Black Tahini Baath (Goan Coconut Cake)

Last week I came across a jar of black tahini* at a local store and scooped it up immediately. Then I set about trying to decide what to make. After doing some reading I came across a coconut cake from Goa (India) that uses black tahini. I knew that I wanted to give it a go. This is mildly adapted because I wanted to skip the rosewater and add some citrus flavor instead. Also, I cut down on the amount of sugar used.

I sent a slice to school with my husband to give to a friend and got a phone call within an hour: "What am I eating? It's delicious."

This is a dense, moist cake that was the perfect grab-and-go breakfast along with some fresh fruit, yogurt, and tea. I'll definitely be making it again soon.

Ingredients

• 1/2 C butter, softened + more for greasing the pan
• 1 C organic raw turbinado sugar
• 1 T black tahini*
• 4 large eggs
• 1 t pure vanilla extract
• 1 T  yuzu liqueur
• 1 T orange blossom water
• 3 C semolina
• 1 C shredded coconut 
• 1 t baking powder
• 2 C coconut milk
• 1/4 C black sesame seeds (or use a mixture of white and black sesame seeds)

Procedure

Line the bottom of a springform pan with parchment paper. Grease the sides with butter and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes on a medium speed. Add in the tahini and beat until combined, approximately 1-2 minutes.

Add one egg at a time and beat until completely combined. Add in the vanilla, yuzu, and orange blossom water till combined.

Gently whisk in the semolina, coconut, baking powder and 2 T of the black sesame seeds. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Smooth the surface with spatula, then sprinkle the rest of the sesame seeds over the top.

Bake until the center is firm to the touch, approximately 45 to 50 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes in the cake pan. Run a knife around the edges of the baked cake, unmold and allow to cool to room temperature before serving. Slice into generous wedges as it's not too sweet.

*This blog currently has a partnership with Amazon.com in their affiliate program, which gives me a small percentage of sales if you buy a product through a link on my blog. I will only recommend products that I have used and loved...not for any compensation unless otherwise noted in the blog post. If you are uncomfortable with this, feel free to go directly to Amazon.com and search for the item on your own.