With Eid coming up, we thought of sharing a sweet yet light recipe with you! Carrying the rich exotic Emirati flavors of Cardamom, Saffron and Rose this healthier cake version is sure to impress your family and friends paired with Karak Tea (strong black tea made with milk and cardamom– popular across the Gulf region) or Arabic Coffee with cardamom. Eid Mubarak and we hope you enjoy this lighter version of Saffron and Cardamom Cake with a Hint of Rose – shared by our friend Noura El-Imam of Yogalates Bliss in Dubai.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Feeds: 10 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups (230 g) all purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp saffron threads
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 4 eggs (For a lighter and egg-less version, use Egg Beaters purchased from Choitrams – http://www.eggbeaters.com )
- 1 ½ cup (300 g) fine sugar
- ½ cup (113 g) butter, melted and cooled (for a lighter version, use 1/4th fat-free Greek yogurt and 1/4th butter)
- 1 cup (250 ml) skimmed / rice milk, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground cardamom powder
- 1 tsp rosewater essence
Steps
- Preheat oven to 180°C /350 °F /Gas mark 4.
- Spray a non-stick butter spray on the bottom of a 12” bundt cake pan (or a 9” springform pan).
- In a mortar, crush the saffron threads with 1 tsp of sugar until it’s a powder. Add 2 tablespoons milk to saffron powder. Leave to soak for at least 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Use an electric-mixer or in my case, I used my blender to whisk the egg replacers and sugar until light and thick and frothy. The mixture should triple in the volume. About 10 – 12 minutes on medium to high speed.
- In a large measuring cup, combine the butter, greek yogurt (if replacing), milk, cardamom, rosewater and saffron mixture.
- Using a large slotted metal spoon (or a wooden spoon), gently fold in the dry and wet ingredients into the eggs, beginning and ending with flour. Fold from top to bottom until combined.
- Pour into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle with the toasted sesames if desired.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle come out clean and the cake has shrink from the sides.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before inverting.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for three days.
EID MUBARAK FROM THE HUNDRED PILATES DUBAI TEAM! || WWW.THEHUNDRED.AE
