Tahini Layer Cake with Lemon and White Chocolate

Ingredients

• 2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1.5 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 0.5 tsp fine sea salt
• 3 eggs (large, lightly beaten)
• 1 cup tahini (stir thoroughly before measuring so the oil is fully incorporated)
• 6 oz white chocolate (finely chopped)
• 1 cup boiling water (use freshly boiling water, not hot tap water)
• 8 oz mascarpone (at room temperature)
• 8 oz cream cheese (at room temperature)
• 1.5 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
• 0.25 cup heavy cream (at room temperature; add more only if needed for consistency)
• 1 lemon lemon zest (finely grated, plus additional zest for finishing)

Steps

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment, and lightly flour the sides.

2. 2

   In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.

3. 3

   In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and thoroughly stirred tahini until smooth and homogeneous.

4. 4

   Add the chopped white chocolate to the tahini mixture.

5. 5

   Pour in the freshly boiling water and whisk until the chocolate begins to melt and the mixture is smooth. The batter will become noticeably thinner; this is intentional.

6. 6

   Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.

7. 7

   Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and gently tap the pans on the counter to release large air bubbles.

8. 8

   Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the cakes are set and a skewer inserted in the centers comes out with only a few moist crumbs.

9. 9

   Let the cakes cool in their pans for about 10 minutes. Turn each cake out onto a wire rack, turn it upside down, and cool completely. If the cooled layers remain very domed after being turned right side up, level them with a serrated knife.

10. 10

    For the frosting, beat the room-temperature mascarpone and cream cheese in a bowl until smooth and fully combined.

11. 11

    Add the powdered sugar and lemon zest, then mix until smooth and creamy.

12. 12

    Add ¼ cup of the room-temperature heavy cream and beat until the frosting is thick enough to spread. Add additional cream only in small amounts if needed; the finished frosting should hold soft swirls rather than run.

13. 13

    Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread an even layer of frosting over the top, then place the second cake layer on top.

14. 14

    Cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting, creating decorative swirls with a spatula.

15. 15

    Finish with curls or shavings of white chocolate and freshly grated lemon zest just before serving.

Notes

The source excerpt did not include the complete ingredient list or method because the recipe is membership-gated; quantities and detailed steps above are a best-effort reconstruction from the visible description and tips. Stir tahini thoroughly before measuring. The cooled cake layers can be wrapped and kept at room temperature for a day or two. Once assembled, keep at room temperature for a couple of hours; refrigerate leftovers under a cake dome or inverted large bowl for about a day. Add the final lemon zest immediately before serving for the brightest aroma.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• layer cake
• baked
• Middle Eastern-inspired
• vegetarian
• make-ahead
• white chocolate
• lemon