Cardamom and Rose Water Sponge with Pistachio and Pomegranate Cream
Makes one rather decadent two-layer cake
- 200 g butter, softened
- 200 g caster sugar (golden-hued, if you can get it)
- seeds from 8 – 10 cardamom pods, crushed with a pestle and mortar
- a pinch of sea salt flakes (Maldon salt or fleur de sel are best)
- 4 eggs (free-range, of course)
- 1 tsp rose water (look out for brands that use rose oil from the celebrated Rose Valley in Bulgaria), or more according to taste
- 50 g ground almonds (for extra flavour, it's worth tracking down Spanish Marcona almonds and blitzing them yourself in a food processor)
- 150 g self-raising flour (this staple of British kitchens is not widely available in mainland Europe, so if you can't find it, sift 150 g plain flour together with two teaspoons of baking powder and use as directed)
- 250 ml double cream
- a good handful of pistachios (if you're feeling keen, you could try to get hold of Bronte pistachios from Sicily), roughly chopped
- seeds of half a pomegranate
- icing sugar to dust
Preheat the oven to 180 C / 160 C (fan-assisted) / gas mark 4. Grease and base line two 20 cm sandwich tins.
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| Photo: Tobias Melzer |
Cream the butter and sugar with the crushed cardamom seeds until light and fluffy. Add a pinch of sea salt and then beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the rose water. Stir in the ground almonds and then sift over the flour, mixing briefly to combine. Pour over the milk and then give everything one final good stir. Divide the mixture between the two tins and bake for around 25 minutes, until the cakes are well-risen and golden brown. Allow to cool.
When the cakes are cool, whip the cream until it forms soft peaks (you can also add a few drops of rose water and a little icing sugar at this stage, if you fancy). Gently fold in the pistachios and pomegranate seeds, reserving a few for decoration. Spread the cream over one of the cakes and then sandwich the other on top of it. Dust with icing sugar and serve in generous slices, strewn liberally with the reserved pistachios and pomegranate seeds.
Bon appétit! Guten Appetit! Dobrou chuť! Buon appetito! Buen provecho!
