great tastes. great stories.
A recipe adapted from Claudia Roden’s The Med, yoghurt cake with saffron and rosewater is simple and light, the perfect company for summer berries. While Roden’s recipe uses lemon zest and juice, we chose Zejd’s saffron and rosewater, to add a hint of the eastern Med.
We used less than an 1/8 of a teaspoon of Zejd’s saffron so that the flavour is not too obvious. Likewise, the rosewater is more like a waft of floral essence, just enough to suggest summer. Feel free to add more if you want! Without a lot of flour, the cake is mousse-like, the yoghurt giving a tangy taste which works well with the suggestion of saffron and rosewater – none of them compete for grandeur, instead they harmonise happily.
Fresh sharp berries are a delight with this. If you feel inclined, slice up the strawberries, add a sprinkling of sugar with a teaspoon of rosewater and leave for 30 minutes to macerate.
serves 6-8
a pinch of Zejd’s saffron (less than 1/8 of a teaspoon)
2 tsp rosewater (good quality Lebanese if you can)
4 large eggs, separated
100g caster sugar
3 tbsp plain flour
400g full-fat Greek-style yoghurt
serves 6-8
Serve warm or cold, with berries either fresh or macerated in a little sugar and rose water.
