Sesame Chocolate Marbled Cake

The beauty of this cake lies in the fact that it’s a simple cake. It is not complicated, it is not difficult to make and it is not season specific either, it’s wonderful year round. This cake is perfect to pair with afternoon tea, coffee, after dinner dessert or a bake sale.

Even though my goal was to make it a simple no fuss cake, it doesn’t mean it is not special and let me tell you, special it is!

Think of the traditional flavors of peanut butter and chocolate but definetely elevated. This is where the sesame comes in. The sesame gives it such a delicate and nutty flavor without taking over the flavors of vanilla and chocolate. The sesame and the chocolate are a beautiful combination of flavors that blend well together without competing with each other; they compliment each other. The sesame flavor makes this cake interesting and just a bit elegant if you will.

This cake starts with a basic vanilla cake base that gets an updo with tahini and chocolate. I love marbling the two batters because they create a beautiful balance between the chocolate and the tahini, plus it looks beautiful too.

This is how I made my Sesame Chocolate Marbled Cake:

In a stand mixer (or bowl if using a hand mixer) using the paddle attachment, start creaming the butter for 3 minutes on medium high.

Tip! Creaming the butter makes for a smoother cake, be careful to not over mix the butter though. 3 minutes on medium high speed is the perfect amount of time.

Scrape the butter from the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the sugar. Mix the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes.

Again, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and add 1 egg at a time mixing in between each egg for about 30 seconds.

Tip! Make sure to scrape the bowl before adding any new ingredient to the mix, it keeps the mixture consistent.

After the eggs have been added, in a separate bowl, sift the dry ingredients. The flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. These are your dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients; the sour cream, the tahini and the vanilla. These are your wet ingredients.

In an alternating pattern add the the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.

It goes like this:

Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix briefly until barely mixed.

Add half the wet ingredients and mix, again, barely mixing it in.

Add the second third of the dry ingredients and barely mix.

Add the last half of the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.

Add the last third the dry ingredients and mix until fully combined.

Tip! It is important to not over mix the batter because it develops the gluten in the flour and creates a dry cake.

It’s time to make the chocolate ganache. This chocolate mixture will be used in the batter as well as the frosting for the cake.

The chocolate ganache will be made using a double boiler. Double boiler is fancy for two nestled pots on top of each other where the lower pot contains boiling/simmering water and the top pot is where the food will be.

In a medium size pot, bring some water to a low simmer with a bowl on top of the pot. Make sure the bowl fits the pot so that the water doesn’t touch the bowl but instead sits above it receiving indirect heat from the boiling water.

Place the chocolate and heavy cream into the glass bowl and allow them to heat slowly.

Using a whisk, start incorporating the chocolate and the heavy cream until they melt well into each other.

As soon as the chocolate is melted, add the tahini and stir in. Remove the bowl from the heat and combine well.

Tip! Do not let the chocolate continue to heat over the hot water after it is melted, this results in a separated oily chocolate mixture.

Allow the chocolate to cool down for a few minutes.

Sometimes after adding the tahini, the chocolate can look a bit dull and not as shiny as it was. This is ok because before using the rest of the chocolate for frosting, we will give it some love with a pad of butter and it will reconstitute it.

While the chocolate is cooling, divide the cake batter in two. One will remain the same and the other will become a chocolate batter.

Add 1/3 of the chocolate ganache into one of the halves of the batter and combine well.

Spray a round 9 inch cake pan with nonstick spray and start to scoop the batter.

Add the batter in a random pattern trying to keep it even and well balanced.

Bake the cake for 50 minutes until golden on the top. Stick a toothpick into the cake, if it comes out clean, the cake is cooked. If it comes out wet, the cake needs more time to bake.

Allow the cake to cool for about 20 minutes or so. Un-mold the cake onto a cake stand or platter.

At this point the chocolate ganache will be cool, if it is still smooth and runny (unlikely), pour over the cake and spread over to create an even layer. If the ganache is dry, add 1 tablespoon of butter and heat back on the double boiler until the butter melts into it and reconstitutes the ganache.

Tip! Adding butter also makes the ganache shinny and pretty.

Pour the ganache over the cake and spread into an even layer.

Sprinkle sesame seeds over the chocolate ganache for decoration.

This cake is wonderful if it is still a bit warm, but it is delicious if its cooled all the way as well. Personally I love it when it’s warm.

Enjoy!