Cooking with Xianyitang dried ingredients
A smooth, rich grey sesame-cheese centre sits beneath a deep golden-brown top, with a clear toasted sesame aroma. Make a small round cake, chill until set and slice for afternoon tea or a shared dessert.
Quantities, yields and timings are adaptation estimates. Allow the soaking, marinating, cooling and chilling waits shown, overlapping only where stated. Check texture and doneness as described.
Recipe illustrations; measure ingredients using the written quantities.
Rinse the seeds briefly in a fine sieve and drain thoroughly. Stir constantly over a low heat in a clean heavy-based dry pan, first driving off all moisture, then toasting gently until fragrant, about 10–15 minutes or longer in total. Colour is difficult to judge with black sesame; avoid smoke and a burnt smell. Spread on a clean plate for about 10 minutes until completely dry and no longer warm. Start with 60 g dried seeds, without adding a second portion of shop-bought paste.
Use a processor or grinder suitable for nut butter that can handle a small 60 g batch; do not force an oily paste through a machine designed only for dry powder. Pulse in short bursts, resting as its instructions direct to prevent overheating. Switch off, unplug and wait for blades to stop before opening to scrape down, then close before restarting. Grind to a smooth, thick paste with almost no hard grains, allowing about 5–10 minutes of intermittent operation. Do not randomly add water, oil or sugar to speed it up. Scrape out as much paste as possible; a small amount sticking to the bowl is normal. The formula is based on 60 g starting seeds.
Preheat the oven to 230°C conventional / 210°C fan. Line a 15 cm round tin at least 7.5 cm deep with two overlapping sheets of baking paper, extending about 5 cm above the rim without nearing the heating element. Smooth the cream cheese first, then mix in the sugar and vanilla. Beat the eggs and add gradually until combined. Mix in the homemade sesame paste, sift in the cornflour, then gradually mix in the cream. Stir only until smooth without whipping in lots of air. Pass through a fine sieve if cream-cheese lumps remain.
Fill the tin about 60–70% full and tap gently to release large air bubbles. Place on the middle shelf and lower the oven to 220°C conventional / 200°C fan. Bake for about 35–45 minutes or longer. Aim for a deep golden-brown top, set edges and a centre that trembles as one piece rather than sloshing like raw batter. Measure the centre with a clean food thermometer: once it reaches 70°C, return to the oven for at least 2 minutes and recheck it remains at or above 70°C. Continue baking and checking if needed. Loosely cover with foil if the top colours too quickly. Do not leave raw batter for the sake of a dark top or grill it to black charcoal.
Set the tin on a rack for about 45–60 minutes until no longer giving off strong steam, then refrigerate promptly and always within 2 hours of baking. Do not leave it on the counter overnight. Cover loosely at first to limit condensation, then cover properly once cold. Chill at 5°C or below for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. Unmould, peel away the paper and cut into six small portions. A slight dip or small cracks are normal; the centre should be smooth and set. Bring only the portions being served briefly out of the fridge.
Contains sesame, milk and egg. Check the cornflour and vanilla labels for the brands used. The Xianyitang dried-ingredient packs state that they are packed in a facility also handling peanuts, tree nuts, sesame and soya. Check the actual labels of every brand used.
Cool promptly after baking, refrigerate within 2 hours and keep at 5°C or below. Aim to eat within 48 hours or freeze in portions, without exceeding applicable ingredient limits. Remove only the portions needed and use clean cutting utensils, rather than repeatedly warming the whole cake. This is household storage guidance, not a tested shelf life.
