Pistachio and rose water cake

A lot of people ask me if I invent my recipes. And the answer is no. I get a lot of inspiration from very talented bakers around the world. Usually, I find an exciting recipe and then make adjustments like substituting flour for a whole grain version, cutting down sugar, and doing other smaller modifications. I am inspired and impressed by the creativity and skills of bakers who develop recipes from scratch. One of THE cook or baker, I admire most, is Yotam Ottolenghi. His vegetable-focused cookbooks are just divine. He has an incredible talent for mixing flavors and textures to create a surprising and delicious meal.

Last year, he finally published his first baking book together with Helen Goh. I was thinking about getting it for quite a while, but when I was in London in December and visited one of his restaurants for the first time, I finally got a signed copy of “Sweet.” It is a fantastic book. Not only because of the vast amount of creative recipes, but also because the instructions are so precise and well written.

In the preface Ottolenghi explains why he is writing a sugar-loaden recipe book in a world where increasing studies blame sugar to be the primary cause for health issues: “We try to stick to the simple rule of ‘what you see is what you get’. People will make responsible choices about what to eat and how much as long as they are not consuming things without realizing it – hidden sugars, hidden salts, hidden elements with names we can’t even pronounce, let alone understand what they are. There is nothing wrong with treats, as long as we know what they are and enjoy them as such.”

I found this message very powerful and it really resonated with me. Life shouldn’t be about restricting ourselves from certain foods. It’s about being mindful and conscious of what we eat. While most of my recipes are on the healthier side, I do enjoy baking (and eating) sweet treats, like the ones from Ottolenghi, now and then. When I do, I celebrate it and enjoy it wholeheartedly.

When browsing the book, I was overwhelmed by all the fantastic recipes. But one stood out especially; maybe also because I saw it in the display of Ottolenghi’s restaurant. It’s pistachio and rose water semolina cake. To me, this recipe represents what Ottolenghi stands for: unique ingredients, delicate flavor combinations, and some influence from foreign cuisines. I know I had to give this a go and I wasn’t disappointed. I did cut down the sugar amount a little bit to adjust to my palate, and it still turned out pretty sweet.

With this recipe, I want to encourage you, to celebrate food and make mindful decisions when it comes to eating. Stay on a healthy diet 80 percent of the time and use the remaining 20 to indulge yourself.

Or as Ottolenghi says “The Ottolenghi way has always been about abundance, inclusion and celebration. It’s the way we’ve always cooked and it’s the way we’ve always baked. It’s the way we’ve always eaten and the way we’ve always lived”.

Are you craving more sweet treats? Try these peanut butter & jelly cupcakes or this white chocolate cheesecake.

Have a sweet day!

Love,

Marion

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Pistachio and rose water cake

February 9, 2022

Servings: 10-12

Prep: 45 min

Cook: 60 min

Total: 1 hr 45 min

Difficulty: medium

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A flavorful and moist semolina cake, inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh.

By: BAKE & NOURISH

Ingredients

• For the cake:
• 3 cardamom pods
• 190g pistachios, shells removed
• 190g ground almonds
• 250g fine semolina
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 450g soft unsalted butter,
• 400g sugar
• 6 organic free-range eggs
• Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
• 1 ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons rose water (not essence)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• For the syrup:
• 100ml lemon juice
• 80ml rose water
• 100g sugar
• To decorate:
• 20g pistachios, finely chopped
• Chrystalized rose petals, optional

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/356°F and grease a 26cm springform cake tin and line with parchment paper.
• Step 2 Crush the cardamom pods using the flat side of a large knife and remove the small seeds. Together with the pistachios place them in a food processor and finely ground the mixture. Transfer to a bowl and mix with the ground almonds, semolina, baking powder, and salt.
• Step 3 In a separate bowl mix the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until combined. Slowly add the eggs on at a time, making sure that each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next one. The mix might curdle, but don’t worry and keep going as instructed.
• Step 4 Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, rose water, and vanilla extract and mix one more time.
• Step 5 Using a spatula, gently fold in the dry ingredients, but don’t over-mix it. It should just come together, forming a pretty dense mixture. Scrape the batter into the tin and level with a palette knife.
• Step 6 Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Step 7 After 45 minutes of baking time, start to make the syrup. Place the lemon juice, rose water, and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil while stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
• Step 8 When the cake is ready, remove it from the oven and immediately drizzle with the syrup. It seems like a lot of syrup, but trust me, that’s how it’s supposed to be. Sprinkle with the chopped pistachios and let cool in the tin. Once the cake is cool, you can store it in an airtight container for up to 5 days.