Turkish delight friendship cake

Name: Turkish delight friendship cake
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 175g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing; 175g caster sugar; 3 large eggs, beaten, at room temperature; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 3 tablespoons whole milk; 175g self-raising flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 75g pistachios, roughly chopped; 1 teaspoon rose water; 10g honey; 100g salted butter, softened; 200g icing sugar; pink gel food colouring, (optional); 25g pistachios, roughly chopped; 1 tsp vanilla extract

6 steps

Cook:40min

I made this for a very new friend who is a welcome tonic in my life. When pregnant she was addicted to all things flowery so I made her lavender shortbread and dainty violet creams. She even named her daughter Poppy. I am very lucky to be her godmother. This cake is light, easy to make and, best of all, reminiscent of proper Turkish delight without the intense, concentrated sugar high. If the pistachios are threatening to blow the budget, leave them out. You can always use walnuts instead.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 06:03:45 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Unbalanced

Glycemic Index

Moderate

Glycemic Load

High

Nutrition per serving

Calories408.8 kcal (20%)

Total Fat23.8 g (34%)

Carbs45.5 g (17%)

Sugars32.5 g (36%)

Protein5 g (10%)

Sodium289.7 mg (14%)

Fiber1.3 g (5%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

12 servings

For the Cake

175gbutter

softened, plus extra for greasing

175gcaster sugar

3eggs

large, beaten, at room temperature

1 teaspoonvanilla extract

3 tablespoonswhole milk

175gself-raising flour

1 teaspoonbaking powder

75gpistachios

roughly chopped

For the Buttercream

1 teaspoonrose water

10ghoney

100gsalted butter

softened

200gicing sugar

pink gel food colouring

optional

25gpistachios

roughly chopped

1 tspvanilla extract

Instructions

Step 1

Grease and line a 22 x 18 cm tin with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 170°C and place the shelf in the centre.

Step 2

To make the cake, cream the butter with the sugar until really light and creamy – this takes about 4 minutes in a stand mixer, 5 minutes with a handheld mixer or 10 minutes with a wooden spoon.

butter175g

caster sugar175g

Step 3

Add the eggs gradually, dribble by dribble, mixing after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and milk. If the mixture curdles or looks grainy, add a tablespoon of flour to rebind the mixture.

eggs3

vanilla extract1 teaspoon

whole milk3 tablespoons

Step 4

Sift the flour and baking powder and then, in thirds, fold it into the butter mixture using a large metal spoon in a cutting motion. Gently fold in the pistachios.

self-raising flour175g

baking powder1 teaspoon

pistachios75g

Step 5

Pour the batter into your tin and bake for 35–40 minutes, or until golden on top and a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool on a wire rack and remove from the tin as soon as it is cool enough to handle.

Step 6

Make the buttercream. Beat the rose water, vanilla, honey and butter in a bowl until soft and creamy, using an electric mixer or a wooden spoon. Add a tablespoon of icing sugar at a time and beat after each addition until soft and fluffy. Add a dab of colouring if you are using it. Spread the buttercream over the cake and top with pistachios. Serve to friends, new and old.