Love is in the air this month and in honour of the worlds most romantic day, Vintage Bakehouse would like to share an interesting background to a delicious cake, rich in both taste and history.
The 'Love Cake' can be found as a delicacy in countries such as Sri Lanka and Persia, with strong links to Portugal. According to many sources, the Love Cake dates back to the 16th Century at a time when the spice trade was prevalent and Portugal ruled Sri Lanka.
There are various stories behind this cake. Some suggest the Love Cake was a gift given to Portuguese sailors before setting sail for months at sea to explore and trade in the East Indian regions of Goa, East Timor and Sri Lanka. Many of the ingredients used preserved the Love Cake, allowing it to taste fresh throughout their journey. Another version of this tale is that Portuguese women would bake this cake, adding secret ingredients such as rose water, cinnamon and cardamom to the mixture. They would then feed the cake to those they desired, making them fall deeply in love with them.
Originally created in Portugal, The Love Cake's ingredients have altered over time to not only reflect Portugal's dominance in the spice trade activity, but also the influence of many cultures upon the Portuguese people and their cuisine. Exotic cashew nuts and cardamom grow on the island of Sri Lanka, whilst rose water, cinnamon, honey and nutmeg can be traced back to the influence of the Moors on Spain and Portugal in the middle ages.
For centuries, many of these spices have been used as aphrodisiacs. Known as the 'Queen of Spices', ancient cardamom offers sweet/spicy aromas with warm and pungent flavours, connecting historically to Egypt's ancient Pharaoh's. Legend has it that Cleopatra used cardamom incense to scent her palace before a visit from her Roman lover Mark Anthony. Nutmeg and cinnamon have also been used in some cultures to boost sexual appetite, whilst vanilla has been known to enhance sexual sensation. This leaves the sweetness of honey to cater exclusively to the ladies, by helping to fuel female desire.
What could be more romantic than giving the gift of this enchanting Love Cake to that special person this Valentine's Day?
Try the recipe below for something a little different this year
Ingredients:
250g semolina (coarse)
150g unsalted butter (room temperature)
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp ground cardamom seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
200g unsalted cashews finely chopped
2 tablespoons rose water
2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 medium eggs
350g caster sugar
3 tablespoons honey
Icing sugar to dust
For extra richness add the following:
50g glace cherries
25g mixed peel
25g crystallized ginger
Method:
Preheat oven to 150 degrees/ 300 F and line a 25 x 30 cm (10 x 12 in) cake tin with baking paper
Dice unsalted butter and leave in a warm place to soften
Once soft, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy
add in the eggs one at a time and beat well
Add honey, rose water, vanilla, almond extract, zest, nutmeg, cardamom and cinnamon. Use a spatula to gently fold through the mixture
If opting for the extra ingredients, fold them through (cherries, mixed peel, crystallized ginger) along with the chopped cashew nuts and semolina. Take care not to over mix
Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for one hour or until pale and golden on top.
Allow the cake to cool in the tin for about 20 minutes
Turn out of the tin, and when completely cool dust with icing sugar. Try as an after dinner dessert, served with an authentic beverage such as Turkish coffee or spiced Indian tea.
Image sourced from:
http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/21600/sri+lankan+love+cake
Recipe sourced from:
http://www.stylist.co.uk/life/recipes/sri-lankan-love-cake-recipe#image-rotator-1
Blog content sourced from:
http://www.mypersianfeast.com/
http://mimithorisson.com/2012/05/13/persian-love-cake/
http://thespicery.com/pages/recipe_kits/sweet_spice/lovecake.html
http://www.travelerslunchbox.com/journal/2011/2/15/celebrating-love-cake.html
http://seattletimes.com/pacificnw/1210/taste.html
http://www.cakefactory.lk/lovecake.php
http://kimberlysnyder.net/blog/2011/10/03/25-foods-that-are-natural-aphrodisiacs/
http://www.naturalmedicine.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7749:cardamom-a-royal-spice&catid=1132&Itemid=250
The 'Love Cake' can be found as a delicacy in countries such as Sri Lanka and Persia, with strong links to Portugal. According to many sources, the Love Cake dates back to the 16th Century at a time when the spice trade was prevalent and Portugal ruled Sri Lanka.
There are various stories behind this cake. Some suggest the Love Cake was a gift given to Portuguese sailors before setting sail for months at sea to explore and trade in the East Indian regions of Goa, East Timor and Sri Lanka. Many of the ingredients used preserved the Love Cake, allowing it to taste fresh throughout their journey. Another version of this tale is that Portuguese women would bake this cake, adding secret ingredients such as rose water, cinnamon and cardamom to the mixture. They would then feed the cake to those they desired, making them fall deeply in love with them.
Originally created in Portugal, The Love Cake's ingredients have altered over time to not only reflect Portugal's dominance in the spice trade activity, but also the influence of many cultures upon the Portuguese people and their cuisine. Exotic cashew nuts and cardamom grow on the island of Sri Lanka, whilst rose water, cinnamon, honey and nutmeg can be traced back to the influence of the Moors on Spain and Portugal in the middle ages.
For centuries, many of these spices have been used as aphrodisiacs. Known as the 'Queen of Spices', ancient cardamom offers sweet/spicy aromas with warm and pungent flavours, connecting historically to Egypt's ancient Pharaoh's. Legend has it that Cleopatra used cardamom incense to scent her palace before a visit from her Roman lover Mark Anthony. Nutmeg and cinnamon have also been used in some cultures to boost sexual appetite, whilst vanilla has been known to enhance sexual sensation. This leaves the sweetness of honey to cater exclusively to the ladies, by helping to fuel female desire.
What could be more romantic than giving the gift of this enchanting Love Cake to that special person this Valentine's Day?
Try the recipe below for something a little different this year
Ingredients:
250g semolina (coarse)
150g unsalted butter (room temperature)
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp ground cardamom seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
200g unsalted cashews finely chopped
2 tablespoons rose water
2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 medium eggs
350g caster sugar
3 tablespoons honey
Icing sugar to dust
For extra richness add the following:
50g glace cherries
25g mixed peel
25g crystallized ginger
Method:
Preheat oven to 150 degrees/ 300 F and line a 25 x 30 cm (10 x 12 in) cake tin with baking paper
Dice unsalted butter and leave in a warm place to soften
Once soft, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy
add in the eggs one at a time and beat well
Add honey, rose water, vanilla, almond extract, zest, nutmeg, cardamom and cinnamon. Use a spatula to gently fold through the mixture
If opting for the extra ingredients, fold them through (cherries, mixed peel, crystallized ginger) along with the chopped cashew nuts and semolina. Take care not to over mix
Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for one hour or until pale and golden on top.
Allow the cake to cool in the tin for about 20 minutes
Turn out of the tin, and when completely cool dust with icing sugar. Try as an after dinner dessert, served with an authentic beverage such as Turkish coffee or spiced Indian tea.
Image sourced from:
http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/21600/sri+lankan+love+cake
Recipe sourced from:
http://www.stylist.co.uk/life/recipes/sri-lankan-love-cake-recipe#image-rotator-1
Blog content sourced from:
http://www.mypersianfeast.com/
http://mimithorisson.com/2012/05/13/persian-love-cake/
http://thespicery.com/pages/recipe_kits/sweet_spice/lovecake.html
http://www.travelerslunchbox.com/journal/2011/2/15/celebrating-love-cake.html
http://seattletimes.com/pacificnw/1210/taste.html
http://www.cakefactory.lk/lovecake.php
http://kimberlysnyder.net/blog/2011/10/03/25-foods-that-are-natural-aphrodisiacs/
http://www.naturalmedicine.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7749:cardamom-a-royal-spice&catid=1132&Itemid=250