Cake Yazdi

Cake Yazdi is a light, fragrant cake from the city of Yazd, baked in small paper cases and scented with saffron, cardamom and rosewater.

TIME BREAKDOWN
Prep: 40 min
Cook: 22 min
Total: 1 hour 2 minutes
Vegetarian
✅
Nuts
✅
Makes
12 small cakes
Difficulty
Medium

Ingredients

  • 3 large eggs
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 120ml sunflower oil
  • 120ml whole milk
  • ½ tsp saffron threads, ground and steeped in 2 tbsp hot water
  • 1 tbsp rosewater
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 200g plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp ground cardamom
  • Pinch of salt
  • To decorate:
  • 20g unsalted pistachios, finely chopped
  • Icing sugar, for dusting

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.

  2. Whisk the eggs and sugar for 5 minutes until pale and thick. Whisk in the oil, milk, saffron water, rosewater and vanilla.

  3. Sift over the flour, baking powder, cardamom and salt and fold in gently until just combined.

  4. Divide between the cases, filling each about three-quarters full, and sprinkle with the pistachios.

  5. Bake for 20-22 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then on a rack.

  6. Dust with icing sugar before serving.