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Thursday, May 28, 2009

Persian Love Cake, Modified

That was my birthday cake! The dairy connection to this cake is the saffron-infused buttercream frosting. I made several modifications to this recipe for Persian Love Cake.

Per the recommendations from several reviewers, I added 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar to the egg whites, to prevent the cooked cake from falling. Instead of buying powdered sugar, I whirred some Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Fair Trade Cane Sugar in my blender for a minute. Since I rarely use powdered sugar, it makes sense to just powder what I needed rather than buy a whole pound of it. I also used slightly less sugar than called for--only about 12 tablespoons. I used twice as much cardamom as the recipe suggested, but wish I had used more. I ground the cardamom seeds--whole seeds sounded unappetizing to me. I love the combination of pistachios and saffron, so I added crushed ones between the cake layers, as well as on top for decoration. Yum!

Sirkand

Sirkand offers a perfect finish to an Indian inspired meal. Here's a recipe that a student sent to me.

20 ounces yogurt
1 cup sugar
pinch of saffron
1 tablespoon rose water
¼ teaspoon cardamom
1 tablespoon chopped almond
1 tablespoon chopped pistachio

Hang yogurt over night in cheese cloth to drain whey and form curd. Add saffron to rose water and let sit for 10 minutes. Mix yogurt curd with sugar, cardamom, and rose water with saffron. Place into small serving cups and top with chopped nuts.