Pomegranate passion cake recipe
A showstopping sticky almond cake infused with sweet, tart pomegranate and topped with a light, creamy mascarpone icing. Warning: once baked, it won't last long.
You will need a 20cm (8inch) deep cake tin.
Ingredients
For the topping- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 250 g mascarpone
- 3 tbsp Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
- 150 g pomegranate seeds
- 3 tbsp unsweetened pomegranate molasses
- 2 tbsp sugar (any type)
- 200 g unsalted butter, plus more for the tin
- 170 g caster sugar
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 100 g plain flour
- 0.2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 270 g ground almonds
- 1 unwaxed lemon (finely grated zest only)
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp unsweetened pomegranate molasses
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Details
- Cuisine: Palestinian
- Recipe Type: Cake
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 30 mins
- Cooking Time: 50 mins
- Serves: 8
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F/gas mark 3. Butter a 20cm (8inch) deep cake tin and line it with baking parchment.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with electric beaters. When the mixture is combined, beat in the eggs gradually, beating well between each addition.
- Then fold in the flour, salt, baking powder and almonds with a large spoon. Fold in the lemon zest and juice, pomegranate molasses and vanilla, then spoon into the prepared tin.
- Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until firm and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- When it is almost ready, make the glaze. Put the pomegranate molasses and sugar in a saucepan with 3 tablespoons water, place over a medium heat and stir to help the sugar dissolve.
- As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, use a fork to pierce holes in it, then brush the syrup over. Leave to cool in the tin, then turn it out, syrup-side up.
- Place the pomegranate seeds in a small bowl with the sugar and leave to macerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Mix the mascarpone with the yogurt and icing sugar and spread it thickly over the cake. Finish with the pomegranate seeds and their juices.
This recipe is from Zaitoun: Recipes and Stories from the Palestinian Kitchen by Yasmin Khan. Published by Bloomsbury on 12 July 2018, RRP £26. Photography by Matt Russell.
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