Vanilla Pomegranate Cake Recipes

VANILLA & POMEGRANATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric whisk until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, then add the lemon zest and juice and vanilla extract. Fold in the flours with a metal spoon until well mixed. Transfer to the cake tin, smooth the top, then bake for 50 mins until risen and golden.
• To make the syrup, mix the lemon juice with the pomegranate juice, caster sugar and vanilla, then heat gently until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and reduce slightly until syrupy. Remove from the heat and cool slightly, then tip in the pomegranate seeds.
• Remove the cake from the oven. Allow to cool for a few minutes before poking holes all over it with a skewer and pouring over the pomegranate syrup. Enjoy warm or cool completely in the tin.

IRAQI VANILLA CAKE WITH POMEGRANATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180°C Grease and flour a large loaf pan.
• Beat egg yolks until thick & creamy. Gradually add vanilla and powdered sugar. Add dry ingredients and butter, beating with an electric mixer for 3 minutes on high speed, scrape down sides of bowl once or twice to ensure thorough mixing.
• Whip egg whites until stiff and fold them lightly into batter. Spread mixture into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes: until it tests done (by a toothpick coming out clean when poked into it.).
• Combine sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Whisk in sweet pomegranate juice. Bring to a boil, whisking continuously. Boil for about 2 minutes, until smooth thick and glossy. Remove from heat and stir in rosewater. Chill.
• To serve: brush a plate with pomegranate sauce and arrange 2 or 3 overlapping thin slices of cake over the sauce.

SPICED POMEGRANATE-PEAR CAKE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine juice, brown sugar and ginger. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved; remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Place pears in a bowl or shallow dish; pour juice mixture over pears and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours., Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°. Line bottoms of 3 greased 8-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease paper. In a small bowl, combine milk and vinegar; let stand 5 minutes until curdled. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk mixture, beating well after each addition. , Transfer to prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 18-20 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely., Drain pears, reserving marinade; pat dry. For frosting, in a large bowl, beat butter, 2 tablespoons reserved marinade, vanilla and, if desired, food coloring until blended. Beat in confectioners' sugar alternately with enough milk to reach spreading consistency., To assemble cake, using a long serrated knife, cut each cake in half horizontally. Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; brush with 1/4 cup reserved marinade. Top with 2/3 cup pears. Top with another cake layer; spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Repeat layers, ending with remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake with 2 cups frosting. Pipe remaining frosting around top and bottom edges. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over top of cake. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.