Sesame seeds; tiny and mighty. They were worth their weight in gold during the Middle Ages, and for many good reasons:
- Healthy Skin – The high zinc content helps produce collagen, giving skin more elasticity and helping to repair damaged body tissues.
- Helps Lessen Anxiety – Sesame seeds contain the stress-relieving minerals magnesium and calcium. Sesame also contains the calming vitamins thiamin and tryptophan that help produce serotonin, which reduces pain, assists moods and helps you sleep deeply.
- Alleviates Anemia – Black sesame seeds are particularly rich in iron, so they’re highly recommended for vegans, vegetarians and those who are anaemic.
- Prevents Wrinkles – Sesame seed oil prevents harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun from damaging your skin, thus preventing the appearance of wrinkles and pigmentation.
- Encourages Bone Health and Prevents Osteoporosis. A handful of sesame seeds contains more calcium than a glass of milk. Also the high zinc content of sesame boosts bone mineral density.
Black sesame milk is a recent staple I've been making at home. It has become a great substitute for cow’s milk for smoothies. Making seed milk is much like nut milk, with a whole bunch of leftover pulp which you can then use in a beautiful cake such as this.
Dark Chocolate Sesame Tea Cake
Ingredients- 150 ml regular olive oil
- 50 grams good-quality cocoa powder (sifted)
- 125 ml boiling water
- 2 teaspoons best vanilla extract
- 1 cup ground sesame
- 1/2 cup ground almond
- 1/3 cup rapadura sugar or honey
- 1 pinch of salt
- 3 large eggs *preferably free range
- Preheat your oven to 175°C. Grease loaf tin with a little oil or line it with baking parchment.
- Measure and sift the cocoa powder into a bowl and whisk in the boiling water until smooth and well mixed. Whisk in the vanilla extract, then set aside to cool a little.
- Using a separate bowl, combine the ground sesame, ground almond with bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt.
- Place the sugar, olive oil and eggs into the bowl of a freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment to beat together vigorously for about 3 minutes until you have a pale and aerated mixture with the consistency of thickened cream.
- Turn the speed down to low and pour in the cocoa mixture beating as you go. Once incorporated, add in the sesame and almond mixture.
- Scrape down to ensure it’s well mixed, pour the liquid batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake (do the cake skew test).
- Once done, let the cake sit in the tin to cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack.
- Leave to cool completely before icing it or serve up as is with your favourite cup of tea.
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