Step 1
Grease a 20cm round, spring-form cake tin with a little butter and line the base and sides with baking paper.
Step 2
Melt 100g butter in a small saucepan over a low heat. Once melted, continue to cook until it’s foaming. Swirl the pan gently from time to time and let it bubble away until it turns a rich, golden-brown colour and smells nutty and caramelised; you will also see dark-brown sediments begin to form on the bottom and sides of the pan. (This whole process will take about 2 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 170C fan-forced (190C conventional).
Step 4
Sift the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, bicarb of soda, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl.
Step 5
Put the sugars into the pan with the browned butter (including the sediments in the pan, which add great flavour) and use a hand whisk to beat until smooth and combined (about 2 minutes). Add the vanilla, tahini, sour cream and coffee powder and whisk well to blend, then, one at a time, add the eggs, whisking well between each addition until smooth and combined.
Step 6
Pour the mixture into the bowl with the sifted, dry ingredients and stir gently with the hand whisk until thoroughly incorporated. Scrape the batter into the prepared tin, then place in the oven. Bake for about 40 minutes until golden-brown, well-risen and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Step 7
While the cake is cooking, prepare the topping: combine the butter, sugar, sour cream, honey and flour in a small pan over a low heat. Stir continuously until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved, then increase the heat to medium and simmer for 1 minute. Add the flaked almonds, sesame seeds and salt and stir to combine, then remove from the heat.
Step 8
Once the cake is cooked, remove from the oven and, working carefully and swiftly, spoon the topping mixture over the top of the cake and spread with a small spatula to cover evenly. Return the cake to the oven for about 15 minutes until the topping is golden, bubbling and caramelised.
Step 9
Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the tin for about 30 minutes on a wire rack before releasing it from the tin. Serve with softly whipped cream.
