I know there are many carrot cake recipes out there, but what makes this one special is the nutty addition of raw tahini and the sesame seeds that encase it. I bake it in two loaf pans, each measuring 22 x 12 cm. One loaf is for us, and the other is a surprise gift for a dear friend or neighbor to find on their table when they return home.

I tend to keep little bits of paper everywhere, which can drive me a bit crazy at times. It often feels messy, and when I need a specific piece of paper—such as a book I wanted to order, an inspiring poem, a to-do list for the garden, messages for friends, a magical sentence from the children, or a wonderful recipe to try—I can never find them when I need to! This is what happened with this cake recipe. It took me forever to locate that little piece of paper, which was scribbled on the back of an envelope. It somehow found its way into my garden seed box! I was lucky to stumble upon it.

My next-door neighbour, Michal, first made this cake for me, and I quickly jotted down the recipe but sort of forgot about it until Anna showed up with the same cake on my doorstep—as a must-try, of course. She took this cake to another level, as she always does, by encasing the whole cake with a sprinkling of sesame seeds on all four sides.

This little cake deserves to be enjoyed in my favourite tea corner in the garden. It’s where I sit in the morning after the chaos of getting everyone out the door, and again in the late afternoon, watching kingfishers swoop down to catch snails or fat worms. Here, I take in the sweet smells of blossoming spring. The garden is heavy with the scent of white jasmine and is almost overtaken by rambling nasturtiums. It’s a place where I can watch things grow, tend and nurture, taste and smell, and most importantly, connect with the essence of life. 

In this serene space, I sit quietly, listening to the buzzing of bees and the songs of birds, taking a moment to appreciate this secret part of my garden, which fills me with peace and warmth that envelops my entire being.

So please enjoy this cake and bake it to take to your favourite tea corner, whether at home or in the garden.

SESAME-SEEDED CARROT CAKE

makes 2 loaves

ingredients 

½ cup all-purpose flour

¾ whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate soda

½ tsp fine rock salt

1 Tbsp cinnamon powder

1 Tbsp ground Allspice

1½ cups dark brown sugar

¾ cup canola oil/coconut oil

4 eggs

¾ cup raw tahini

2½ cups grated carrot – three medium carrots

1½ cups roughly chopped walnuts

½ cup unhulled sesame seeds

preparation 

  1. Set the oven to 180C/350F and lightly butter two 22cm loaf pans. Then gently sprinkle the sesame seeds along the sides and bottom of the pans, leaving enough to sprinkle over the top of the two cakes before baking.
  2. Sift the flour, bicarbonate soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice and salt.
  3. Beat the oil and sugar in a food mixer or hand beater until creamy, then add the eggs and tahini and mix again.
  4. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients.
  5. Add the grated carrots and the chopped nuts to the mixture using a spatula, and fold them into the batter until all ingredients are combined well.
  6. Divide the mixture between the two loaf pans, sprinkle over the remaining sesame seeds and bake for 40 – 45 minutes.  Test with a skewer for doneness.  The cakes should be moist, but not sticky. Remove from the oven and leave to settle for a good 10 minutes before turning them out of their pans.

Goodness shared from Stacey