Benne Seed Cakes

Name: Benne Seed Cakes
Cuisine: West African Diaspora
Ingredients: 1 cup benne seeds (sesame seeds); 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 cup sugar; 1/2 cup butter; 1 large egg; 1 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp vanilla extract

Benne Seed Cakes are sweet, crunchy cookies made primarily from benne seeds (sesame seeds), sugar, and flour. They hold cultural significance as a traditional treat within the West African Diaspora, symbolizing resilience and heritage through their continued preparation and enjoyment.

7 ingredients

nuttysweetbutterytoasty

Culinary DNA Preview

West African70%

European30%

Ingredients

benne seeds (sesame seeds)
1 cup
all-purpose flour
2 cups
sugar
1 cup
butter
1/2 cup
egg
1 large
baking powder
1 tsp
vanilla extract
1 tsp

Method

Steps not available

Origin Story

Originating from West African culinary traditions, Benne Seed Cakes were adapted and preserved by enslaved Africans and their descendants in the Americas, becoming a celebrated symbol of cultural identity.

Culinary DNA

Ingredient ancestry breakdown

West African70%

ingredients+techniques

European30%

ingredient_origin

Techniques

toasting creaming baking mixing

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