Mahlep Cake

It is kind of hard to name recipes sometimes. That and to remind yourself what that food tasted/looked like after seeing a recipe whatever years after you copied into your own book, we usually tag the name along with the name of the person. I took this recipe from my mom’s recipe notebook and sure enough copied down the name of the person she took from, too. Do you do the same tagging for recipes?
This one is quite easy to make and most of the ingredients can be found in one’s pantry. Maybe except mahlep; which is the kernel of a wild cherry species. You can obtain it in Greek, Middle Eastern shops and I suggest you grind the kernels just before they are used for a better taste. Mahlep powder is widely used in Turkish bakeries, and I am sure it is the same throughout the whole Middle East.
Very light in oil and has a nice texture. If you try it along with tea, and please let me know how you like it.
Ingredients:
3 eggs
1.5 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup light olive oil
2 teaspoons mahlep powder
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Topping: sesame seeeds
Preheat the oven to 350F. Mix all the ingredients to obtain batter that is thickier than usual cake batter. Pour into greased 9×13inch baking dish, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake until lightly brown and passes the toothpick test. Enjoy with tea!