By Jennifer Yee
4.7
(20)
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou
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Active Time
35 minutes
Total Time
3 hours plus chilling overnight
Chiffon cake has all the light, fluffy texture of angel food cake, with a touch of egg yolk for richness. I love how a scant amount of tahini imbues this light-as-air chiffon with pure sesame flavor, and the lining of sesame seeds adds a bonus level of crunch and toasty notes. Don’t be alarmed by serving such a big wedge of cake: It’s a superlight vehicle for whipped cream and fruit, and you’ll be cleaning the plate in no time.
As for the toppings, burning or caramelizing the honey makes for a more complex-tasting twist on sweetened whipped cream. No need to use high-end honey here; the cooking process will eliminate any subtle nuances. Spring-y pink rhubarb is the perfect color and flavor to complement the dessert’s earthy notes, but just be sure to cut the stalks into equal-size pieces so they all cook and soften at the same rate. If you can’t find rhubarb, strawberries macerated in a few pinches of sugar and a squeeze of lemon are always a good substitute. The cardamom is optional, but the assertive spice plays well with the honey and tahini in the final dessert.
Ingredients
6 servings
Burnt honey
½ cup honey
½ tsp. kosher salt
⅓ cup chilled heavy cream
Poached rhubarb
3 green cardamom pods, cracked open (optional)
1 cup (200 g) organic cane sugar or granulated sugar
3 slender pink rhubarb stalks (about 300 g), trimmed, leaves removed, cut into 3x½" pieces
Cake and assembly
Nonstick vegetable oil spray or vegetable oil
½ cup (65 g) sesame seeds
½ cup plus 1 tsp. (72 g) cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. kosher salt
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
2 Tbsp. plus ¾ tsp. (35 g) tahini
8 Tbsp. (100 g) organic cane sugar or granulated sugar, divided
3 large egg whites, room temperature
⅛ tsp. cream of tartar or a dash of vinegar or fresh lemon juice
⅔ cup chilled heavy cream
Special Equipment: A 6"-diameter and 3"-tall cake pan
Preparation
Burnt honey
Step 1
Bring honey to a boil in a medium saucepan (slightly larger than you think you’ll need because the honey will bubble up) over medium heat and cook until golden brown and toasty smelling, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in salt. Carefully pour in cream (this will help stop the cooking). The honey will bubble and sputter, so be careful. Stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until hom*ogenous. Let burnt honey mixture cool, then transfer to an airtight container. Cover and chill until cold, at least 3 hours. Do ahead: Burnt honey mixture can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.
Poached rhubarb
Step 2
Bring cardamom (if using), sugar, and ¾ cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.
Step 3
If using cardamom, remove from heat, cover, and let sit 15 minutes to infuse. Set syrup back over medium-high heat and return to a boil.
Step 4
Add rhubarb and cook until mixture just starts to bubble again; remove from heat. Cover and let sit until rhubarb pieces are softened but still hold their shape, 70–80 minutes. Do ahead: Rhubarb can be poached 1 day ahead. Transfer to an airtight container; cover and chill.
Cake and assembly
Step 5
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat cake pan with nonstick spray or lightly oil. Line bottom with a parchment paper round and spray or oil round. Pour sesame seeds into pan and gently shake and tilt pan to coat bottom and sides, pat out any excess. Sift cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl.
Step 6
Whisk egg yolks, tahini, 6 Tbsp. (75 g) sugar, and 3 Tbsp. room-temperature water in a small bowl to combine. Add dry ingredients and whisk well; set batter aside.
Step 7
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed just until foamy bubbles appear, about 15 seconds. With the motor running, sprinkle in remaining 2 Tbsp. (25 g) sugar a teaspoonful at a time, beating 15–20 seconds after each addition to incorporate before adding more. (Take the time to build a strong meringue and your cake will thank you for it.) Beat until meringue is glossy and stiff peaks form.
Step 8
Using a rubber spatula, add one third of meringue to reserved batter and fold until just streaky, taking care not to deflate meringue. Repeat two more times, dividing remaining meringue in half and mixing the final addition until no streaks remain. Immediately scrape batter into prepared pan and lightly tap pan on counter to evenly distribute and even out size of bubbles.
Step 9
Bake cake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean and top is puffed and bounces back when gently pressed, 30–35 minutes. Immediately invert cake onto a wire rack, peel away parchment round, and turn right side up. Let cool (the top will flatten as it cools). Invert cake onto a cake or other large plate so sesame crust is on top.
Step 10
Beat chilled burnt honey mixture and cream in the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (a medium bowl and a whisk will also work) until medium firm peaks form. (You want that perfect dollop consistency, where it holds its shape on a plate but still has some slack.)
Step 11
To serve, slice cake into six wedges with a serrated knife, using a long, gentle sawing motion. This will help preserve the crumb of the cake and give you a clean wedge. Divide, cut side down, among plates and spoon a couple of heaping tablespoonfuls burnt honey cream alongside. Using a fork, lift 3–4 rhubarb pieces out of the syrup and arrange next to cake. Drizzle a little rhubarb syrup over the cake if desired. Do ahead: Cake can be baked 2 days ahead; keep tightly wrapped at room temperature. Burnt honey cream can be made 3 hours ahead; cover and chill. Beat again briefly before using if needed.
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Reviews (20)
Back to TopTriangleTo Anonymous, New York, 3/25/2022"Sprinkle in remaining 2 Tbsp. (25 g) sugar a teaspoonful at a time..." What is unclear about that? You sprinkle a teaspoon at a time until it's all used. Not that hard to figure out for a seasoned vet at baking. If I agreed with your assessment I would not call the instructions 'aweful", I might call them "awful", more likely, I'd say poorly written.To Dory92064 in San DiegoI've edited a local cookbook and believe me, there are plenty of recipes that make no sense whatsoever. The writer could have been more succinct. Since I tend to be wordy myself, I didn't have a problem with that aspect. I agree that the total time appears to be just plain wrong.
Anonymous
Mountain West
5/29/2022
The instructions on this recipe are aweful! Who tells you to add 2 T at a time and then say, a teaspoon full at a time?? Without bothering to tell you in teaspoons, how many you need. Also, the batter to fold the meringue into was way too thick. Maybe the recipe should call for the yolk in measurements and not egg size as eggs size varies greatly from one large to another. I am a seasoned vet at baking and even I gave up
Anonymous
New York
3/25/2022
So good, my non cake eating husband loved it!!!
Rachel f
Lees summit, mo
1/12/2022
Looks wonderful. Looking forward to making this. The article accompanying the recipe says it is dairy free:" If you want to keep your dessert dairy-free (the cake already is), you could stir a bit of the cooled caramelized honey into plant-based yogurt for a similarly creamy spoonful."But the cake recipe calls for 2/3 cup heavy cream. Which is correct? Anyone use dairy substitutes like coconut cream or non-dairy sour cream?
Fun With Food
Longmeadow, MA
1/5/2022
I noticed that you do not specify whether to use RAW or toasted Sesame Seed for this recipe. What is the preferred type please?? I have not made it yet but would like to try it. Thanks!
Bakingomi
Calgary
8/20/2021
Great cake. Excellent flavors. Will be making this again.Picked this recipe because I have rhubarb in the back yard, and rarely-used tahini and cardamom in the pantry. Baked in a 9" springform pan. It was done at about 20 minutes.Only used a tablespoon or so of sesame seeds on top, because that's all I had. Didn't think it would make a big difference, but I changed my mind after eating it. The cake is still great and doesn't need the seeds - but they do add an extra dimension of flavor and texture, and I will add the full amount next time; definitely if making for company and I want the extra "wow" factor.Loved the burnt honey cream, and will be thinking about how to use this part of the recipe with other deserts. Easy to make, and everyone in my family thought it was delicious. Will make this again.
Anonymous
Columbus, Ohio
6/10/2021
3 stalks of rhubarb do not equal 300 grams. Please check and correct recipes before publishing.
home cooking
6/9/2021
Loved this cake -- the favor, the size, the look of the finished cake. Nothing not to love. And the Burnt Honey Cream is a 'dessert' unto itself! I didn't make the poached rhubarb, but next time. Served the cake with some fresh blueberries and strawberries. This is definitely a keeper. BUT I have never seen a more confusing recipe! It is the worse written instructions for a recipe I have ever seen --- the written instructions are way too wordy, which leads to confusion. Are 7 paragraphs needed for 'Cake and assembly'??? I read the instructions at least 4 times and still found it a challenge to follow --- I'm not a novice in the kitchen, if I was I would have given up. But thankfully I didn't give up and the cake and the burnt honey cream was well worth not abandoning the 'challenge'. I will definitely make the cake & cream again, but will rewrite the instructions so they are clearer and easier for me to follow. Oh, could never identify why 'Total Time' states 3 hours plus chilling overnight. It's true you can make several of the components ahead of time, but nothing needs chilling overnight. I made all the components the same day and enjoyed the cake & burnt honey cream that evening.This cake was well worth the challenge!
dory92064
San Diego, CA
5/7/2021
I think this would taste a lot better with some BEEF.
Youk
5/2/2021
Made this for my anniversary and will make it again, I didn’t have cream so I used Greek yogurt for the burnt honey cream and instead of rhubarb which I tried to get I used frozen blueberries. It is a keeper. Easy, delicate, delicious !
Denichi
Live in Ecuador
4/30/2021
This cake is one of the most incredible desserts I’ve ever had. I’m not a huge baker but anything made with tahini catches my eye. I bought a 6 inch cake pan so that I could make this. The flavors are delicious together. The burnt honey is something I could eat by the spoonful. Make this to impress your friends and family or just because you deserve it. I followed the directions to the letter and am curious to know if this could be made as a bigger cake. Though the 6” cake is pretty darn cute.
vickymann
Seattle, WA
4/24/2021
This cake is one of the most incredible desserts I’ve ever had. I’m not a huge baker but anything made with tahini catches my eye. I bought a 6 inch cake pan so that I could make this. The flavors are delicious together. The burnt honey is something I could eat by the spoonful. Make this to impress your friends and family or just because you deserve it. I followed the directions to the letter and am curious to know if this could be made as a bigger cake. Though the 6” cake is pretty darn cute.
vickymann
Seattle, WA
4/24/2021
This is an unusual and impressive-looking cake whose fanciest effect--the sesame crust--is super easy to get. It's a good mix of flavors too, despite there being two different garnishes/toppings. The honey cream is too salty, however. Next time I'd cut the salt in half. I made it in a 6-inch pan and it looks fantastic.
rellimarual
Maine
4/22/2021
As indicated in the recipe. The first cream application is for the ‘Burnt Honey’ recipe part then sets when chilled in the fridge - when ready to serve, take the burnt honey and the second application of cream 2/3 cup and whip it in a stand up mixer with whisk attachment to create a side flavoured cream to serve with cake and rhubarb.“ * Beat chilled burnt honey mixture and cream in the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (a medium bowl and a whisk will also work) until medium firm peaks form. (You want that perfect dollop consistency, where it holds its shape on a plate but still has some slack.)“Hope that explained the two cream applications in this recipe...
Sweetiris
Canada
4/14/2021
Oh my gosh, thank you toe2toe! That's perfect!
nastysuprise
mpls
4/10/2021
TagsCakeDessertRhubarbFruitCake FlourFlourTahiniMake AheadBakingStand MixerEpicurious
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