TO DRINK: If you fancy cake and wine like Marie Antoinette, enjoy with a sweet chenin like Ken Forrester ‘T’ Noble Late Harvest, otherwise rooibos tea with honey and lemon will work a treat
Sesame yoghurt cardamom cake
Ingredients
- 220g butter
- 125ml sugar
- zest of 2 lemons
- 120ml honey
- 4 eggs, separated
- 220g cake flour
- 5ml baking powder
- 5ml baking soda
- a pinch of salt
- 220g Greek yoghurt
- 160ml sultanas
- 15ml cardamom seeds
- 100ml sesame seeds
Syrup
- juice of 2 lemons
- 90ml honey
- rind of 1 lemon
- mascarpone or fresh cream, to serve
- fresh figs, to serve (use preserved figs in syrup if fresh figs are not in season)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 22cm cake tin with baking paper.
Beat the butter, sugar, lemon zest and honey together until creamy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating continuously.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Fold it into the batter alternating with the yoghurt. Fold in the sultanas and cardamom seeds.
Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold them carefully into the mixture.
Pour the batter into the tin and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
Bake for 20 minutes, cover with foil and bake for a further 45 minutes. Let the cake rest for 10 minutes after it has been removed from the oven.
For the syrup, bring the ingredients to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Let it cool slightly, then pour the warm syrup over the cooled cake. Serve with mascarpone or cream and fresh or preserved figs.
