Halva heaven: A perfect cake for your weekend coffee ritual

Looking for a cake idea to go with your coffee this weekend? We have a great suggestion, especially if you enjoy black coffee, preferably without sugar. This cake pairs perfectly with it. There's no hiding it. The cake is sweet but simply delicious. It's tough to resist and not go back for seconds.

Halva is a treat that many of us list among our favourites. It is sweet, creamy, and has a distinctive nutty taste. It also works great in desserts. We suggest a recipe for one of them.

We often associate halva with holidays in Greece or Turkey, where it is served as a dessert. The most well-known type is sesame halva. Its main ingredient is sesame seeds, which are roasted and ground into a paste called tahini. This sesame paste is also used in other dishes, such as chickpea or hummus. Halva is mixed with sugar or honey and other additives. Despite its high sweetness, this treat is considered valuable among desserts.

Thanks to sesame seeds, halva contains many valuable nutrients. They are a rich source of unsaturated fatty acids, fibre, protein, and vitamins E and B. They also have magnesium, iron, zinc, and phosphorus. As far as desserts go, that's a perfect mix. But don't forget, halva is also fatty and caloric. The dessert we propose is combined with dulce de leche and cream, so it's best not to think about the calories. Let's focus on the exciting and intense flavour. It’s also foolproof – you can surprise your guests with a bit of effort.

Ingredients:

            
• 475 ml double cream,
• 255 g mascarpone cheese,
• 300 g dulce de leche,
• 100 g halva,
• 60 butter biscuits,
• 1 packet whipped cream stabiliser,
• 2 handfuls of toasted almond flakes or grated chocolate.

Preparation:

1. Whip the chilled double cream and mascarpone cheese into a fluffy mass, adding the whipped cream stabiliser towards the end of whipping.
2. Next, gently mix the dulce de leche with a spatula until incorporated.
3. Finally, add the crushed halva and remix the mass.
4. Line the bottom of a 20x20 cm pan with a layer of butter biscuits.
5. Spread the cream mixture over them and add another layer of biscuits. Depending on the thickness of the cream layer, continue layering.
6. Top the cake with toasted almond flakes or chocolate. You can also decorate with whipped cream and pieces of dulce de leche or other treats.
7. Place the cake in the refrigerator, preferably overnight.