This recipe was really me trying to think of something fun and snackable to make, using chocolate, sesame, and Ovalmaltine(think Ovaltine, but as a crunchy, creamy spread!). Ironically enough, I wound up a semi-entremet-looking mousse cake instead. It reminds me of The Good Place when a character named Janet was randomly making things cacti instead of whatever was being asked of her. That is me with making desserts that aren’t mousse cakes, I guess? I always like using mousses for dessert because they are light, easier to control the sugar content on, and you don’t feel nearly as disgusting eating something with a mousse instead of a butter cream or pastry cream. In this case, I went with a Bavarian cream, which is one of my favorites. Bavarian cream, also called Bavarois, is a pastry cream(or thickened custard) that is folded in with whipped cream so that it is feathery and light. It is a staple in my pastry arsenal because I use it to make pretty much 90% of my mousse-based desserts. In the case of this recipe, I combined that with tahini paste and some sweetened black sesame paste for a marble-like mousse situation. I also made a chocolate sponge base, using whipped egg whites for a super light crumb, soaked with a tahini milk, and smothered in the Ovalmatine, just for a crunchy texture and a malt ball-like flavor profile with the chocolate. This dessert might not be the most unilateral, ingredient-optimized recipe(probably should’ve soaked the cake with Ovaltine, for example), but it tastes good, and that’s the biggest priority when it comes to making a recipe.

Makes one 6-inch cake(6-8 servings):
For the chocolate sponge:
1 egg white
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp black cacao powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
.5oz canola oil
1oz hot water

In a bowl, whisk the egg white with sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks. In another bowl, sift in the flour, cacao powder, baking powder, and salt. Mix into that the oil first until clumps form, then whisk into that the hot water. Fold into that the stiff whipped egg whites to form your batter. Pour the batter into one lined 6-inch cake mold and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Allow the cake to cool before unmolding.

For the sesame milk soak:
1oz tahini paste
1 cup water
a pinch of salt

Whisk together until ocmbined.

For the sesame Bavarian cream:
2oz tahini paste
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup granulated sugar
a pinch of salt
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 tsp gelatin powder + 2 tbsp cold water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped stiff

In a bowl, whisk the tahini with egg yolk, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. In a pot, heat up the milk and gelatin, and once the gelatin is fully dissolved, and pour half over the egg yolk while whisking. Then add the egg yolk-milk mixture back into the pot with the rest of the milk, and whisk on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Pass the custard through a sieve to remove lumps and mix in the vanilla. Allow it to cool before folding in the heavy cream.

For assembly:
3oz Ovalmaltine
1/4 cup black sesame powder
1 tbsp honey

Brush the soak onto the cake, then spread the Ovalmaltine over that. In another bowl, mix the sesame powder and honey to form a sweet black sesame paste. Swirl the paste through the Bavarian cream. Pour all of the Bavarian cream into a lined 6-inch ring mold. Press in the cake. Freeze solid before attempting to unmold.