I like taking something simple and classic, like a quick bread, and changing up the ingredients slightly to make the familiar fresh and new. Black Sesame Marbled Tahini Cake takes your basic quick bread recipe but uses sesame paste (tahini) to introduce a salty-sweet flavor. Tahini gives the cake that alluringly irresistible taste. I like to serve this with freshly made salted whipped cream and a dollop of cherry compote. Every bite is a delightful combination of nutty-salty-sweet-and-tart, and all of it is so good.

Tahini isn’t the only secret ingredient to this cake; I also like to add a hint of citrus flavor by incorporating grated orange zest into the cake batter. Tahini and orange zest transform the quick bread into something a little bit more elevated and flavorful. And if the cake alone isn’t enough to entice you, picture a fabulous strudel over the top to give the cake a little extra oomph.

I’ve used black sesame seeds in the streusel mixture. Black sesame seeds are a little bit bitter in flavor compared to white sesame seeds; the seeds offer texture, subtle flavor, and a little bit of elegance to the streusel topping. On its own, this cake is a delight, something that’s lovely as a dessert with the rest of the Winter in the Middle East menu, and even better with my coffee the next morning.

I’m absolutely in love with salted whipped cream. A freshly made whipped cream is simple and satisfying. Adding salt takes the whipped cream on a journey to deliciousness. Just a pinch, nothing more, or the salt will be overwhelming. I’m searching for a subtle hint of salt, noticeable but appropriate. Rather than granulated or powdered sugar to sweeten the cream, I like to use honey to mirror the sweet-savory flavors that are already at work in the cake. I could eat this entire bowl of whipped cream!

The cake is independently lovely, and with the salted whipped cream it becomes elevated, but with a fresh cherry compote on top, the Black Sesame Marbled Tahini cake becomes otherworldly. Fresh cherries will do if it’s cherry season but frozen actually work quite nicely. The cherries, orange juice, sugar and cinnamon go into a pot to bubble and break down into a rich, ruby-red compote. To serve, I take a slice of the tahini cake, top it with a dollop of salted whipped cream and a spoonful of the cherry compote. On their own each of these is a treat, but together become absolute perfection.

Everything about this dessert is familiar, from the cake to the whipped cream and the the fruit topping, but it’s also fresh and new. Tahini paste and salt have transformed the standard dessert into something memorably delicious.

Black Sesame Marbled Tahini Cake is from the Winter in the Middle East menu at Table for 12. It was served with Yogurt-Marinated Grilled Chicken, Halloumi Pomegranate Greens Salad, and a Fluffy Persian Jeweled Rice.