Apple Honey Cake with Tahini Glaze

From the roundup: 24 Apple Dessert Recipes for Fall You Will Want to Bake All Season

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This apple honey cake has become my go-to when I need something that looks impressive but doesn’t require me to clear my whole afternoon. Twenty minutes of actual work, then it bakes low and slow at 325 degrees while I deal with everything else. The tahini glaze comes together in one small bowl while the cake cools.

The honey in the batter does something I didn’t expect the first time I made it: it keeps the crumb genuinely soft for three or four days. Not just day-one soft. I’ve pulled a slice out on day three and it still tasted fresh. That matters when I’m baking ahead for a holiday or a school event and can’t do everything the morning of.

The tahini glaze is the part people ask about. It’s barely sweet, a little nutty, slightly tangy from the lemon juice, and it sets just enough to slice cleanly without being sticky. If you’ve never drizzled tahini over a cake before, this is a good place to start.

Why you will love this

• Stays moist for up to 4 days because honey holds onto moisture better than granulated sugar alone
• The tahini glaze uses four ingredients you probably already have and takes about 2 minutes to stir together
• One bowl, one pan, no mixer required
• Bakes at 325 degrees so the edges don’t dry out before the center is set
• No frosting means it travels to potlucks or holiday tables without making a mess

Tips for success

• Stir the tahini all the way to the bottom of the jar before measuring. If the oil is sitting on top and the paste is dry underneath, your glaze will be gritty and bitter, not smooth.
• Start checking the cake at 43 minutes. Honey batters brown faster than plain sugar batters, so if the top looks deep golden before a toothpick comes out clean, lay a loose piece of foil over it and keep baking.
• Don’t skip lining the pan with parchment. Honey makes the bottom of the cake want to stick, and a parchment round is the difference between a clean release and a frustrating one.
• Let the cake cool completely before glazing, at least 45 minutes. If the cake is still warm, the glaze will run right off instead of setting into that drizzle look.

Common questions

• Can I use a different pan size? An 8-inch round works but add 5 to 8 minutes to the bake time and watch it closely. A 9×9 square pan also works at the same time and temperature.
• My glaze seized up and looks thick. Add warm water one teaspoon at a time and stir. Tahini tightens fast when it hits cold liquid, so warm water loosens it back up.
• Which apples are best? Firm ones like Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Granny Smith hold their shape in the chunks. Softer apples like McIntosh will mostly melt into the crumb, which is fine but gives a different texture.
• Can kids eat this? The tahini flavor is mild here. My pickier ones don’t even notice it. If someone in your house has a sesame allergy, skip the glaze and dust with powdered sugar instead.

Substitutions

If you don’t have tahini, almond butter or sunflower seed butter will work in the glaze. The flavor shifts but the texture is similar. For the batter, any neutral oil works in place of olive oil, and oat milk or almond milk can replace whole milk if you need a dairy-free version.

You can swap up to half the honey in the batter for maple syrup if that’s what you have. The cake will be slightly less sweet and have a faint maple note, which works well with the apples. Don’t replace all the honey or you’ll lose that moisture-holding effect on day two and three.

Make-ahead and storage

You can bake this cake up to 2 days ahead. Let it cool completely, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and store it at room temperature. Add the tahini glaze the day you plan to serve it so it looks fresh rather than absorbed into the top. If your kitchen runs warm, store the wrapped cake in the fridge but bring slices to room temperature before serving so the crumb loosens back up.

Stored covered at room temperature, the cake keeps well for up to 4 days. To freeze, wrap individual unglazed slices tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and add a fresh drizzle of glaze before serving.

Brittany Stage

Apple Honey Cake with Tahini Glaze

A moist, single-layer apple cake sweetened with honey and finished with a nutty, lightly tangy tahini drizzle. It keeps beautifully for days and tastes like it came from a specialty bakery.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings: 10 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 340

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg freshly grated preferred
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1/2 cup honey mild variety such as clover or wildflower
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup olive oil or neutral vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups apples peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks, about 2 medium apples
• 1/4 cup well-stirred tahini
• 2 tbsp honey for the glaze
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice for the glaze
• 1 tbsp warm water for the glaze, add more as needed
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds optional, for topping

Equipment

• 9-inch round cake pan
• large mixing bowl
• medium mixing bowl
• whisk
• rubber spatula
• wire cooling rack
• small bowl for glaze
• measuring cups and spoons

Method

 

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with butter or cooking spray and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper. Grease the parchment too.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, honey, and sugar together for about 2 minutes until slightly thickened and pale. Add the oil, milk, and vanilla and whisk until smooth and fully combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula just until no dry flour streaks remain. Do not overmix. The batter will be thick. Fold in the chopped apples.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly with your spatula. Tap the pan gently on the counter once or twice to settle the batter.
6. Bake on the center rack for 45 to 50 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. The top should feel springy when you press it lightly with one finger. Honey batters brown faster than sugar-only batters, so start checking at 43 minutes and tent loosely with foil if the top is browning too quickly before the center is set.
7. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge, then invert onto the rack and peel off the parchment. Flip it right-side up and let it cool completely before glazing, at least 45 minutes.
8. Make the tahini glaze: stir your tahini thoroughly in the jar before measuring, scraping up from the bottom to fully incorporate the oil. In a small bowl, combine the tahini, honey, lemon juice, and warm water. Stir until smooth. It should be thin enough to drizzle from a spoon. If it is still stiff, add warm water a teaspoon at a time until it flows easily.
9. Drizzle the glaze generously over the cooled cake using a spoon or a small squeeze bottle. Scatter sesame seeds over the top if using. Let the glaze set for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

Make sure your tahini is fully stirred from the bottom of the jar before measuring. Unmixed tahini makes the glaze gritty and bitter. The cake is best on day two when the honey has had time to settle into the crumb.

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