Middle EasternMedium · Room Temp
Tahini Olive Oil Cake with Lemon Yogurt Drizzle and Toasted Sesame
A rich, nutty tahini and olive oil cake that stays beautifully moist for days, draped in a bright lemon yogurt drizzle and finished with golden toasted sesame seeds. The kind of cake that makes you forget frosting was ever the point.
Prep
10 min
Cook
32 min
Total
42 min
Method
1
Heat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with a little olive oil and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2
3
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined — a few streaks of flour are fine; do not overwork the batter or the cake will be tough.
4
5
Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely before drizzling, about 30 more minutes.
6
While the cake cools, toast the sesame seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and golden, about 3-4 minutes. Watch closely — they go from golden to burnt fast. Transfer to a plate to stop the cooking.
7
In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, and honey until smooth and glossy. The mixture should be pourable but thick enough to cling to the cake.
8
9
Scatter the toasted sesame seeds generously over the drizzle. Serve at room temperature. The cake keeps well wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days — if it lasts that long.
D
Nutri-Score
Needs balance
A–E · lower is better · score 11
Calories
483
per serving
High in sugar · 31gCalorie-dense · 483 kcal
Protein
10g
Carbs
54g
Fat
27g
Sat. fat
4g
Fiber
3g
Sugar
31g
Sodium
327mg
Dairy ContainingEgg ContainingHoney SweetenedLacto Ovo VegetarianMediterraneanBlood Sugar AwarenessHeart DiseaseNutritional BalanceAntioxidant RichBalanced MacrosHealthy FatsHigh Calcium
Nutri-Score is a general nutritional-balance guide, not medical or dietary advice.
C
Environmental impact
Moderate impact
A–E · lower is better · includes estimates
kg CO2e
0.3
per serving
CCarbonAEU all-round· carbon sets the grade
Water
0.5m³
Land
35Pt
Runoff
0.08g P
large eggs drives 26% of this recipe’s estimated footprint.
Carbon from Poore & Nemecek 2018; water, land & runoff from Agribalyse — modelled averages for comparing recipes, not a measurement of your groceries.
Flavor Profile
6
Umami
5
Sweet
5
Salty
3
Sour
2
Bitter
0
Spicy
Textures
CrispyMoistSilkyTender
Aromas
CitrusNuttyTangyToasted
Kitchen Equipment
Safety & Storage
Cross Contamination
Ensure all utensils, mixing bowls, and the cake pan are thoroughly cleaned before use to prevent cross-contact between allergens. Use separate equipment for the raw egg batter if also preparing non-allergen recipes.
Cooking Temperature
Bake the cake at 175°C (350°F) until a toothpick inserted in the center shows only a few moist crumbs. The internal temperature should reach at least 74°C (165°F) to ensure egg doneness and food safety.
Handling
Toast sesame seeds over medium heat while stirring constantly. They transition quickly from golden to burnt—remove from heat immediately when fragrant and golden, transferring to a cool plate to halt cooking.
Storage
Store the assembled cake at room temperature for up to 3 days, well-wrapped. If the lemon yogurt drizzle has been sitting at room temperature, consume within 2 hours or discard. Refrigerate any leftover drizzle separately in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
Shelf Life
The cake maintains optimal moisture and flavor for 3 days at room temperature. The yogurt-based drizzle is perishable and should not be left unrefrigerated for more than 2 hours due to dairy content.
High Risk Population
The cake contains raw eggs in the batter before baking. Immunocompromised individuals, pregnant women, young children, and elderly persons should ensure the cake is fully cooked to safe temperature before consuming.
Allergen Warning
This recipe contains sesame, eggs, wheat/gluten, and milk. Check all ingredient labels for hidden allergens, particularly in baking powder and vanilla extract which may contain trace allergens.
Pro Tips
Technique
That drizzle should be pourable but not watery — if it slides off immediately, add another tablespoon of yogurt. It needs to cling and pool like it's supposed to be there, because it is.
Substitution
If you've got good tahini, this cake will reward you. But if you're in a hurry and only have the grocery store stuff, stir in a teaspoon of sesame oil to bump up the nuttiness — just enough to remind the tahini who it wants to be.
From the chef
The lemon yogurt drizzle is where this cake earns its name — poured in a generous spiral over the cooled loaf, it pools and tips down the sides like it knows exactly where it belongs. Tahini and olive oil keep the crumb tender for days, nutty and rich without being heavy, and the toasted sesame scattered on top is not decoration — it is punctuation. Every slice finishes a sentence. Bake it once and you will understand that frosting was never the point; the drizzle always was.
TagsDessertSweetTahiniOlive OilLemonYogurtDrizzleToastedCakeBakingDairyContains EggContains GlutenMoistNuttyCitrusHoney Sweetened
AllergensSesameEggsWheatMilkGluten
Source: generated · June 12, 2026