idk what you were ~~drinking~~ doing saturday night but this girl was recovering from a night of quarter tones and xylophones via midnight improvised black sesame cupcakes. it's what happens when you get out of rehearsal in soho and it's already past your bed time and the 19-year-old in you asks the 23-year-old in you if you should hightail it to the party in the heights but because a 62-year-old chinese jewish grandma comprises most of you these days {and bc everyone else in the band tells you that you're too old for these partying shenanigans}, you go home and soften some butter.

anyways, i love black sesame to the point where it baffles me why everyone in america doesn't. it is nutty and smokey kinda and so... couthly sophisticated. black sesame goodies are never too sweet, just badass.

black sesame cupcakes.

this recipe is a work in progress. the cake turned out deliciously, but i could see the future version of myself deciding to add more sesame seeds. the frosting was a learning experience... i think for now i'll just recommend using a basic buttercream frosting recipe minus some of the vanilla, and adding a couple tablespoons of ground black sesames.

ingredients

1 stick butter, softened

3/4 c white sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 c all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tb cocoa powder

3 tb black sesame seeds, ground in a spice grinder

2/3 c milk

clues

preheat oven to 350.

cream butter and sugar. add eggs. stir in vanilla.

in a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients. add to the butter mixture. stir in milk.

bake in muffin tins. if making mini cupcakes, bake for about 10-12 minutes. if large cupcakes, bake for 18-24 minutes.

cool, frost, sprinkle with a few more sesames, and spread the good word of black sesame things.

-yeh!