Recipe: Turmeric Honey Cake with Pickled Strawberries

Yield:  9 servings

Prep time:  25 minutes

Cook time:  50 minutes

The perfect ending to any meal, this cake evokes the brilliance of the solstice sun’s warmth and glow with its yellow hue. Paired with tart pickled strawberries that provide a lively contrast to the cake’s sweetness and crowned with a dollop of silky whipped cream, this dessert offers a great balance of light, tangy and indulgent in every bite.

Ingredients

Pickled Strawberries

• 1 cup water
• ½ cup cider vinegar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split in half,  or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 8 whole black peppercorns
• 2 large sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 lb fresh strawberries

Turmeric Honey Cake

• 2 large eggs
• ¾ cup plain yogurt
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
• ⅔ cup liquid honey
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¾ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup natural sliced almonds
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• Whipped cream, for serving

Method

To make pickled strawberries, first stir together water, cider vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a hard  simmer and sugar has dissolved. Remove saucepan from heat and  immediately stir in vanilla bean, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns and thyme. Set aside while preparing strawberries.

Trim off tops of strawberries and cut each in half or quarters, depending  on size. Place in a large heat-proof  container before pouring warm pickling liquid over berries. Nestle cinnamon, vanilla, peppercorns and thyme among the berries, cover and let mixture come to room temperature before placing in the refrigerator for 4 to 8 hours.

To make cake, start by preheating oven to 325°F. Line an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, yogurt, olive oil, lemon zest and honey until thoroughly combined. Set aside.  In a small bowl, whisk together flour,  baking powder, baking soda, turmeric, salt and ground pepper. Add dry  ingredients to wet ingredients and, using a rubber spatula or spoon, gently fold ingredients together until just  combined, taking care not to overmix. A few clumps in the batter are fine.

Pour batter into prepared baking pan and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle top of cake with almonds and granulated sugar. Place in oven and bake until almond topping is nicely toasted and a wooden skewer inserted into centre of cake comes out clean (about 35 to 45 minutes). Let cake cook in baking pan on a wire rack for 20 more minutes before removing from pan and allowing to cool completely on a wire rack at room temperature.

To serve, slice cake into squares and divide among serving plates. Remove strawberries from pickling liquid using a slotted spoon and place over or around cake slices. Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired, and enjoy.