Weekends are for baking. This saffron-and-lemon layer cake from Sheil Shukla’s newest cookbook Kari: Reimagined Plant-Based Indian Recipes, is built on olive oil and almond flour, finished with a not-too-sweet vegan buttercream and fresh fruit.
This is my all-time favorite homemade cake recipe. I use olive oil and almond flour to give it a tender and moist crumb. After tasting this cake (and several flavor variations of it), my family has unanimously agreed that I will be the designated cake-baker for all birthdays in the family. The lemon offers a wonderful brightness that complements the floral notes and rich color of saffron. I’ve used two 8-inch (20 cm) round pans here, which allows me to make a simple layer cake with ease. I top this cake with a not-too-sweet vegan buttercream and fresh fruit. As with the cookie cake recipe on page 196, use this recipe as a starting point and feel free to play around with the flavors (see Note 1).
Lemon Saffron Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 275 grams 1¼ cups cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest from about 2 lemons
- ½ teaspoon saffron
- 280 grams 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 50 grams ½ cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Salt
- 360 ml 1½ cups unsweetened plain soy milk
- 120 ml ½ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice from about 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1 tablespoon rose water
Buttercream
- 150 grams 1¼ cups sifted powdered sugar
- 113 grams ½ cup salted vegan butter, softened
- ½ teaspoon rose water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Serving
- Fresh fruit such as diced mango or whole berries
- Edible flowers optional
- Edible gold leaf optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two 8-inch (20 cm) round baking pans with parchment paper.
- Place the cane sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl and rub them between your fingers to combine until evenly distributed and very lemony in fragrance, about 1 minute. Crush the saffron between your fingers and add it to the sugar mixture. Then, sift in the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt, and whisk to combine.
- Whisk together the soy milk, oil, lemon juice, vanilla, and rose water in a medium bowl.
- Slowly add the liquid to the dry mixture and combine with a spatula to form a batter. It’s okay if some small lumps remain; it is more important not to overmix the batter.
- Distribute the batter between the two lined baking pans. Use a spatula to spread it out evenly.
- Bake for 20 minutes, rotate the pans, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean or with dry crumbs.
- Allow the cakes to cool for about 5 minutes and then invert onto a wire rack. Let cool completely, about 1 hour.
- Once the cakes are nearly cooled, prepare the buttercream: Whisk together the powdered sugar, vegan butter, rose water, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- To assemble the cake, spread about half of the buttercream on top of one cake and top with the second cake. Top with the remaining buttercream and the fruit, and decorate with edible flowers and gold leaf, if using.
- The cake will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Remove from the refrigerator 1 to 2 hours before serving; the taste and texture are best at room temperature.
Notes
-
- Make a simple vanilla cake (no add-ins; be sure to use the best-quality vanilla you can find)
- Add sprinkles into the batter
- Add 2 tablespoons cocoa powder or matcha powder in with the flour
- Mix black and/or white sesame seeds into the batter
- Keep the lemon zest or replace with orange zest and add poppy seeds.
- If you need enough buttercream to coat the sides of the cake and to decorate the top with a piping bag, simply double the recipe.
Excerpted from Kari: Reimagined Plant-Based Indian Recipes by Sheil Shukla, 2026, Penguin Random House. Repirinted with permission.
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