Almond and sesame caramel cake

Name: Almond and sesame caramel cake
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 8-10
Cuisine: Scandinavian
Ingredients: 100g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the tin; 125g plain flour; 75g ground almonds; 1 tsp baking powder; ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; ¼ tsp fine sea salt; 125g caster sugar; 75g soft, light brown or light muscovado sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 40g tahini; 40g sour cream; 1 tsp instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water; 3 large eggs; whipped cream, to serve

Helen Goh

July 25, 2025

Tahini adds a gentle sesame depth to this Swedish-inspired cake. William Meppem

Time:1-2 hoursServes:8-10

This twist on the classic Swedish toscakaka brings a nutty richness to the beloved caramel-almond cake. Here, tahini is worked into the batter, adding a gentle sesame depth that pairs beautifully with the buttery crumb and the crackly, almond-toffee topping. It’s a simple yet luxurious cake – moist, slightly earthy, and just sweet enough – for when you want something special with your tea.

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

100g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the tin
125g plain flour
75g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp fine sea salt
125g caster sugar
75g soft, light brown or light muscovado sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
40g tahini
40g sour cream
1 tsp instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water
3 large eggs
whipped cream, to serve

FOR THE TOPPING

70g unsalted butter
70g caster sugar
40g sour cream
30g clear honey
2 tsp plain flour
60g flaked almonds
20g sesame seeds
¼ tsp sea salt flakes

Method

Step 1
Grease a 20cm round, spring-form cake tin with a little butter and line the base and sides with baking paper.
Step 2
Melt 100g butter in a small saucepan over a low heat. Once melted, continue to cook until it’s foaming. Swirl the pan gently from time to time and let it bubble away until it turns a rich, golden-brown colour and smells nutty and caramelised; you will also see dark-brown sediments begin to form on the bottom and sides of the pan. (This whole process will take about 2 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 170C fan-forced (190C conventional).
Step 4
Sift the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, bicarb of soda, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl.
Step 5
Put the sugars into the pan with the browned butter (including the sediments in the pan, which add great flavour) and use a hand whisk to beat until smooth and combined (about 2 minutes). Add the vanilla, tahini, sour cream and coffee powder and whisk well to blend, then, one at a time, add the eggs, whisking well between each addition until smooth and combined.
Step 6
Pour the mixture into the bowl with the sifted, dry ingredients and stir gently with the hand whisk until thoroughly incorporated. Scrape the batter into the prepared tin, then place in the oven. Bake for about 40 minutes until golden-brown, well-risen and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Step 7
While the cake is cooking, prepare the topping: combine the butter, sugar, sour cream, honey and flour in a small pan over a low heat. Stir continuously until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved, then increase the heat to medium and simmer for 1 minute. Add the flaked almonds, sesame seeds and salt and stir to combine, then remove from the heat.
Step 8
Once the cake is cooked, remove from the oven and, working carefully and swiftly, spoon the topping mixture over the top of the cake and spread with a small spatula to cover evenly. Return the cake to the oven for about 15 minutes until the topping is golden, bubbling and caramelised.
Step 9
Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the tin for about 30 minutes on a wire rack before releasing it from the tin. Serve with softly whipped cream.