(Note: this post was originally published on May 21, 2020. The date above reflects migration to the new platform.)
This spring I've been enamored with all things lemon. It's just such a bright, crisp flavor that makes me think of long days and new growth. This beautiful cake unites springy lemon and summery blueberries for a cake that will work throughout all the warm months.
While I could have made this in a cake pan or bread pan, a Bundt cake just feels so special. Really it isn't any different, but look how beautiful it is! This would be the perfect cake for any spring or summer occasion. Memorial day get-together? Summer birthday? Summer picnic? This cake is stunning enough (but sssshhh, also easy enough) to do them all. It would even be great at brunch.
Believe it or not, this cake gets much of its moisture and essentially all of its fat from a very special, unexpected ingredient: tahini!!
Wait, really a tahini cake? Yes, absolutely! I recently made some Tahini Blondies that are incredible (seriously, check them out!), so clearly the obvious choice was to try a tahini cake. Tahini is a rich, nutty, luxurious cake ingredient and it adds the necessary fat to keep the cake moist and tender. At the risk of stating the obvious, this is much more nutritious, protein-rich, and flavorful than adding a bunch of vegetable oil.
The secret here is tahini from Seeds of Collaboration. It's beautifully sweet, nutty, and silky; not the least bit bitter or gloppy. You might be able to get away with inferior tahini in hummus, but not in a cake! So please get yourself some of this beautiful tahini, it will forever change your approach to baking.
And guess what? Seeds of Collaboration is now giving 20% off to Rogue Brussel Sprout friends! Use the code ROGUE at check-out to get the discount.
In terms of its ingredients, this is a cake I'd happily eat for breakfast. The entirety of its structure comes from oats, which you'll blend up in the batter to make oat flour; simple, inexpensive, and super nutritious. This cake gets its sweetness from maple syrup and its moisture from tahini and coconut oil. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more wholesome cake out there.
Let's not forget the sneaky little secret- this entire cake is made right in the blender! Just dump all the ingredients in and blast it. There's no fussing with wet and dry ingredients, egg whites, sifting, or all the other annoying steps that cakes usually necessitate (sorry traditional cake... but it's true). It will seriously take you 15 minutes to make this batter and get it into the oven.
Even though this is a great cake for a party, we also really enjoy it as a snack throughout the week. I like treats like this that are made from good ingredients so that they feel like every-day food rather than special occasion food. If you cut it into slices, it's easier to store. You can keep it in the fridge for a week, or in the freezer for a couple months; just make sure it's tightly sealed. This will give you easy and nourishing breakfasts, snacks, and/or desserts. We've been taking pieces for our lunch!
Here's what you'll need for this recipe, as well as some thoughts, tips, and possible substitutions. If you make any substitutions, I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below.
Although I looooooove anything with icing, I acknowledge that it's a sugar bomb. As written, the recipe below calls for a standard confectioner's sugar icing, made with lemon juice for additional zippy lemon flavor. It's delicious and beautiful. That said, you have options for your icing strategy, so pick what works for you. Here are some possibilities:
Option #1 (as written in the recipe): The prettiest and easiest. Use about 1 c of confectioner's sugar and add tiny increments of lemon juice until you have a thick, drizzly icing. This is what I've shown in the photos. It's definitely the way to go for a special occasion cake.
Option #2: No refined sugar, white, but messy. If you'd rather stay away from refined sugar, one possibility is to heat up and drizzle some coconut butter. It has a nice color, but won't harden in the same way that a confectioner's sugar icing does, so it's messier and will soak into the cake.
Option #3: No refined sugar, super tasty, but not great color. Use some additional tahini as your icing base. Stir in some maple syrup to sweeten it up, and add a bit of melted coconut oil (not water!) if you need to thin it out.
Option #4: Leave it naked. This cake is still delicious without icing, but it doesn't have the same visual appeal or decadence.
I'm convinced that this is basically the perfect cake for all spring and summer occasions. It's easy to make, filled with good-for-the-body ingredients, and versatile. It works for brunch or dessert, and the leftovers make great snacks throughout the week. You can make it as decadent as you like with various icing options.
And its flavors are so beautiful! Bright zippy lemon and sweet blueberries are the perfect complement to the rich tahini. It's delicate, fruity, slightly sweet, and very complex in a way that will keep you coming back for more.
It makes me so happy to hear from you and see your creations! Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think about this recipe. If you post a photo on Instagram, hashtag #TheRogueBrusselSprout and tag me (@TheRogueBrusselSprout) in the post text so that I'm sure to see it.
Blackberry Limoncello Gin Smash
Cauliflower and Farro Salad with Caramelized Lemon Turmeric Sauce
Disclosure: Seeds of Collaboration is a long-term partner. I receive free product from Seeds of Collaboration and take a small commission on sales using the discount code. However, all opinions and thoughts are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep The Rogue Brussel Sprout running.
This show-stopping bundt cake is bursting with tart lemon and sweet blueberries. Because it's made with oat flour and gets most of its moisture from tahini, it's a good-for-the-body choice in addition to being delicious.
For the Cake
For the Icing
Did you make this recipe? Did you make substitutions? How did you serve it? Any helpful tips? Please share your thoughts, since these insights are really useful to both me and to other readers.
Leave a Comment