This exceptional recipe ticks all the right boxes: it’s delicious, aromatic, and beautiful! Pistachios bring nutty flavour and appealing colour, but it’s the unique, floral taste of rose water that elevates this cake into something extraordinary. It’s the perfect sweet addition to your Persian New Year celebration or maybe for something different for Mother’s Day or a High Tea.
1 hour cooling time
Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar
Light-coloured and just right for baking, the subtle notes of caramel and moist texture make it ideal for allowing delicate flavours to shine through in your creations.
Redpath® Special Fine Granulated Sugar 2kg
An economically-sized bag of our versatile granulated sugar, it’s ideal for sweetening coffee and tea, baking, preserving, canning, and cooking.
Redpath® Icing Sugar
Use it to make the smoothest frostings, icings, and glazes you’ve ever seen for the finishing touch on your cakes, cupcakes, and more.
- 10 pcs cardamom pods 10 pcs cardamom pods
- 1⅔ cup (187 g) cake flour 1⅔ cup (187 g) cake flour
- ½ cup (50 g) almond flour ½ cup (50 g) almond flour
- ⅓ cup (43 g) finely ground pistachio ⅓ cup (43 g) finely ground pistachio
- 2 tsp (10 g) baking powder 2 tsp (10 g) baking powder
- ¼ tsp (2 g) baking soda ¼ tsp (2 g) baking soda
- ½ tsp (3 g) salt ½ tsp (3 g) salt
- ¼ cup (50 g) Redpath® Granulated Sugar ¼ cup (50 g) Redpath® Granulated Sugar
- 2 tsp (4 g) lime zest, finely grated 2 tsp (4 g) lime zest, finely grated
- ¾ cup (163 g) Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar, packed ¾ cup (163 g) Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar, packed
- ½ cup (113 g) butter, cubed ½ cup (113 g) butter, cubed
- ¼ cup (63 ml) canola oil ¼ cup (63 ml) canola oil
- 4 eggs 4 eggs
- ¾ cup (188 ml) yogurt, full fat ¾ cup (188 ml) yogurt, full fat
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) rosewater 1 tbsp (15 ml) rosewater
- ½ tsp (2 ml) pure almond extract ½ tsp (2 ml) pure almond extract
For the yogurt glaze:
- 1 cup (120 g) Redpath® Icing Sugar 1 cup (120 g) Redpath® Icing Sugar
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) yogurt, full fat 2 tbsp (30 ml) yogurt, full fat
- ½ tsp (2 ml) rosewater ½ tsp (2 ml) rosewater
- ⅛ tsp (1 g) salt ⅛ tsp (1 g) salt
Garnishes (optional):
- Raw pistachio, roughly chopped Raw pistachio, roughly chopped
- Edible rose petals Edible rose petals
- Lime zest Lime zest
Equipment:
- Round cake pan (8 x 3-inch) Round cake pan (8 x 3-inch)
- Parchment paper Parchment paper
- Mortar and pestle OR spice grinder Mortar and pestle OR spice grinder
- Scale OR dry measuring cups Scale OR dry measuring cups
- Measuring spoons Measuring spoons
- Liquid measuring cup Liquid measuring cup
- Large bowl Large bowl
- Whisk Whisk
- Small bowl x 2 Small bowl x 2
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment OR large bowl with a hand mixer Stand mixer with paddle attachment OR large bowl with a hand mixer
- Rubber spatula Rubber spatula
- Medium bowl OR measuring cup Medium bowl OR measuring cup
- Offset spatula Offset spatula
- Wire cooling rack Wire cooling rack
- Small offset spatula OR butterknife Small offset spatula OR butterknife
- Spoon Spoon
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325°F (162°C). Grease an 8 x 3-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper. Dust pan with flour, shaking out any excess.
If using cardamom pods, place pods into a mortar. With the pestle, crush open the pods. Discard the outer green skins, leaving behind the seeds. With the pestle, grind the seeds to a fine powder. Alternatively, use a spice grinder to grind the seeds to a fine powder (see Chef’s Tips).
In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, almond flour, finely ground pistachio, ground cardamom, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until thoroughly combined.
In a small bowl, rub the Redpath® Granulated Sugar with the lime zest until fragrant.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar, cubed butter, canola oil, and the sugar-lime mixture on medium to medium-high speed until pale in colour and fluffy; 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each egg before adding the next.
In a medium bowl or measuring cup, whisk together yogurt, rose water, and almond extract until well combined. Set aside.
Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients into the bowl of the stand mixer; mix on low speed until just combined. Add ½ of the yogurt mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Repeat process, ending with the dry ingredients. After the last addition, increase speed to medium-low and mix well until no flour clumps remain; about half a minute. Do not overmix.
Transfer batter to the prepared cake pan. Tap pan a few times onto a flat work surface to remove any air pockets and level the batter. With an offset spatula, smooth out the top of the cake. Place into the preheated oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the cake, when gently pressed, springs back and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before attempting to remove from the pan. Run a small offset spatula around the edges of the cake and unmold. Place onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely before glazing; about 1 hour.
For the yogurt glaze:
Sift the Redpath® Icing Sugar into a small bowl. Whisk in the yogurt, rosewater, and salt until well combined and smooth. Adjust glaze as necessary; for a thicker glaze, add about 1 additional tablespoon Redpath® Icing Sugar. For a thinner glaze, add an additional ½ teaspoon of yogurt and/or rosewater. Be careful not to add too much extra rosewater, if adding more, as this may take the glaze from floral to “soapy” tasting.
Lay a piece of parchment or plastic wrap onto the surface of the glaze to prevent a skin from forming. Place into the fridge until cake is completely cooled. Stir before using.
Pour and drizzle the glaze over the completely cooled cake, gently pushing the icing to the edges with a small offset spatula or spoon and allowing the glaze to drip over the sides.
Sprinkle the top with pistachio, dried rose petals, and/or lime zest. Allow the glaze to set before serving.
Chef's Tips
*Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature before proceeding with recipe.
*Like all spices, freshly ground cardamom will give more flavour than pre-ground cardamom. If using pre-ground cardamom, use 1½ teaspoons to 2 teaspoons (3 to 4 grams) in this recipe.
*Rosewater can be replaced with orange blossom water if desired.
*Rosewater can be found in the baking aisle or international aisle of major grocery stores. Only use food-grade rosewater intended for baking or cooking, as it is also used as a skincare product.
*Be aware that different brands of rose water differ in strengths. Also, note that when rose water is heated, the potency of the flavour is decreased. Rose essence is different and more potent than rose water; do not substitute 1:1.
*Ground pistachio in the cake can be raw, roasted, or roasted and salted pistachio. Note that raw pistachio will yield a slightly greener tinged end-product than if using roasted nuts. It is preferable to use raw pistachio when decorating the cake for a brighter, more colourful presentation. Use slightly more than ⅓ cup of whole pistachio and a food processor or spice grinder to finely grind the nutmeats to make ⅓ cup (43 grams) of ground pistachio. Be careful not to over process, or it will turn into nut butter.
*If cake flour is not available, for every 1 cup of cake flour needed, measure out 1 cup (125 grams) of all-purpose flour. Remove 2 tablespoons of the flour and replace with 2 tablespoons (16 grams) of cornstarch. Sift or whisk mixture thoroughly to ensure flour mixture is well combined, and flour is aerated.
*Redpath® Dark Brown Sugar can be substituted for the Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar; however, note that the resulting cake will be darker and have more pronounced caramel notes, which could overpower the subtle flavour of rosewater.
