Tahini Cake with Blueberry Swirl

Directions

1. For the swirl!:
2. In the food processor, purée the blueberries until you have a coarse mixture.
3. In a saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and water to dissolve the cornstarch. Stir in the blueberries and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar, until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Then lower the heat and let the mixture simmer and bubble, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the orange juice; cool.

1. For the cake:
2. Preheat the oven to 325° F. Use a kitchen brush to smear the inside of a 10-inch Bundt pan with the 4 tablespoons of tahini. Make sure you get it in all the crevices and creases—it's the equivalent of "buttering" the pan.
3. Use 3 to 4 tablespoons of sesame seeds (you can use a mix of white and black if you want!) to sprinkle all over the pan. You can shake the pan back and forth a bit, as if you were applying a flour coat, to make sure the seeds are evenly distributed.
4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, and vanilla until smooth and fully incorporated.
5. While whisking gently, slowly pour in the olive oil, making sure it's fully emulsified. Add the orange juice and mix well.
6. Stir in the tahini and mix until well combined and no lumps remain.
7. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Then add to the bowl of wet ingredients and fold to combine. Add the remaining 1/3 cup sesame seeds and fold to incorporate.
8. Pour 1/2 of the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Spoon half of the cool berry mixture in a ring over top of the cake batter, then use a wooden skewer, offset spatula, or sharp knife to swirl the two together. Add the remaining batter and the remaining purée and again swirl until well incorporated—large swatches of pure purée could be problematic.
9. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
10. Allow to cook in the pan completely, then flip onto a cooling rack.
11. This will keep wrapped in foil, at room temperature, for 3 days.