One year, back when I lived in California, the Whole Foods Market where I shopped had pomegranate trees for sale out front. As an aspiring gardener in a new home, I bought one. I planted it, watered it, and it died. At least, I thought it died. It disappeared for 5-6 years. Although I forgot about my pomegranate tree, I did become a better gardener. I learned how to build healthy soil with things like compost and cover crops. Things that I planted were starting to grow.
Suddenly, my forgotten pomegranate tree popped out of the ground and began to grow! It grew fast and tall. That year I harvested over 100 pomegranates. Many were left on the tree because I could not reach them, and so became a treat for the birds.
My challenge was what to do with so many pomegranates. I gave them away, juiced them, added arils (the things we call seeds but really are not) to everything, made jelly and grenadine. Then my Persian friend friend introduced me to pomegranate molasses, an ingredient in both sweet and savory Middle Eastern dishes. This was my ticket to using up my pomegranates. The juice is cooked down to a thick, molasses-like consistency. I don’t remember how many juiced pomegranates it takes to make one cup of pomegranate molasses, but it is a lot - I used them up!
I moved to Park City about five years after the tree reappeared. Sadly, pomegranate trees do not grow in a cold climate, but, luckily, pomegranate molasses is readily available in most grocery stores, and it is a staple in any Middle Eastern market. I really love this simple cake!
Pomegranate Passion Cake
Serves 10
FOR THE CAKE:
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons/200g unsalted butter
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons/170g granulated sugar (minus 1 tbsp if you are in Park City)
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup/100g all-purpose flour (plus 1 tbsp if you are in Park City)
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (1 1/4 tsp if you are in Park City)
2 3/4 cups/270g blanched almond flour
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon orange juice
2 tablespoons unsweetened pomegranate molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
FOR THE GLAZE:
3 tablespoons/45 ml unsweetened pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
FOR THE TOPPING
about 1 cup pomegranate arils (seeds)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup/226 g mascarpone
3 tablespoons/55g Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter an 8 in. or 9 in. cake pan and line the bottom (and sides if you want to be extra sure it does not stick) with parchment paper.
Make the cake:
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer.
Beat in the eggs gradually, beating well between the addition of each egg.
Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and almond flour in a medium to large bowl.
Then fold in the dry mixture with a large spoon. Fold in the lemon zest and juice, orange juice, pomegranate molasses and vanilla.
Spoon into the prepared pan. Bake for 45–50 minutes, or until firm and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Make the glaze:
When the cake is almost ready, make the glaze. Put the pomegranate molasses and sugar in a saucepan with 3 tablespoons water, place over medium heat and stir to help the sugar dissolve. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, use a fork to pierce holes in it, then brush the syrup over - kind of like a poke cake. Let cool in the pan, remove the cake from the pan and set it syrup-side up.
Make the topping:
Place the pomegranate seeds in a bowl with the granulated sugar and let macerate for at least 30 minutes. Mix the mascarpone with the yogurt and confectioners’ sugar and spread it thickly over the cake. Finish with the pomegranate seeds and their juices.
