Sometimes we crave things that comfort us. Whether it’s places, food, activities or people, there are certain rituals we lean on to guide our feet back to earth when deep breaths aren’t enough.

After watching the Oscar nominated documentary shorts, i.e. an emotionally draining evening, and allowing other anxiety inducing thoughts to enter my mind, I found myself scrambling for the rituals that balance me and put my mind at ease. It’s no surprise that baking cake is on the top of that list.

Whenever I’m feeling anxious, I find time spent in the kitchen to be incredibly soothing, that’s why after a long week of my typical nerves and a few extra curve-balls thrown in, I ran home to my kitchen after work on Friday to throw together week 9 cake before heading out with friends for the evening.

Hello Tahini Date Cake, aka the perfect marriage of my favorite flavors. I found this recipe a few weeks ago on eat in my kitchen while doing a little cake research and bookmarked it with the intentions of saving it for a week when I was feeling in a bit of a funk.

Tahini and dates are typically found in mediterranean food, which I’ve always found to be more comforting than most American comfort foods. A steaming bowl of large white beans drizzled in olive oil with lemon juice, tahini and honey smeared on toast and pita dipped in warm hummus all have a comforting flavor profile that I can’t quite put my finger on. It’s no wonder that I was craving this mediterranean cake after not feeling like myself all week.

The cake definitely did the trick!  The final product was dense, not to sweet and full of golden date treasures, not to mention the underlying nutty sesame notes of the tahini. Mmmmmmm.

The tahini whipped cream added an extra layer of sesame flavor, and rivaled any store bought can. If you’ve never made homemade whipped cream DO IT. It couldn’t be easier and makes a huge difference in freshness and flavor.

Final thoughts on Tahini Date Cake:

• Perfect served along side coffee for breakfast.
• Yes, I ate this cake for breakfast.
• Mood lifted 🙂