Tahini Walnut Cake Recipes

WALNUT CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit/190 degrees Celsius. Grease an 8-inch/20-centimeter springform pan with oil or butter. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and set aside.
• Place egg yolks and muscovado sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl, if using a hand-held electric mixer). Whip on high speed for about 2 minutes, or until pale and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Add walnuts, lemon zest and salt and mix well to combine.
• Clean and dry the stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment, then add egg whites to bowl. Whip on high speed for 2 minutes, or until stiff peaks form. Using a spatula, fold egg whites into the walnut mixture a third at a time; the mixture will be thick and quite difficult to bring together at first but will gradually loosen, so the final addition of whites lightens the batter considerably.
• Pour batter into pan and bake for 40 minutes, until evenly puffed. This is a moist cake, so a skewer inserted inside should not come out completely dry and clean. Let cake cool for 5 minutes, then release it from the pan. (You may need to run a small knife around the edge.) Carefully flip over cake, remove pan bottom and paper, and flip again to transfer it to a large plate. Brush surface with amaretto and then leave to cool completely.
• While cake is cooling, make the caramelized walnuts: Sprinkle sugar evenly over the bottom of a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook gently for about 6 minutes, swirling pan but resisting the urge to stir, until you get a medium brown syrup, the consistency of maple syrup. Add walnuts and quickly stir them into the syrup until coated. Pour nuts onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, spread in a single layer, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Once cool and hardened, roughly chop into 1/2- and 1-inch/1- and 2-centimeter pieces.
• To serve: Add cream and sugar to the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use a large bowl and a hand-held whisk). Whip on high speed for 1 minute, or until firm and fluffy. When cake has cooled, spread cream over surface and then scatter with caramelized walnuts.

TAHINI CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 9-by-13 inch cake pan with melted butter and chill in the refrigerator until required.
• Beat tahini, sugar and orange zest 10 minutes, then gradually beat in the orange juice and orange-blossom water.
• Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, soda and allspice. Sift again and fold into the tahini mixture. Stir in the walnuts and raisins.
• Dust the chilled cake pan with flour and turn batter into the pan. Spread evenly and knock base of pan on a counter to settle.
• Bake about 45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Invert cake pan onto a cooling rack and leave for 2 to 3 minutes before lifting pan from cake. Cool and cut into squares.

TAHINI-WALNUT MAGIC SHELL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread out walnuts on a small rimmed baking sheet; toast, tossing halfway through, until golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, microwave white chocolate, oil, and tahini in a small microwave-proof bowl on low heat in 15 second bursts, stirring after each burst, until melted and combined.
• Process walnuts in a food processor until a paste forms. Scrape down sides of bowl and add vanilla bean paste and salt and pulse to combine. With motor running, gradually pour in white chocolate mixture and process until smooth. Use immediately.