This recipe is delicious and really different. It is based on Yotam Ottolenghi’s Recipe for Sesame Date Banana Cake. One of the biggest things I changed was that I used my already frozen bananas because I freeze bananas when they are ripe and on sale and they are more delicious and much sweeter that way. Often I take frozen sweet banana and just whip them up for a sweet no added sugar frozen treat. I changed the recipe only slightly and made it easier to prepare. This will make around 23 cupcakes but I recommend to double the frosting recipe if you want frosting on all the cupcakes. I just froze my leftover unfrosted cupcakes for another time.

This makes about 23 servings

2 oz tahini

3 oz orange juice

10 dates chopped (pits removed)

1 cup sliced bananas (mine were from frozen)

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

4 oz sweet butter cut into small chunks

2/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 + 1/3 cup flour

2 + 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 big pinch sea salt

non stick spray

Tahini Cream Cheese Frosting (double if you want enough for all the cupcakes)

4 oz cream cheese

4 oz ricotta cheese

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

2 Tablespoons tahini

12-22 sweetened banana chips

Date syrup for finishing

Directions

Preheat oven to 320F or 320 Convention.

Spray cupcake pan(s) with non stick spray

In a large mixing bowl add the 2oz tahini, orange juice, dates, frozen bananas, sesame seeds, butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well with a fork.

Fill sprayed cupcake tin half way.

Place in preheated oven until done. In my oven this took 20 minutes but your oven may differ some.

Make the frosting. I used a potato masher and mashed together the cream cheese, ricotta, brown sugar, and tahini till smooth and set to the side. Don’t top the cupcakes until they are cool.

Top the cupcakes when cool.

Drizzle with date syrup.

Finish with a banana chip.

A Special THANKS!!!!! To Yotam Ottolenghi for yet another FORKING AMAZING RECIPE so I could get what I got here.