This tahini cake features a tart raspberry filling and a sesame-flavoured tahini frosting, finished with playful candy, sesame snacks, and fresh raspberries.
Many people worry about cake decorating — piping bags, tips, combs and advanced pastry techniques can feel intimidating. The good news is you don’t need pro tools to make an elegant, eye-catching cake. Simple finishes and a few well-chosen toppings will give you a beautiful result without the stress of complex decorating methods.
If you’re new to decorating, try one of these easy approaches:
- Top a layer cake with a pile of fresh berries — nature’s easiest and most attractive garnish.
- Use dried herbs or loose-leaf tea for a delicate, unexpected accent.
- Stencil a pattern with cocoa, crushed cookies, or icing sugar for a quick graphic finish.
- Garnish with homemade cookies or simple store-bought treats for an effortless look.
- Scatter meringues, marshmallows, candy, and sesame snacks for a playful, celebratory topping.
For this cake I chose a playful, indulgent topping: meringues, marshmallows, coconut macaroons and candy. Sometimes simple is best — and often more fun.
Tahini (sesame butter) is the key to a pronounced, toasty sesame flavour in both the cake and the buttercream. Sesame and raspberries contrast beautifully — the sweet, nutty tahini pairs perfectly with the bright tartness of raspberry jam and fresh raspberries used in the filling and garnish.
Some basic tools make assembling layer cakes easier: a stand mixer, a small offset spatula, and a turntable are helpful but not mandatory. Above all, patience with cooling and leveling the layers will give the best results.
To make this cake I started with a classic vanilla butter cake recipe and added tahini to build a sesame profile. The layers were baked in three 6-inch pans — take the time to grease, line with parchment rounds, and flour the pans so the layers remove cleanly.
How to store this cake
Because this cake uses fresh raspberries and a butter-based frosting, store it in the refrigerator. After cutting, cover exposed edges with a small piece of parchment to prevent drying. Chill the cake until the frosting is firm, then cover loosely with foil. Refrigerated, the cake will keep up to one week. You can freeze individual slices, but the berries may soften on thawing, so refrigerated storage and eating within a week provides the best texture and flavour.
📖 Recipe
Tahini Cake with Raspberries
Pin Recipe
Save Recipe
Equipment
-
6-inch cake pans (2-inch deep)
-
5-quart stand mixer (or handheld + bowl)
-
Mini offset spatula
-
Turntable (optional but helpful)
Ingredients
Sesame cake ingredients
- 250 grams cake flour
- 10 mL baking powder
- 2.5 mL fine kosher salt
- 153 grams unsalted butter
- 60 grams tahini (sesame butter)
- 250 grams granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 5 mL pure vanilla extract
- 188 mL whole milk (3.25% fat)
Sesame filling ingredients
- 58 grams unsalted butter, softened
- 120 grams tahini (sesame butter)
- 84 grams icing sugar
- 2.5 mL pure vanilla extract
Sesame buttercream ingredients
- 100 grams granulated sugar
- 21 grams bleached all-purpose flour
- 188 mL whole milk (3.25% fat)
- 63 mL honey
- 42 mL whipping cream (35% fat)
- 173 grams unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 pinch fine kosher salt
- 15 mL sesame filling (from above)
- 5 mL pure vanilla extract
Raspberry filling ingredients
- 63 mL raspberry jam
- 15 mL Chambord liqueur (optional)
Decorations
- Fresh raspberries — lots
- Coconut macaroons (optional)
- Meringues
- Marshmallows
- Sesame snacks
- Candy for decoration
Instructions
To make the cake layers
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter, flour, and line three 6×2-inch (15×5 cm) round cake pans with parchment.
- Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, cream the butter and tahini, then beat in the sugar until light and creamy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating several minutes between additions and scraping down the bowl. The batter should become very pale and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla.
- Add one third of the flour mixture, mix on low, then half the milk. Continue alternately with half the remaining flour and the rest of the milk, finishing with the last of the flour. Scrape the bowl and mix briefly to combine.
- Divide the batter among the three pans, tap to remove air pockets, smooth the tops, and bake about 28 minutes or until edges are lightly golden and pulling away from the pan.
- Cool the cakes in the pans 10 minutes, then unmold and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the sesame filling
- In the mixer bowl, cream the softened butter and tahini. Beat in the icing sugar until smooth and thick, then mix in the vanilla. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
To make the frosting
- In a medium saucepan whisk together the sugar and flour, then whisk in the honey, milk, and cream.
- Heat over medium-high, whisking frequently. When the mixture boils, continue cooking and whisking until it becomes very thick and glossy (about 11–12 minutes).
- Transfer the hot mixture to the mixer bowl and beat on low while cooling until it is thoroughly cooled. Cooling can take a long time; you can speed it by surrounding the bowl with ice packs.
- Once completely cooled, add the butter in small pieces while mixing on low. When all the butter is incorporated, increase speed to medium-high and whip until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Finish the buttercream by beating in one tablespoon of sesame filling, the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Adjust to taste.
To assemble and decorate the cake
- Level the cake layers with a serrated knife. Place the first layer on your cake stand and spread half the raspberry jam, then half the sesame filling. Add the second layer and repeat, finishing with the top layer.
- Frost the sides and top with the remaining buttercream. For a neater finish, apply a thin crumb coat first, chill 30 minutes, then finish frosting.
- Decorate the top with fresh raspberries, meringues, marshmallows, sesame snacks and candy to taste.
Notes
- Makes one 6-inch layer cake (three layers assembled).
- Calories are an approximate calculation per slice (1/12 of cake including filling and frosting).
- If using table salt instead of Diamond Crystal kosher salt, reduce the amount by half to avoid over-salting.
- For garnish I used coconut macaroons and sesame squares; substitute any small cookies or snacks you like.
- Tahini can separate in the jar; stir well so oil and solids are reincorporated before measuring.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
Filling and frosting adapted from Baked Elements.