Chocolate Chip Tahini Cake

This American-style snack cake uses tahini in the batter for nutty depth and moisture, then finishes with chocolate chips and a thin cocoa glaze. The cake bakes in a single pan and slices cleanly once cooled.

By Julienne

Cook time: 35 minutes

Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 240 g all-purpose flour sifted
• 8 g baking powder
• 2 g baking soda
• 3 g fine salt
• 2 g ground cinnamon
• 113 g unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
• 150 g granulated sugar
• 100 g light brown sugar packed
• 120 g tahini stirred smooth
• 2 each large eggs room temperature
• 10 ml vanilla extract
• 120 ml whole milk room temperature
• 170 g semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 30 ml water for the glaze
• 15 g unsweetened cocoa powder for the glaze
• 90 g powdered sugar for the glaze

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 175°C. Grease a 23 cm round cake pan, line the bottom with parchment, and lightly grease the parchment. The oven is fully preheated and the pan is prepared.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until evenly combined. The dry ingredients look uniform with no visible clumps of leavener.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, tahini, eggs, vanilla, and milk until smooth and glossy. The mixture looks emulsified and slightly thickened.
4. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and fold just until no dry flour remains. Fold in the chocolate chips, reserving a small handful if you want to scatter them on top. The batter is thick, evenly mixed, and still looks tender rather than overworked.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. If desired, sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips over the surface. The batter is level in the pan and the top is dotted with chips.
6. Bake for 32 to 36 minutes, until the center springs back lightly and a tester inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. The cake is browned at the edges and the center is set.
7. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack and cool completely before glazing. The cake is fully cool to the touch and no longer steamy.
8. For the glaze, whisk the cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and water in a small bowl until smooth and pourable. Add the water gradually so the glaze stays thick but spreads easily. The glaze falls in a ribbon from the whisk and smooths out after a few seconds.
9. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake, let it set for 10 minutes, then slice. The glaze has set enough to slice cleanly.