Tahini Date Cake

What is tahini anyway, but just milled and ground sesame seeds.

Over the years I have found that sometimes it can be very bitter (perhaps it went bad? sesame seeds turn rancid easily without proper storage).

Finally, I have found a tahini (tahina) that I love.

I have been buying a tahini from Greece which has a very strong sesame taste (but I love it), and recently found a natural tahini from Israel called SOCO (you can order on amazon here).

There is a wonderful middle eastern confection called Halvah, which is a sesame paste candy/dessert, sometimes covered in chocolate.  It is addictive.   This wonderful cake reminded me a lot of that.

It is so good, and so moist.  Excellent with coffee in the am.  

I adapted the original recipe by decreasing the amount of tahini to 1/2 cup (I thought 1 cup was way too much for me) and swapping in some almond flour, and increasing the dates and cinnamon.

*If you don't have almond flour, then use 2 cups of all purpose flour.

I recommend using a bundt pan, which always challenges me, but I remembered I had my SIMAX glass bundt pan, which works like a charm (you just have to decrease the baking time if using glass).

Tahini Date Bundt Cake (adapted from Unicorns in the Kitchen):

9 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped

3/4 cup walnuts, chopped

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup almond flour 

2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup of vegetable oil

1/2 cup of tahini

1 cup of milk

sesame seeds for the outside of the cake pan (optional)

Mix the flours, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.  
Add in the dates and walnuts and mix.

In another bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, oil, tahini and milk until incorporated.    

Pour this mixture into the flour mixture and create a batter.  If it seems to thin, you can add in a tablespoon of flour.

Prepare you bundt pan by spraying with a nonstick spray.   Butter never does the trick in my pans.

I like a Simax glass cake pan, which works like a charm.

Coat the pan all over with sesame seeds, and pour in the batter.

Bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes.  (*if using the glass pan, 40 minutes is all you need).

Let rest in the pan 15 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack.

I like to serve my bundt cake on the wrong side.  Oh well.

This cake stays moist for days.

I can't wait to make this cake again.