While the internet can make many an enemy, it can also make some friends. As such, today’s musings are part of a guest post I wrote for Justine over at Just Haves. I’d like to thank her for the opportunity, and hope that you’ll head over and check out today’s recipe after I get through my own stream of consciousness in a little diversion from all things Caribbean.
As hard as I try to channel the easy, breezy, lazy days of the summer of my youth, I’m bad at it. Horrible, really. When the temps rise and the city busts to life, it’s hard for me to not book every single waking moment of the week. Over the fall I’m better about giving myself a “NO!” day, but this summer so far I get a big fat F+. It’s because I’m not a NO girl, I’m a YES girl, and before I know it volleyball, dinners with friends, multiple book clubs, blogger events, and random comings and goings have left these last few weeks with nary a day for rest. All my own fault, but I think summer should be easy!
Dessert surely can be. While most love a good summer fruit pie (except me and Allison…we’re anti-pie…), that can be a lot of work. Crusts involve pulsing, rolling, cutting…patience. Cakes are admittedly always nice, but often times, at least in my world, involve lots of steps…baking, cooling, whipping, frosting…So when I was trying to settle on the perfect dessert recipe for Justine’s post, and for every summer picnic table, after talking to my culinary consultant team, I settled on pound cake.
Yam, born and bred in Louisiana, admitted that “pound cake is one thing that every black Southern gal needs to know how to cook.” I couldn’t agree more…because, really, who doesn’t love pound cake? Though I’m not black or Southern, my mom’s own brown sugar pound cake was a staple in my house all summer long.
And it was a good place to start.
Mom hoed and hummed a bit when I told her that I had plans to revamp her original pound cake, but I reassured her that I wasn’t trying to make that better, but rather make it different. Different does not mean better. Life lessons applied to food.
A few months ago while at someone’s house, I had a sort of sesame cake, and I wanted to re-create something similar to that given how much I loved that one. Using my powers of improvisation, I subbed out some of the butter from the original recipe with tahini and viola! Success! Tahini Orange Pound Cake.
Topping the whole shebang with a sweet orange glaze, the result was a nutty, sweet, perfectly moist cake. Different, but still maintaining its simplicity: no towering layers, no whipped icings, no crumb coats, no pretension.
Breezy.
One year ago: Chicken Kiev
Two years ago: Vegetables in Coconut Milk
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I would have never thought of combining tahini and orange. Your pound cake looks stunning!
Thanks! It was definitely a gamble… but it worked! Different, but definitely good!
Down with pie!
Fresh berries and whipped cream on top of cake is 150x better! My grandma makes a simple lemon pound cake sprinkled with icing sugar. So perfect for breakfast.
Say yes to YOU! You need a day of sleeping in (or naps), Netflix, and leisurely walks to the coffee shop.
I think that’s going to be Saturdaaaay!
This pound cake looks divine! I love the idea of using tahini and flavouring with orange. Craving a slice now with berries and cream! 😀
It was a bit of a surprise for me myself. Let me know if you give it a try, and thanks for stopping by!