Saffron and Pistachio Honey Cake - Persian Love Cake
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Now what? Enter Persian cuisine and its similar spices ... cardamom, coriander, cumin ... also... saffron, rose buds, pistachios. And this combination on a cake screams ... Pick me! Pick me! And so I did ... much to the delight of my family members and some friends I shared it with.
This recipe is from WSJ where it was adapted from a recipe by Elizabeth Quijada from Abraço Espresso and Bakery in NYC. I adapted it again to make a tall-ish cake to fit my floral silicone cake mold and of course, decreased the sugar to allow for the syrup.
For the honey-saffron syrup:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp saffron threads
1/4 cup honey
For the cake:
1-1/2 cup warm milk
1/2 tsp saffron threads
Scant 2 cups flour
1-1/2 cup ground cornmeal
1 cup sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1-1/2 cup olive oil1 cup chopped pistachios
Directions:
1. Make the syrup: In a small saucepan on low heat, stir all ingredients together until sugar dissolves. Set aside.
2. Place the warm milk and saffron threads in a glass measuring cup to bring out maximum aroma and flavour from the saffron.
3. Grease a 9 inch cake pan with butter or olive oil then line the bottom with parchment paper.
4. Preheat the oven to 350F.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda and baking powder and salt.
6. Make a well in the center, then add the eggs, milk and saffron, and olive oil.
7. With a sturdy whisk, mix the wet ingredients in the center together while slowly bringing in the dry ingredients into it, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
8. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and sprinkle the top with chopped pistachios.
9. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
10. Set on a cooling rack and let cool slightly before drenching it with that aromatic honey-saffron syrup.
11. Let it come to room temperature before inverting it into your cake platter.
12. Decorate with more chopped pistachios and maybe some dried rose buds.
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