Persian Carrot-Pistachio Cake with Saffron Glaze
Pistachio, saffron and cardamom are very typical ingredients in Persian cuisine. Especially, a combination of the three is often found in sweets and pastries and reminds me a lot of my childhood. Expect an incredibly moist carrot cake that has great texture from the pistachios and an irresistible flavour of the spices from the Orient.
*Saffron is the world's most valuable spice by weight, originating from Iran. The purple saffron crocus is grown in the Mashhad region and its threads are plucked by hand and dried in the sun.
Ingredients
For the dough:
375 g carrots (3 large carrots)
250 g flour
220 g brown sugar
125 g butter
125 vegetable oil
80 g pistachios (optionally more for garnish)
4 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1.5 tsp ground cardamom
pinch of salt
For the glaze:
100 g cream cheese
60 g soft butter
220 g powdered sugar
splash of lemon juice
10 strings of saffron (optionally more for garnish)
Optionally: rose petals for garnish
What you need
Medium sized saucepan
kitchen scale
fine-mesh sieve
large mixing bowl
small bowl
chopping board
hand mixer
round cake mould
peeler
spatula
grater
mortar and pestle
sharp knife
Method
Preheat oven to 175 °C.
Peel and grate 375 g carrots. Set aside.
Melt 125 g butter in a small saucepan on medium heat until foaming, then add 80 g pistachios and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often until they start browning.
Pour the mixture through a sieve to separate the pistachios from the butter. Set aside.
Add 4 eggs, 125 ml vegetable oil, 220 g brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 1.5 tsp cardamom to a large mixing bowl. Beat all on medium speed with an electric hand mixer or kitchen machine for 1 minute.
Add 250 g flour, 2 tsp baking powder, and a pinch of salt to the mixture and continue mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes until an even dough comes together.
Reduce the speed and slowly pour in the melted butter, beat until combined.
Use a sharp knife to chop the pistachios finely on a chopping board.
Add the carrot and pistachio to the dough and mix under with a spatula.
Grease the cake mold with butter, then transfer the dough into the mold.
Place the cake on the middle oven rack and bake for 45 minutes.
For the glaze, mix 100 g cream cheese, 220 g powdered sugar, 60 g soft butter, and a splash of lemon juice on low speed.
Place 10 saffron strings in a mortar with 1/4 tsp sugar, then use the pestle to grind the saffron until you get a fine powder. Mix the saffron sugar into the frosting until it evenly turns yellow.
Spread the frosting over the cake and garnish with chopped pistachios, saffron strings, and rose pestles.
Nooshe Jan! (“Enjoy your meal” in Farsi )
