Tahini and nectarine cake

Tahini and nectarine cake

Rich and nutty tahini makes a surprisingly good flavour for a sponge cake. Paired with a zesty homemade nectarine curd, this sandwich cake offers a contemporary flavour upgrade to classic cream and jam offerings.

Tahini and nectarine cake

  • Serves icon Serves 10-12
  • Time icon Hands-on time 30 min. Oven time 20 min

Rich and nutty tahini makes a surprisingly good flavour for a sponge cake. Paired with a zesty homemade nectarine curd, this sandwich cake offers a contemporary flavour upgrade to classic cream and jam offerings.

Nutrition: Per serving (for 12)

Calories
487kcals
Fat
29g (9.4g saturated)
Protein
6.5g
Carbohydrates
49g (38g sugars)
Fibre
1.3g
Salt
0.3g

Ingredients

  • 150ml sunflower oil, plus extra to grease

  • 180g self-raising flour

  • 3 medium free-range eggs

  • 180g golden caster sugar

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 80g tahini

For the filling

  • 100g unsalted butter, softened
  • 100g cream cheese, chilled
  • 200g icing sugar
  • 150-200g nectarine curd
  • 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Specialist kit

  • 2 x 20cm sandwich cake tins

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 160°C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the bases of both sandwich tins with oil and baking paper.
  2. Weigh the flour in a small bowl so it’s ready to hand. Put the eggs and caster sugar in a large bowl and whisk with an electric mixer until pale and smooth (about 3 minutes). Add the vanilla, sunflower oil and tahini and whisk again to combine. Gently fold/mix in the flour with a rubber spatula, then scrape evenly into the prepared tins.
  3. Bake both cakes in the centre of the oven for 18-20 minutes until a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean and they’re starting to come away from the edges of the tins. Carefully run a palette knife around the edge to release the cakes, then ease out onto a wire rack to cool.
  4. While the cakes cool, make the buttercream. Put the softened butter in a large mixing bowl and beat using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and mix again briefly to combine. Fold or gently mix in the icing sugar, then beat until combined and fluffy. (Try to avoid over-mixing cream cheese frosting as it can turn to liquid.)
  5. Set the bottom sponge on a serving plate or board, then spread half the buttercream on top using a palette knife. Avoid flattening the buttercream too much; waves in the frosting will create pockets for the curd to fill. Spoon half the curd on top, allowing it to drip a little at the edges, then top with the second sponge. Repeat with the remaining buttercream and curd, then sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds. Allow to set before slicing and serving.

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving
Calories
487kcals
Fat
29g (9.4g saturated)
Protein
6.5g
Carbohydrates
49g (38g sugars)
Fibre
1.3g
Salt
0.3g

delicious. tips

  1. Make the cakes, icing and curd and store separately. They can all be frozen or if just for assembling the next day kept in airtight containers, with the cake at room temperature and the icing and curd in the fridge,

  2. Make sure you use good quality runny tahini – and if it’s separated in the jar, take the time to give it a proper stir to ensure you’re getting an equal amount of oil and paste.

Buy ingredients online

Recipe By:

Emily Gussin
Food producer and sustainability lead, delicious.

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Reviews

Read what others say…

  1. All I have to say is WOW!

    First time making this recipe, not the last! It’s just come out of the oven, so can’t comment on taste – yet! That being said, I was extremely sceptical at using tahini in a cake, but I had some and it needed using and I love both baking and experimenting so….

    I was also concerned at the use of sunflower oil because you need to beat the fat and the sugar to get a light cake but somewhat mollified by beating the eggs and sugar, although I did add half a teaspoon of baking powder. When the mix was ready, I looked at the quantity and thought that’s not enough for 20cm tins….WRONG! When the cake was cooked, it had risen beautifully both my sandwich tins were full to the brim…I took a photo to show you, but there’s no facility to post a photo.

    I have to confess I had a taste of the mix prior to cooking and if the finished product tastes like that – it’s going to be amazing….

    Thank you Delicious

    1. Thank you so much for this fantastic review, we’re delighted that you were pleased with the results of this recipe and found a good use for that tahini that needed using!

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