Tahini, coffee, and pistachios: vegan cake

In Greece during the Great Lent when dairy products, meat, and eggs are not   consumed (at least for those who still keep these traditions), tahini based recipes enrich their diet with nutritious elements. Tahini, a paste made from ground hulled sesame seeds, is a super food and, added in soups and other vegetable or legume based dishes, it plays a vital role in good nutrition. It contains many vitamins and minerals and is also rich in protein, - 25 percent by weight!  
In this blog you may have noticed that several recipes, sweet or savory have the ending pita in their name. That is because we tend to call pita any batter which is baked in a flat baking pan.  
So today’s special is Tahinópita, a dairy and egg free cake with tahini as a basic ingredient. Although the original recipe calls for cinnamon and cloves, I decided we had enough cinnamon this winter so a small twist in this cake’s makeup was inevitable: coffee and orange zest in this case. They match really well with tahini and its nutty flavor. Even if you are not vegan you won’t feel that its texture lacks the fluffy lightness usually achieved only when eggs are used. 

Tahinópita
(Use a 20cm round cake pan)

250gr self raising flour, sifted
150gr tahini
1tsp heaped of baking soda
150ml strong coffee
150gr confectioners’ sugar
70gr chopped pistachios plus some more for decoration
2Tbsps brandy (optional)
Zest from an orange

For the lemon glaze
50 gr confectioners’ sugar
2Tbsps lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 175 C.
In a bowl add the tahini, sugar, orange zest, 50gr of the coffee, and the brandy (if used). With a wire whisk mix the ingredients to combine. Add soda and the rest of the coffee to the tahini batter and whisk again until combined.
Now add the chopped pistachios and sifted flour to the tahini batter and with the wire whisk mix until totally incorporated.
Pour the batter to a round baking pan lined with baking paper and bake for 50min or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
Mix confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice and drizzle over the cake while it is still warm. Sprinkle with some pistachios.