Tahini Sourdough Discard Coffee Cake

A good coffee cake should feel both cozy and bakery-worthy, and this Tahini Sourdough Discard Coffee Cake absolutely delivers. Tahini paste, sesame oil, cinnamon, and cardamom contribute their warm, nutty flavors, making this coffee cake taste extra special. Whether you're trying to use up your sourdough discard, or simply want an different kind of breakfast cake to go with your morning coffee, this one is rich, fluffy, and eminently snackable!

Every so often it seems that certain ingredients catch on, and all of a sudden you're seeing recipes for that ingredient all over the place.

This is true for tahini paste (ground up toasted sesame seeds). Beyond the classic Tahini Halva (a classic Middle Eastern sesame candy), now I see tahini used in both sweet and savory ways - think tahini brownies and tahini-honey chicken.

In addition, I'm always looking for easy sourdough discard recipes (that's the starter removed from the container when you feed it). I love to adapt a unexpected recipes to use the discard rather than toss it, like in sourdough discard spice cake and sourdough discard banana bread.

So, hold on to your spatulas...here comes my recipe for Tahini Sourdough Discard Coffee Cake!

Along with the tahini paste, sesame oil, cinnamon, and cardamom add warm, nutty flavors that make this coffee cake feel just a little extra special.

Plus, any slight sourdough tang is overshadowed by the tahini paste and spices, so like with Sourdough Gingerbread, making a sourdough discard crumb cake is a great place to hide the sourdough discard.

This tahini coffee cake brings cozy bakery vibes right to your kitchen, and is a great addition to other breakfast and brunch recipes. It's an improvement over run-of-the-mill breakfast cakes that pairs perfectly with your morning coffee or an afternoon snack when you just want a little something different!

Recipe ingredients

You'll need the following ingredients to make the cake batter for this Tahini Sourdough Discard Coffee Cake recipe:

Here's what you'll need for the cinnamon-cardamom filling:

And here's what you'll need for the tahini streusel:

Ingredient Notes

Tahini paste: Also known as sesame paste, tahini paste is just toasted seeds that are ground up into a paste (similar to how peanut butter is made). It can usually be found in the international aisle or nut butter area of many supermarkets.

Be sure to start with a high-quality tahini paste, and bring it to room temperature if it's chilled. If it has separated during storage, stir well to recombine the sesame oil into the paste prior to using. If your jar or can of tahini paste has been opened for a while, double check it's freshness - any rancid odors means it has gone bad and you'll want to start with a fresh jar.

Sourdough starter discard: Sourdough discard is unfed sourdough starter, the amount you remove from your crock before feeding the remainder starter (I use the discard so that my sourdough maintenance is zero-waste).

Don't worry that the tahini coffee cake recipe has sourdough starter discard in it. The tahini and spices that make up the rest of the coffee cake take the spotlight unto themselves and cover any sourdough tanginess. Including the unfed starter is just a way of using up the discard instead of throwing it away. Honestly, you won't taste it.

No sourdough starter? No problem! You can make spice cake by replacing the starter with more flour and water (see the Recipe Notes for the exact amounts).

Sesame oil: In addition to adding moisture to the cake batter (like what a neutral cooking oil would do), sesame oil adds its own nutty aroma and flavor alongside the tahini paste to really boost the taste of this coffee cake.

Cardamom: The flavor of this spice is hard to nail down. It has a complex flavor profile that combines citrus and floral notes with a subtle hint of minty freshness.

You'll frequently find cardamom used in Swedish recipes (like this Swedish Tea Ring), and it is a component of the spice blend used for apple pies and apple spice cookies. You can even find it in molasses cookies.

Here cardamom enhances the tahini coffee cake filling and streusel, elevating the traditional brown sugar-and-cinnamon flavors with a little something extra.

See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

How to make Tahini Sourdough Discard Coffee Cake

Step 1: Make the cake batter

Cream together the sugar, butter, and tahini paste until the mixture is light and fluffy (photo 1).

Storage instructions

This coffee cake can be stored, covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature for 4 to 5 days. It can be frozen, sealed tightly in an airtight container, for up to 3 months. Thaw to room temperature before serving.

Coffee cake troubleshooting guide

Here are some issues you might run into when making this sourdough discard coffee cake:

The coffee cake texture is dense

Usually this means the cake batter was overmixed. When adding the flour mixture, stir the batter just until everything comes together (a few lumps are fine). Overworking the batter can make the cake heavy instead of soft and fluffy.

The coffee cake is too dry

Most likely, it baked a little too long. Start checking for doneness a few minutes early. You want a cake tester to come out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs attached, not totally dry. Remember, ovens can vary quite a bit in temperature, so using an oven thermometer or an infrared temperature gun can help to make sure your oven is set correctly.

The streusel melted into the cake

This usually happens when the streusel mixture is either too wet or it's been overmixed. You're aiming for crumbly, pea-sized clumps, not a paste. Chilling the streusel before topping the cake with it can help keep the streusel crumbs intact.

The filling sank into the cake

This sourdough discard coffee cake batter is fairly thick so it can support the filling layer. If the batter feels loose or runny, double-check your flour measurements (weighing it with a kitchen scale works best) and make sure the sour cream wasn't overly thin.