There is no better cake hot out of the oven than a Persian Love Cake served with zingy greek yoghurt. This recipe is a slight variant on the standard version; utilizing beautiful seasonal summer plums by The Montague Tree. The plums paired with the loud rosewater & lemon notes is a flavour combination to behold.
RECIPE BY: Sam Goodwin
MAKES: 10-12 serves
PREPARATION: 20 minutes
COOKING: 45-55 minutes
INGREDIENTS
CAKE MIXTURE
10-12 The Montague Tree Plums, halved & pitted
190g Unsalted Butter
150g Caster Sugar
4 Large Eggs, beaten
90g Plain Flour
140g Almond Meal
140g Pistachios, ground
1 tsp Baking Powder
8-10 Cardamom Pods, seeds reserved, pods discarded
1 tbsp Rosewater
1 Lemon, juice & zest
1/2 tsp Salt
SYRUP
70ml Lemon Juice
60ml Rosewater
1/3 cup Caster Sugar
LEMON DRIZZLE ICING
1/2 cup Icing Sugar
30ml Lemon Juice
GARNISH / TO SERVE
Pistachios
Dried rose petals (optional)
Greek yoghurt or Creme Fraiche
HOW
Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Grease & line a 23cm round cake tin with baking paper on all sides.
For the cake batter, in a large mixing bowl cream butter & sugar for 7-8 minutes until light & fluffy. Gradually add eggs ensuring each addition is well combined before adding the next.
Place cardamom seeds in food processor with pistachios. Blitz until fine meal achieved. Sift this mixture along with all other dry ingredients into cake batter. Add lemon juice, zest & rosewater & fold through gently until well combined.
Transfer cake batter into pre-prepared tins & top with halved plums (just enough to loosely cover the surface - all may not be required depending on size).
Bake for 40 minutes, then turn oven up to 170 degrees & bake for a further 20 minutes or until dark golden brown & a skewer can be removed cleanly from centre of cake.
Meanwhile, whilst cake is in its final 5 minutes of cooking, make the syrup by adding all ingredients to a small saucepan & bring to boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved & remove from heat. Immediately after cake is removed from oven drizzle all syrup over top of cake. Set the cake aside to cool to room temperature.
Make the icing by combining all ingredients in a small bowl.
When cake is completely cooled remove from tin & drizzle over the icing mixture. Garnish with extra pistachios & dried rose petals. Serve with greek yoghurt.
TIPS
It looks like a lot of syrup to pour over the cake but the cake will absorb it & needs it to add moisture & zing. Make sure the cake is hot out of the oven when the syrup is poured on!