Do you like olive oil and saffron just as much as I do? If yes, I have an amazing recipe for you.
These two ingredients are commonly used in savory dishes but once they come together with sugar is where magic happens. This cake is perfectly moist, thanks to olive oil! And has a great aroma which comes from the saffron. I won't say anything about the color as the pictures speak for their selves!
Let me tell you a trick about working with saffron. The most common way to bloom saffron is to mix it with couple tablespoons of boiling water. However, the better way is to grind the saffron and place couple ice cubes on top (depends on how big is the ice cube use 1 or 2). This way the ice melt slowly and saffron release it's color perfectly.
This cake is meant to be cooked slowly in pretty low heat. You can serve it with whipped cream or just plain as it is with a cup of tea!
You can keep the cake in an airtight container in fridge for up to 5 days.
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/3 cup olive oil
3 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon grounded saffron
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
Grounded pistachio for dusting (optional)
Butterfly pea flower for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degree. Grab a deep 9 inch cake pan. Brush inside the pan with olive oil and lay parchment paper at the bottom.
In small ramekin place the grounded saffron and couple cubes of ice. Set it aside and let the ice melt and saffron bloom slowly.
In bowl of a stand mixer whisk together sugar and eggs with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium heat for about 2 minutes or until double the volume.
Add the olive oil and keep whisking for another minute.
Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into the same bowl. Whisk for a minute until well combined (do not over whisk it).
Add the milk and blossomed saffron, whisk for 30 seconds or just until combined.
Transfer the cake batter to the prepared 9 inch pan.
Bake the cake for 50-60 minutes or until it's cooked all the way. (You can check the cake by poking a toothpick in middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, cake is cooked).
Take the cake out of the oven. Let it cool down and flip it into your serving dish.
Dust top of the cake with grounded pistachio and decorate it with some butterfly pea flowers.
نوش جان
