130Tahini cake (nistisimo)

Method

Lenten spiced sponge traybake. Cuts into 10 to 12 generous slices.

You will need

• 28 cm round baking tin or 30 x 22 cm baking dish
• Large mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Spatula
• Wire cooling rack

1. Preheat a conventional oven to 180C (350F) and lightly coat a 28 cm round baking tin or 30 x 22 cm rectangular tray with a smear of tahini and a dusting of flour. 5 min · 180°C / 350°F Ready when: oven preheated and pan coated
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the stirred tahini, sugar, and orange zest with a wire whisk until creamy and pale, about 3 minutes. 3 min Ready when: smooth thick paste
3. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda directly into the freshly squeezed orange juice over the bowl (it will foam vigorously) and immediately pour it into the tahini mixture, whisking to combine. 2 min Ready when: foamy, combined liquid
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the plain flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and ground cloves; toss the raisins into 1 tablespoon of this flour mixture to keep them from sinking during baking. 2 min Ready when: spices evenly distributed
5. Add the dry ingredients to the tahini bowl in two batches, folding gently with a spatula just until incorporated, then fold in the floured raisins without overworking. 2 min Ready when: thick, glossy batter without dry streaks
6. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared tin, smooth the surface with an offset spatula, and scatter sesame seeds evenly across the top. 2 min Ready when: level surface topped with sesame
7. Bake in the centre of the oven at 180C (350F) for 45 to 50 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean and the crust is deep golden. 50 min · 180°C / 350°F Ready when: skewer comes out clean
8. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool completely in the tin on a wire rack before slicing into squares or diamonds. 30 min Ready when: fully set and cooled

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Make ahead and storing

Best baked a day in advance, as its moisture and spice flavours deepen overnight.

Store wrapped in foil or in an airtight cake tin at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Substitutions

• Chopped walnuts for Corinthian raisins or sultanas. Walnuts provide an earthy crunch if raisins are not desired.

Common mistakes

• Using tahini from the top of the jar without stirring thoroughly.. Thin separated oil will alter the batter hydration and make the cake oily and flat.
• Overmixing the batter once the flour is added.. Develops gluten without any egg structure to soften it, resulting in a rubbery, dense cake.

Regional variants

• Northern Greek syruped tahinopita: Lightly drenched in a cold spiced sugar-lemon syrup immediately after baking.

About the dish

Tahinopita is one of the most celebrated sweet bakes of the Greek Orthodox fasting calendar, particularly during Great Lent. Because strict fast rules exclude dairy products, eggs, and occasionally even olive oil, tahini serves as both the fat and emulsifier, yielding an exceptionally moist and tender crumb. Often associated with Asia Minor refugees who popularised sesame products throughout northern Greece and urban centres, it is spiced generously with cinnamon, cloves, and fresh orange juice.

Found in all of Greece. Cooked for lent, everyday.

Cousins elsewhere

• Tahinopitta (Cypriot). In Cyprus tahinopitta is a spiral yeasted pastry roll filled with tahini, sugar, and cinnamon, rather than an eggless cake.
• Sfoof bi tahineh (Levantine). A dense semolina or flour cake naturally enriched with sesame paste.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

405 kcal · protein 8.5 g · fat 13.9 g (saturated 2 g) · carbohydrate 65.4 g (sugars 30 g) · fibre 4.4 g · sodium 279 mg

An estimate (summed from ingredient estimates) that varies with the exact ingredients. It is not dietary advice.

Written fresh by Epikouria editors from general culinary tradition. Recipe by the Epikouria editors. Traditional Greek monastic fasting bake using tahini as an oil-and-egg substitute..

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