Pistachio Pomegranate Cake with Mastiha Cream Cheese Glaze

I was inspired to make this cake using the mastiha crystals the Mastihashop in New York sent me. Mastiha comes from the island of Chios and has been used since ancient times for both its health benefits and its distinct herbal flavor. Instead of baking the crystals in a traditional tsoureki (Greek sweet bread), I wanted to highlight the pure, clean flavor without any exposure to heat so I ground up some into powder and blended it into a frosting to give that extra punch on top of a Mediterranean inspired cake with pistachios and pomegranate. This cake is more of a pound cake, which is traditional to the cakes in Greece - they aren't fluffy and airy - they are dense and compelling. 




This batter has originated from a Cooking Light version and now is my go-to batter for pound cakes. It's moist, dense and not overly heavy. The batter is just as lovely without the pomegranates and pistachios, so if you don't have any don't let that stop you from making this! Vanilla or almond flavoring would also be excellent.