Mulberry & rose petal cake

Dutlu ve güllü kek

By: Sevtap Yüce
From: Turkish Meze
Serves: 8
Photographer: Alicia Taylor

Most of the mulberries I have seen in Turkey are white. The only place I’ve ever seen a red mulberry tree is at the sacred site of the tomb of Haci Bektasi Veli, in the town of Kirsehir. My family are of the Alevi faith, a religious minority with our own spiritual practices and culture, and Haci Bektasi Veli is one of our spiritual leaders with his beautiful poems and his philosophy. We love him and respect his wisdom.

So years later, when I came to Australia, I saw these beautiful red and purple juicy babies and fell in love with them. If you cannot find mulberries, you can substitute boysenberries. Haci Bektasi Veli may not be impressed, but he will understand — he is a most forgiving man!

This is my cake for him, and for you.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
150g	butter
345g	caster sugar
3	free-range eggs
125g	Yogurt
300g	self-raising flour
125ml	olive
15g	unsprayed red rose petals, or dried ones from a middle eastern grocery store
250g	mulberries

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Butter and flour a 27 cm springform cake tin.
In a food processor, blend the butter and sugar together for a few minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time. Briefly mix the yoghurt through, then the flour, then the olive oil, being careful not to overwork the gluten in the flour. Add the rose petals and pulse for a few seconds.
Spoon half the batter into the cake tin. Arrange the mulberries evenly on top of the batter. Spoon the remaining batter over the top.
Bake for 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool before removing from the tin.
This cake is delicious served warm or cold. It will keep for 2–3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.