Black Sesame Mochi Cake

A variation on the butter mochi, this one is made with black sesame paste that turns the batter a deep, moody grey, speckled with sesame seeds that toast on top as it bakes. Black sesame has a nutty, earthy richness that's subtle here but unmistakably present, layered into the same dense, chewy, creamy base of glutinous rice flour and coconut milk. The flavor is quieter than the color suggests, which makes it one of those things you keep eating to figure out, and before you know it the square is gone. Naturally gluten free, and the kind of treat that feels equally at home on a weekday afternoon or passed around a table with people you like.