This elegant cake has a rich note of the Middle East in its very local ingredients.
Vegewarian means choosing more non-meat options in your overall diet. I propose to add: let’s round this philosophy out out to include healthier options all around. For example, we don’t want to give sweet things up altogether, but let’s make desserts with reduced sugars and fats. Searching for a cake to satisfy that craving for something sweet that yet fits that description, this almond torte caught my eye (via the lovely Dinners & Dreams blog).
I fell for this cake because it’s rich in pomegranate molasses, a staple in the Middle Eastern kitchen. Pomegranate molasses is easy to make at home – see our post on making pomegranate molasses. But if you don’t want to wait until the fruit is back in season, you can find pomegranate molasses in any Middle Eastern store. Here it’s paired with a little honey to balance its sweet/sour tartness. Almond meal is the base for this fragrant, subtle creation.And one of the great things about this torte is that it’s a snap to make.
Almond Torte with Pomegranate Molasses
Recipe with permission from Dinners & Dreams
8 Servings
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups almond meal
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled (You may substitute a neutral-flavored vegan oil.)
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
¼ cup honey (or a vegan sweetener like Maple syrup)
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup pine nuts
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 180 C – 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch springform non-stick tart pan or individual tartlet pans with cooking spray. (We add: or grease the pan with neutral-flavored oil.)
In a large bowl, combine the almond meal with cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the melted butter, honey, pomegranate molasses, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined into a homogenous batter. Pour the batter in the prepared pan and scatter the pine nuts on top.
Bake until set, 20 to 25 minutes.
More recipes featuring pomegranate molasses and almonds on Green Prophet:
Author: Miriam Kresh
Miriam Kresh is an American ex-pat living in Israel. Her love of Middle Eastern food evolved from close friendships with enthusiastic Moroccan, Tunisian and Turkish home cooks. She owns too many cookbooks and is always planning the next meal. Miriam can be reached at miriam (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
