Saffron cake
Makes: 15 squares
Prep time: 40 mins Total time: 
Recipe photograph by Maja Smend
Saffron cake
This fragrant cake is made with classic Middle Eastern flavours like rosewater, cardamom, pistachio and the star ingredient, saffron
Makes: 15 squares
Prep time: 40 mins Total time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
286Kcal
Fat
13gr
Saturates
2gr
Carbs
33gr
Sugars
27gr
Fibre
0gr
Protein
10gr
Salt
0.3gr
Rebekah Jones
Self-taught cook Rebekah Jones was born in Coventry to a Persian father and English mother, and is passionate about teaching people of all ages just how delicious and accessible Persian and Middle Eastern recipes can be. Rebekah has a supper club where she cooks Persian dishes while teaching about the history and the ingredients, and has written a book called My Little Persian Kitchen.
See more of Rebekah Jones’s recipes
Rebekah Jones
Self-taught cook Rebekah Jones was born in Coventry to a Persian father and English mother, and is passionate about teaching people of all ages just how delicious and accessible Persian and Middle Eastern recipes can be. Rebekah has a supper club where she cooks Persian dishes while teaching about the history and the ingredients, and has written a book called My Little Persian Kitchen.
See more of Rebekah Jones’s recipes
Ingredients
- flavourless oil, to grease
- 50ml whole milk
- 1 tsp saffron
- 250g caster sugar
- 6 large eggs
- ½ tsp ground cardamom (from about 20 pods)
- 200g ground almonds
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 100g plain flour
- 250g natural yogurt
- ½ tsp concentrated rosewater (such as Nielsen-Massey)
- 75g pistachio kernels, finely chopped
For the syrup
- 125g caster sugar
- 2 tsp concentrated rosewater
Step by step
Get ahead
Keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container, or freeze.
- Preheat the oven to 170°C, fan 150°C, gas 3½. Grease and line the base and sides of a 30cm x 20cm traybake tin. Gently heat the milk and saffron strands in a small pan until bubbles start to form. Remove from the heat and set aside to infuse and cool for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the sugar and eggs for several minutes in a large bowl, until pale, thick and foamy (up to 10 minutes if using an electric hand whisk).
- Fold in the cardamom, almonds, baking powder, flour and yogurt with a pinch of salt. Stir in the rosewater, saffron-infused milk and about three-quarters of the pistachios, ensuring the saffron milk is evenly combined. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave the cake in the tin.
- Meanwhile, for the syrup, combine the sugar and rosewater in a small pan with 50ml water. Slowly bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then turn down the heat and simmer gently without stirring, for 8 minutes or until lightly syrupy. Poke little holes all over the cake and pour on the warm syrup, tilting the tin so it spreads evenly. Scatter with the remaining pistachios and leave to cool in the tin. Remove, cut into squares and serve with strong black unsweetened tea.
