“In 2014 I lost my mum, and I came up with this recipe in her memory. The subtle hint of rose water reminds me of her gentle nature, the orange zest of her sense of humour, and cardamom represents her warmth.”
Maryam Shams’ bakhlava traybake
Makes 24
self-raising flour 150g
ground almonds 110g
baking powder 2 tsp
ground cardamom 1 tsp
caster sugar 225g
eggs 3 large
natural yogurt 250g
sunflower oil 120ml
orange zest 1 tbsp
For the syrup
caster sugar 60g
orange juice 60ml
rose water 1 tbsp
To decorate
ground pistachios 1 tbsp
rose petals 1 tbsp
Pre-heat the oven to 170C/gas mark 3. Grease and line a swiss roll tray. Sift the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and ground cardamom into a large mixing bowl and stir in the sugar.
In another bowl, beat the eggs lightly. Add the yogurt, oil and orange zest to the eggs, then add the mixture to the dry ingredients. Pour the batter into the lined tray and bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden.
Put the sugar, orange juice and rose water in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce a little, then brush it over the cake and let it cool down. Cut the cake into 24 squares, and sprinkle with the pistachio and rose petals.
