Nutty Tahini Complements Delicate Pear in This Light Tea Cake

This buttery gluten-free loaf is delightful as a tea time treat. The aromatic fruitiness of the pear balances out the savory flavor of the tahini, resulting in a dessert that’s just sweet enough.

Tahini-Pear Cake

Yield: 1 loaf cake
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons gluten-free all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup almond flour
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached sugar, divided
1/2 cup tahini
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 large firm yet ripe Bosc pear, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line one 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray.

Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, almond flour, sesame seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt together in a medium bowl.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and 1 1/3 cup sugar, 5 minutes. Add tahini and beat for 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl periodically. Add egg and egg yolk and beat until pale and fluffy. Switch to a low speed, and alternate between mixing in flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Toss pear in remaining 2 tablespoons flour and fold into batter.

Scrap batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Photo credit: Paul Delmont