Cardamom, rose, orange and marzipan cake

200 g butter, room temperature
200 g golden caster sugar
vanilla powder or seeds from 1/3 vanilla pod
10 cardamom pods, seeds crushed
rose water (amount depends on how strong it is)
pinch of sea salt
4 medium eggs, room temperature
250 g all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
125 g full-fat yogurt
80 g marzipan, cut into pieces
80 g candied orange peel, cut into pieces

top:
10 g butter to add on top

syrup:
130 g water
60 g golden caster sugar
rose water (amount depends on how strong it is)
pinch of sea salt


Preheat the oven 175° C hot. Line a pan (about 20/22 x 12 cm) with baking paper.

Place butter, sugar, vanilla, cardamom, and salt in a bowl. Beat with a hand whisk or in a stand mixer for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is creamy. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with a fork to make a smooth mixture. Once the butter mixture is ready, slowly add about 1/4 of the eggs and beat until fully incorporated. Only when that is well mixed, add the next portion of eggs. If the mixture starts to split or get grainy, add a tablespoon of flour (from the measured amount) and whisk it in. Continue adding the eggs in this manner until the batter is smooth. The warmer the eggs, the less likely the mixture will split.

Turn off the mixer and add the flour (which has already been mixed with baking powder and baking soda), followed by the yogurt. Mix gently until just combined. Do not overmix. Add the marzipan and orange and mix again, just until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Using the back of a fork, make a long line down the center of the batter, from one side to the other. Add small 5 mm strips of butter along this line.

Place the pan in the oven, one rack below the middle, and bake for about 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, combine all the syrup ingredients in a pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat, allowing the sugar to dissolve. Once dissolved, increase the heat to almost the highest setting and simmer until the syrup is reduced by about one-third. Remove from heat and let it cool.

Once the cake is ready, remove it from the oven and, after 5 minutes, pour the syrup over the cake, one tablespoon at a time. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes in the pan. Then, gently lift the cake out using the baking paper and place it on a cooling rack to cool completely.

Serve the cake warm or cold, either just as it is or with a dollop of crème fraîche. The cake is best on the day it’s baked, when the outside is crisp and the inside is moist. However, if you can’t finish it on the same day, wrapping it in cling film will help keep it moist.