Dark Chocolate Sesame Cake

Sesame seeds; tiny and mighty. They were worth their weight in gold during the Middle Ages, and for many good reasons:

1. Healthy Skin – The high zinc content helps produce collagen, giving skin more elasticity and helping to repair damaged body tissues.
2. 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.
3. Alleviates Anemia – Black sesame seeds are particularly rich in iron, so they’re highly recommended for vegans, vegetarians and those who are anaemic.
4. Prevents Wrinkles – Sesame seed oil prevents harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun from damaging your skin, thus preventing the appearance of wrinkles and pigmentation.
5. 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
  
  

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 175°C. Grease loaf tin with a little oil or line it with baking parchment.
2. 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.
3. Using a separate bowl, combine the ground sesame, ground almond with bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt.
4. 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. 
5. 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.
6. 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).
7. Once done, let the cake sit in the tin to cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack.
8. Leave to cool completely before icing it or serve up as is with your favourite cup of tea.