Day 38: Vegan Halva Cake from Lefkada (Ladopita Lefkadas) - April 24th, 2013

Last year we made halva using Cream of Wheat (to replace the farina).  This time, we see that on the island of Lefkada, the recipe calls for flour and olive oil to make this cake.  Well, that intrigued us enough to try this recipe.  Maybe the idea that Aristotle Onassis has some lineage from the island of Lefkada is the part that intrigued us.  That would be interesting to note here, since it was something we read while researching this recipe.

When you read through the directions and the ingredients, you may think to yourself that this recipe has only a few ingredients - how could it be difficult?  Well, we found that it is not difficult overall, but there is a trick to using flour to make halva.  You must be careful so not to over mix it!  Using flour and mixing vigorously strengthens the gluten.  That is the strong, chewy factor that we want for bread, but not for cake.  And, when you use an All Purpose Flour, there is going to be some gluten built in mixing -- that is unavoidable.  Truthfully, even when using cake flour, there is a small amount of build up, but not nearly as much gluten as with bread flour.  Anyway, with these directions, please keep in mind to stir slowly and to be patient.

For this recipe, you will need the following:

1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups olive oil
4 cups flour
1/4 cup sesame seeds
10 (or so) almond halves

We just want to note that we did not have almond halves so we used macadamia nuts.  We believe that since these are just for garnish, that they are rather non-essential to the final product.  But, we put the nuts anyway, and they burned.  We do not know if the almonds would have taken the oven heat better than the macadamia nuts, but next time we make this, we will omit the nuts completely.

First, make the syrup.  The syrup is simply one cup of sugar mixed with 1 1/2 cups water.  Add the ground cloves and ground cinnamon to the sugar.  Bring this mixture to a boil and let it cook for 2 minutes.  After those two minutes, turn the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer the syrup for 10 to 15 minutes until it thickens a bit.  While that is simmering, you can begin working with the other ingredients.

For the next step, you will need a different pot heated on medium-high heat.  Into that pot, put the oil and let it warm up -- not boiling!

Add the flour to the warm oil, but add only a bit at a time.  You have to make sure to stir gently to break up any lumps that may form.  It is best to use a wooden spoon (according to the cookbook) to mix this.  Continue to cook this until all the flour is absorbed by the oil.  This will begin to look like a roux, but that will take you to the next step.

Once the flour is completely absorbed in the oil, and you have a smooth paste, then slowly pour the syrup into this mixture.  Continue to stir as you add the syrup until there is one even, smooth consistency.  Then, you are going to put that mix into a pan to go into the oven.

We chose to make one 8 inch fluted pan because it will look pretty when we flip it over, and a dozen individual cakes, using a Bundt cupcake pan. ("It's cakee, moreh!")  You can use a spring form pan or a traditional cake pan.  We just thought since we had the pretty pans, we would use them and allow the cake to take the fluted form so it would be pretty.

Fill the pans with the mixture and then use the back of the wooden spoon, or your hand (remember it is still hot) to press down and flatten the top and make it level with the pan, or even all around.  Once you have smoothed and flattened, sprinkle sesame seeds all over.  You can be generous here if you like the taste of sesame, or if you are going to invert this cake.  That way the sesame is on the bottom of the cake and it's a nice surprise!

Then, score the larger cake.  Scoring is to just mark with a knife where you would cut pieces without actually cutting through the cake now.  Just mark it with the cut lines. Then, you will know exactly where to put each nut -- in the center of each piece that you just marked!

Press down on the nut half so it stays in place on the cake.

Now it is time to put the cake in the oven.  Bake for about 35 minutes at 375° F.  The cookbook states that this should be baked at 475° F, but we found that burns the top, the sides, and particularly the nuts, as well as dries out the cake. When we made this again, the nuts were not so dark and the sides were not as crispy.  Perhaps the 475° F is a misprint?  We don't know, but the 35 minutes was necessary to cook the center.  Test the doneness the same way that you would check any cake -- use a toothpick in the center and see if it comes out clean.  If the toothpick is clean, the center of the cake is cooked. 

Let this sit and cool in its pan for several hours before serving.  You can serve with a smattering of honey, powdered sugar, or plain with a cup of coffee.  That's our favourite way!  This cake will keep at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, without refrigeration.  Just cover it, or put it in an air-tight container to store.

It is not a difficult dessert, and the fact that it stays at room temperature makes this much more appealing to us.  Any time we can get space in the refrigerator, we are happy.  So, room temperature cake is a winner for us!

"The Parable of the Mustard Seed: 

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches. "

Book of Matthew: 13: 31-32