Miracle Parsley Cake

5½ ounces all-purpose

flour

1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon finely ground

cardamom

¼ teaspoon kosher salt 4 ounces sugar, plus more

for sprinkling the pan 2 tablespoons dried

parsley

1 tablespoon dried

moringa powder

2 large eggs

5 ounces extra-virgin

olive oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

extract

Zest from one orange 5½ ounces plain yogurt,

preferably homemade

Instructions: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and grease a small loaf pan. Sprinkle sugar over it and tap the excess off.

Combine all-purpose flour, baking powder and soda, cardamom, salt, sugar and herbs and whisk them together and set them aside.

In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat eggs, olive oil and vanilla together until lemon colored, roughly 2-3 minutes. Add the orange zest.

Next add the dry ingredients alternating with plain yogurt until fully combined. Be careful not to overmix.

Pour batter into the greased loaf pan and place in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Notes and variations

When using dry herbs, don’t limit yourself to moringa or parsley — experiment with dried basil, mint or matcha. Just be sure the dried herbs are bright green.

We used a 8-by-4by-2½-inch loaf pan, but this cake can also be prepared in a more shallow baking pan.

Replace the cardamom with cinnamon or nutmeg, just be cautious of the quantity so that it does not muddy the bright-green color of the cake.

The yogurt gives the cake a tangy flavor but can easily be replaced with milk, heavy cream or coconut milk for a milder flavor.

Moringa is available fairly commonly, but a good locally harvested source is Finca Tres Robles Farm at the Saturday Urban Harvest farmers market, 2752 Buffalo Speedway.

Makes 8 generous slices

From chef Anita Jaisinghani