Blueberry Cake

This mouth-watering cake is made like a sponge cake, but the addition of yeast as a leavener gives it a more solid texture. The spices in the glaze give it a hint of the Ottoman empire. Substitute about 2 pounds (1 kilogram) chopped blue plums for the blueberries during plum season.

Ingredients

Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 large eggs
• 11/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated orange rind
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2 cups wild blueberries

Spiced glaze:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 star anise
• 2-inch piece cinnamon stick
• 4 cardamom pods, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
• Pinch salt

Method

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine flour, yeast, cardamom and salt in a bowl and stir with a fork. Set aside.

Beat eggs in a large bowl using an electric mixer and slowly beat in sugar.

Add orange rind and continue to beat on high speed until mixture triples in volume and is pale coloured (about 4 to 5 minutes).

Gently fold half of dry ingredients into wet until incorporated. Add melted butter and fold to combine. Fold in remaining dry ingredients and blueberries. Scrape batter into a greased bundt pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pan and turn out onto a rack.

Combine water, sugar, honey, star anise, cinnamon stick, cardamom, black peppercorns and salt in a small pot. Bring to boil over medium-high heat.

Boil for 5 minutes or until syrupy. Use a skewer to poke holes in cake and brush with spiced glaze while both cake and syrup are still warm. Serves 8.