Bahar: Very tasty and delicious cake. I've found the recipe on a Persian cooking web-log (monnom.blogfa.com) ---many thanks to the owner of the web-log--- and modified it very slightly. It is a definite hit for baklava lovers and a great substitute for baklava if you happen not to have phyllo pastry on hand to bake baklava. I used almonds and walnuts in this recipe but you can replace them with any nuts of your choice. You can decorate the cake as you wish with slivered or powdered nuts and/or coconut flakes.
Main Ingredients:
Eggs: 3
Butter: 1/2 cup (melted)
Sugar: 1/3 cup
Ground cardamom: 1/2 tsp
Vanilla: 1/2 tsp (extract or powder)
Rosewater: 6 tbsp
Flour: 1cup (all purpose)
Baking powder: 1/2 tbsp
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Ground almond: 1/2 cup
Ground walnut: 1/2 cup
Almond and/or pistachio (slivered): to decorate
Syrup ingredients:
Sugar: 1/2 cup
Water: 1/2 cup
Rosewater: 1 tbsp
Saffron: pinch (about 1/8 tsp)
Directions:
1. Grease and flour one 8 or 9 inch cake pan or a baking dish of similar size.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together, set aside.
4. In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add sugar and beat well (for about 3-5 minutes).
5. Add the ground cardamom, vanilla, melted butter and rosewater, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract (if you are using the extract).
6. Gently mix in flour mixture (either use whisk or set the beater on low).
7. Add the ground nuts (walnut and almond) and mix just until fully blended.
8. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until the toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let slightly cool in pan for 10 minutes.
9. While the cake is baking, make the syrup as follows: Boil sugar and water on medium heat until sugar is melted. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes until syrup is slightly thicken. Dissolve the saffron in about 2tbsp boiled water and add to syrup; let simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat and add rosewater to the syrup.
10. If you are using a nice baking dish, skip this step; you can serve the cake in the baking dish. Otherwise, turn out the cake onto a wire rack and transfer it to a serving dish.
11. Pour the syrup over the cake. Decorate the cake with slivered almond and/or pistachio.
Published on March 18, 2008More Cakes and Cookies Recipes:
