I’ve made this saffron cake every year for Christmas since 2016 (saffron buns are a must in Sweden this time of year!), but as a bundt cake. Last year I made it as a layer cake during a workshop, but I never cut into it or wrote down the full recipe! So this year, as I was shooting for Ovo Things and LinenMe, I got the idea to recreate it but in a different shape. As I already had my gingerbread ducks (I guess they’re actually geese) ready, I wanted to make a bigger cake for them. Here is the result, that I’m very pleased with, especially with the challenging lack of light these days. And if I may say so, the cake is absolutely delicious!
The same recipe as a 6-inch cake
SAFFRON LAYER CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Yields one layer cake, serves 10-12
Cake recipe adapted from here.
INGREDIENTS
SAFFRON CAKE
- 0,5 g (approximately 1/4 tsp) saffron
- 200 g (1 3/4 sticks) salted butter
- 150 ml (2/3 cup) full fat milk (approx. 3% fat)
- 240 g (1 2/3 cups) all purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 large eggs
- 270 g (1 1/4 cups) granulated sugar
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 150 g (1 1/3 stick) softened butter (I use salted but feel free to use unsalted)
- 200 g (1 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp) powdered sugar
- 225 g cream cheese, at room temperature
- Gingerbread cookies, for decorating
INSTRUCTIONS
SAFFRON CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and flour a 23 cm (9 inch) springform pan.
- Combine the butter and saffron in a saucepan and melt over medium heat. Stir in the milk and set aside.
- Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the butter mixture and stir until combined. Sift in the dry ingredients and stir until the batter is smooth.
- Pour batter into the prepared cake pan and bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 40-45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean (start checking around 35 minutes). Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
FROSTING & ASSEMBLY
- Beat the butter and powdered sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and beat until just smooth. Feel free to add a tiny bit of blue food coloring to offset the yellow tinge in the frosting.
- Cut the cake in half using a serrated knife so you have two cake layers. Place the first cake layer on a cake board or directly onto a plate or cake stand. Spread a layer of frosting on the first layer. Place the second layer on top.
- Spread a thin layer of frosting all over the cake to secure any crumbs. Place the cake in the fridge for a while to let the first layer set a little.
- Cover the cake with the remaining frosting and decorate with the gingerbread cookies.
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