Saffron Yogurt Cake

This saffron cake was delicious! I replaced some of the oil with applesauce and reordered the ingredients for you below, and I added precisions about the pan I used. Instead of caster sugar, you can put regular sugar in the food processor, or just use regular sugar directly. In order to make it a bit more Persian, I used rosewater in the glaze – you’re welcome. You could also top this with crushed pistachios, though we didn’t find it necessary. The saffron really dominates the tastes, as it should. Enjoy!

For the cake
2 cups plain flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 pinch salt
1 cup caster sugar (see note above)
4 eggs
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
½ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup lactose-free Greek yogurt
4 tsp. dissolved saffron (I used a generous pinch of saffron, ground it, and added 1 Tbsp. water)

For the glaze
½ cup icing sugar, sifted
1-3 Tbsp. rosewater
chopped pistachios, to garnish

Preheat the oven to 325 °F. Grease a 9” springform pan; line the bottom with paper and grease again.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Beat caster sugar and eggs for 5 minutes or until the mixture has thickened and forms a ribbon when the beater is lifted. Add applesauce, oil, yogurt and saffron; beat for a few seconds to mix.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and slowly fold in with a spatula. Scrape into the prepared pan and bake for 45 min. or until it springs back to the touch. Let cool completely.

For the glaze, mix icing sugar with 1 Tbsp. rosewater at a time, until the mixture is the right consistency (i.e., thick and not too runny – I should have used a bit less rosewater, perhaps 1 ½ Tbsp. would have been perfect).

Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and serve.