Tahini and Chocolate Chunk Cake

By Samantha Seneviratne

Updated April 13, 2026

  • Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Media 1 of 2
Ready In
1 hr 30 min
(30 min plus cooling)
Rating
5(186)
Comments
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Tahini, a smooth paste made from ground sesame seeds, is nothing short of a pantry superstar — both sweet and savory dishes benefit from a healthy swig of the rich, creamy sauce. Here, tahini flavors a one-bowl yellow cake, giving it a pillowy texture and nutty flavor. Swirled with chocolate, it’s reminiscent of your favorite halvah candy. Be sure to use semisweet chocolate – anything darker is too sour and would clash with the sesame. 

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Ingredients

Yield:16 servings

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil, plus more for the pan

  • ⅔ cup/170 grams tahini, well-stirred

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 large egg yolk

  • ¾ cup/177 milliliters whole milk

  • ¾ cup/150 grams plus 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

  • 1½ cups/192 grams all-purpose flour

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

  • 1 cup/115 grams coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate

  • ¼ cup/30 grams plus 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted (see Tip)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 350. Oil a 9-inch square baking pan and line it with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. 

  2. Step 2

    In a large bowl, whisk together the oil and tahini. Add the egg, egg yolk and milk and whisk until completely smooth. Whisk in ¾ cup sugar and the vanilla. 

  3. Step 3

    Add the flour, baking powder and salt and fold in with a rubber spatula. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the chocolate and add the remainder to the batter. Fold in 1 tablespoon sesame seeds. 

  4. Step 4

    Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Sprinkle the reserved chocolate, the remaining ¼ cup sesame seeds and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar evenly over the top. Bake until the cake is puffed and set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean with a few moist crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes in the pan, then lift the cake out of the pan using the parchment overhang and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

  5. Step 5

    To serve, cut the cooled cake into 16 pieces. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw uncovered at room temperature before serving. 

Tip

  • Toast sesame seeds in a light-colored pan on medium-high, tossing frequently, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
186 user ratings
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Comments

Mun Bun

@Lost In A Space do you solely reply to be unkind to others, or do you imagine you're serving some other function?

Lisa

This might be the biggest Reese’s PB cup I’ve ever eaten (and agree with other comments that halvah is a stretch). No carb guilt either — subbed out all flour for almond flour, giving it an even nuttier vibe. Half the pan is already gone and it’s only been on the kitchen counter for 4 hrs. YUMMY

Robin

Hopping on to say I have celiacs and made this with a GF flour blend in place of the regular flour (primarily deglutenized wheat starch) and a bit of zantham gum and it worked well, coming out moist and with a nice rise. The sugar sesame seeds on top give it a very nice and welcome texture contrast-don’t skip it!

RDA

I love the concept of this cake but mine didn’t come out quite as plush as in the video, sadly. That could be because I didn’t have a 9x9 pan. I baked it in an 8” round (same volume as 9x9) and by the time the center was just baked (an extra 10 min), the whole thing dried out and came out crumbly. I may try a 9” round next time. Not concerned about flatness as it has plenty of leavening. The sugar on top lent the already crumbly cake a sandy mouthfeel - may try Turbinado next time for more of a crunch and deeper flavor.

Joan

I followed the recipe except for the extra sugar on top. Also, I used a 8x8" pan as I do not have a 9"square and that was fine. It was done in 28 min. We liked it very much, although to our tastes, it was too much chocolate. Cast my vote with the others who would like a return to havi the nutritional info back to be able to make a more informed decision about when to splurge. A TB of tahini has 190 calories , so I know this was a splurge. A small piece is satisfying .

tg

made this a few days ago. at first i thought it just tasted like basic yellow cake. but the following day, you could really taste the tahini more strongly. ended up loving it.

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