Persian love cake
THINK those golden baklava-ish flavours, but in a moist cake with sticky, dark caramelised sides. This is a cake to make if you are usually bad at making cakes. Two pluses: it uses a muffin method (what I call a ‘bung-in-and-stir’), which requires very little to no technique, and is a wonderful gluten-free option.
FEEDS: 12 Ingredients CRUMB BASE: 300g (3 cups) almond meal 185g (1 cup) raw caster sugar 220g (1 cup firmly packed) soft brown sugar 120g unsalted butter, melted CAKE BATTER: 2 eggs, lightly beaten 250g (scant 1 cup) natural or Greek-style yoghurt
1⁄8 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cardamom
2 tsp rosewater
25 saffron threads
3 tbsp flaked almonds 3 tbsp pistachio nut kernels, roughly chopped TO DECORATE (OPTIONAL): Unsprayed edible rose petals TO SERVE: 500g (2 cups) Greek-style yoghurt
Method
Preheat the oven to 170C fan-forced. Grease the ring of a 24cm springform tin, then line with strips of baking paper. Turn the base upside down, so it no longer has a lip. Place a piece of baking paper over it, then clamp the ring around it to secure.
To make the crumb base, combine the almond meal, caster sugar, brown sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl, and rub together until you have an even, sandy consistency. Divide the mixture in two, and tip half into the prepared tin. Using the back of a spoon or a spatula, press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the tin.
To make the cake batter, add the eggs, yoghurt, salt, cardamom, rosewater and saffron to the remaining crumb mixture and whisk until there are no lumps. Pour over the crumb base and sprinkle the flaked almonds and pistachio nuts over the top. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden and fully risen – you will know because the top will probably crack a little. If the top is colouring too quickly, cover with foil, then bake for a further 20 minutes. The centre of the cake should spring back when pressed gently. Cool completely, before removing from the tin and cutting to serve.
Lovely decoration ideas are edible rose petals, sliced fresh figs and a very light dusting of icing sugar. Serve with a dollop of Greek-style yoghurt.