Tahini Chocolate Banana Cake

Four layers of banana cake filled with tahini buttercream and enrobed in dark chocolate. This tahini chocolate banana cake is perfect for adult birthdays and celebrating special occasions!

Tahini (sesame seed paste) is having a moment in my kitchen. I am obsessed with it. Tahini is very nutty, quite bitter, and super savory. It’s mainly used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking, primarily for savory foods. Think hummus and baba ghanoush.

I’ve had a jar of tahini sitting in my pantry staring at me for the past two weeks. Finally I took the plunge and used it in cookies.

These tahini chocolate chunk cookies are INSANE and delicious. Success from the cookies, led to the tahini buttercream in this cake.

Why This Recipe Works

This tahini chocolate banana cake will surprise you! On the outside, it seems like a regular chocolate cake. But when you cut a slice, you’re immediately wowed by the different layers and textures inside.

And when when you take a bite and finally taste the combination of all the flavors, you can’t help but smile and dig in for another.

Sweet banana cake coated with rich and exotic tahini buttercream and studded with chocolate chunks. It’s a mixture of familiar and unknown. This tahini chocolate banana cake is comfortable yet exciting.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Tahini chocolate banana cake has three components: banana cake, tahini frosting, and the exterior chocolate coating.

For best results, measure dry ingredients using a digital kitchen scale. If you prefer volume measurements (such as cups), please use the spoon and level method to measure flour.

• Cinnamon: The banana cake is lightly spiced with ground cinnamon. You may use a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom for more flavor. Or, sub in apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice.
• Butter: For best results, use softened unsalted butter.
• Sugar: This recipe uses granulated sugar, brown sugar, and confectioners’ sugar (also known as powdered sugar). Equal parts white granulated sugar and light brown sugar are used to make the banana cake. Confectioners’ sugar is used to whip together the tahini buttercream.
• Banana: Use to medium to large sized bananas. For best flavor, use ripe bananas! Signs of a ripe banana include deep yellow skin spotted with brown freckles throughout
• Milk: Any kind of dairy or non-dairy milk works. Regular cow’s milk, soy milk, oat milk, almond milk, etc. For a sweeter option, use canned evaporated milk.
• Tahini: Processed sesame seeds ground into a paste. Tahini is sold alongside peanut butter and other nut butters. If you can’t find tahini, you may sub in a different nut butter as suggested in recipe variations sections.
• Chocolate : Roughly chopped chocolate chunks are studded throughout the tahini buttercream. Use your choice of milk, dark, semi-sweet or white chocolate. For the chocolate coating that is used along the exterior of the cake, please use dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate.
• White Sesame Seeds: These optional seeds are used to decorate the cake. You may use white or black sesame seeds, toasted or raw.

This recipe also requires flour, baking powder, baking soda, large egg, vanilla extract, and kosher salt.

Recipe Variations

The three key flavors in this cake are: 1) tahini, 2) chocolate, and 3) banana.

There are several types of tahini available for purchase. Tahini is sold in jars, bottles, or cans. It is a paste made from ground toasted sesame seeds.

Soom is a popular tahini brand that sells premium tahini, dark chocolate sea salt tahini, and chocolate tahini. All three options work.

You may also make tahini from scratch. Alternatives to tahini include:

• smooth, natural peanut butter
• almond butter
• sunflower butter
• cashew butter

Chocolate chunks or chocolate chips are used in the tahini buttercream frosting. You may substitute in butterscotch chips or peanut butter chips. Or, simply omit the chocolate to create a tahini banana cake.

There is no substitute or alternative for banana. It’s a requirement for this banana cake!

Serving Suggestions

Cake is much easter to slice when cold. This will result in clean slices. However, cold cake doesn’t taste as good.

Allow cake slices to sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes (30-45 minutes is best) before serving. The cake and buttercream will soften during this time.

This four layer tahini chocolate banana cake serves 10. Portion the cake into 10 equal sized wedges. Lightly score the top of the cake before cutting into the cake. These scored guidelines will ensure more even slices for everyone.

This cake pairs well with a glass of milk (ice cold or warmed/steamed), sea salt coffee, cinnamon dolce latte, or orange spiced tea.

Cake Storage and Leftovers

Keep cake stored in the fridge until ready to serve. Let cake sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow ganache and cake to soften.

Assembled frosted cake may be stored in the fridge for up 24 hours before serving. Use an airtight container to store sliced cake (or cake slices) in the fridge for up to three days.

It is important to use an airtight container because the buttercream and yellow cake are susceptible to absorbing smells and flavors from your fridge.

You may also combat this by using a small piece of wax paper or parchment paper to cover exposed cake slices. This will also prevent the cake from drying out.

Related Dessert Recipes

• Caramel Coffee Banana Cake
• Banana Cream Cake
• Buttermilk Chocolate Cake with Caramel and Ganache