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Chocolate Tahini Snack Cake

A one-bowl chocolate cake with a ribbon of tahini that turns toasty and fudgy in all the right places.

Submitted by Seline Hart
Prep
15 mins
Cook
30 mins
Total
45 mins
Servings
9

Steps

  1. 1

    Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.

  2. 2

    In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and brown sugar.

  3. 3

    Add the buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla, then whisk until mostly smooth. Pour in the hot coffee or water and whisk again until the batter is glossy.

  4. 4

    In a small bowl, stir the tahini with the honey or maple syrup until loosened.

  5. 5

    Pour the batter into the prepared pan, then dollop the tahini mixture over the top and swirl it lightly with a knife.

  6. 6

    Sprinkle with sesame seeds or flaky salt if using, then bake for 28 to 30 minutes until the center is just set.

  7. 7

    Cool before slicing so the crumb settles and the swirl stays neat.

Make it fancy

Kick it up a notch

Optional moves for when you want to impress.

  • Serve it with barely sweetened whipped cream if you want the tahini flavor to feel even more dramatic.
  • A few chopped dark chocolate pieces folded into the batter make the middle extra fudgy.
  • If you do not have buttermilk, plain yogurt thinned with a splash of milk works fine here.
  • This is one of those cakes that tastes even better on day two, when the tahini settles in a little more.