Tahini and sesame seeds are not ingredients I often associate with cake, but I was intrigued when I came across this recipe in a very old edition of Bon Appetit magazine. It is a typical butter cake, with a soft, fine crumb and rich flavor. The addition of tahini and toasted sesame seeds gives the cake a hint of Middle Eastern influence. With its cinnamon-scented streusel, this not-too-sweet cake would be a terrific addition to a breakfast or brunch bread basket.
Sesame Streusel Cake
(makes one 9x5 inch loaf cake)
Batter
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup tahini (sesame seed paste), stirred well before measuring
1 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange flower water
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons toasted sesame seed
Streusel
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon tahini
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seed
Make the Batter:
Preheat the oven to 325F. Butter and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Cream the 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup tahini, and olive oil in a large bowl with an electric mixer (I find that my hand mixer does a fine job of small cakes like this one). Gradually beat in the sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Blend in the vanilla and orange flower water. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing only until blended. Fold in 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seed.
Make the Streusel:
Blend the brown sugar, flour, butter, tahini and cinnamon in a small bowl with a fork or pastry blender until mixture is crumbly.
Turn the batter into the prepared pan, spreading slightly higher at the sides. Sprinkle the streusel evenly atop the batter. Top with 2 teaspoons sesame seed. Bake for about 1 hour and 5 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
(adapted slightly from Bon Appetit, November 1983.)
6 comments:
Mmmmmm....I love anything tahini or sesame, but you really got me with the streusel. Yumma!
Woah, tahini in a cake? That just blew my mind! I want this cake in my life! I'm not sure I can find orange blossom water, but I've definitely seen rose water at my local grocery store. Do you think that would be an appropriate substitution?
Thanks, Renee
The streusel makes it almost like a crumb cake, but better.
Katie,
I also thought of rosewater, before I found the orange flower water at the back of the pantry shelf. Give it a try and let me know what you think :))
I love sesame seeds. The cake looks splendid topped with sesame streusel.
What an awesome addition of the sesame seeds! I can't wait to make it and devour the entire pan for breakfast! :)
Thank you Angie and Chung-Ah for your kind comments. I hope you enjoy the cake!
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