Tahini cake with pear and almonds

A truly unique cake – deeply sesame-flavoured, with juicy pears and a hint of cinnamon. Slightly autumnal, wonderfully moist and aromatic. It’s naturally sweetened (with honey or golden syrup), contains no added fat (all comes from tahini), and is egg-free. Simple, wholesome, and absolutely delicious.

Ingredients for tahini cake with pear and almonds:

• 240 g tahini*
• 260 g golden syrup or honey
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 220 g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 100 g flaked almonds
• 200 g pears, peeled and diced (2 cm pieces)
• 250 ml apple juice

Additionally:

• flaked almonds for topping
• icing sugar for dusting

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Mix the tahini with the golden syrup or honey. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda, and cinnamon. Sift into a large mixing bowl. Add the tahini mixture, almonds, apple juice, and pears. Mix with a whisk or fork until just combined.

Line a 20–21 cm cake tin with baking paper. Pour in the batter and optionally sprinkle with extra flaked almonds.

Bake at 160°C for about 1 hour (or longer, up to 1.5 hours), until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Dust with icing sugar before serving.

*Tahini (optional homemade version):

• 4 cups sesame seeds
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil

Toast the sesame seeds at 200°C for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally – lightly golden but not browned. Cool, then blend with oil until smooth (this may take several minutes).

Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 2 months.

Enjoy!

Inspiration source: Saved by Cake by Marian Keyes.