds (for sprinkling)
Fine strips of lime rind (for sprinkling, preferably organic)

Prep Time40mins
Cook Time40mins
Servings8

Instructions

Make the cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter a 9- by 5-inch (23- by 13-cm) or 8 1/2- by 4 1/2-inch (22- by 12-cm) loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.

In a small skillet over medium heat, dry roast the sesame seeds until fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a mortar and crush them lightly with the pestle.

In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, eggs, zest, and juice, and mix with a hand mixer until the batter is light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Take care not to overbeat the batter as this can result in your cake sinking during baking. Add the crushed sesame seeds.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Leave the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

Make the icing

In a small bowl, mix the confectioners' sugar with the lime juice and zest to produce a runny paste. If necessary, stir in more lime juice to achieve the desired consistency.

Spoon this mixture over the cake, then sprinkle some sesame seeds and lime rind strips on top to finish. This cake will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.