Persian Cupcake Recipe
Cake Yazdi (Yazdi Cupcake – Persian Cupcake) is one of the delicious and traditional pastries of Iran. As its name suggests, the history of this cake dates back to the historical and picturesque city of Yazd. It is one of the oldest and most nostalgic flavors that Iranians have cherished over the years. The delightful taste of cake yazdi becomes even more enjoyable when paired with tea, so make sure to serve it with a hot cup of tea!
Factors That May Prevent Cake Yazdi from Rising
- Your measurements may not have been accurate.
- The mixing time of the ingredients may have been too short or too long.
- The oven temperature might not have been suitable.
- You may not have followed the correct order when adding the ingredients.
- Your butter or eggs may not have been at room temperature.
- Your baking powder may have expired or been insufficient.
- The amount of oil might have been excessive.
- The size of your cake mold may have been too large for the batter.
- The cake yazdi mold should not be greased. This is because, with high heat, the fat can seep into the cake’s texture and cause it to lose its rise. Always use non-stick molds for making cake yazdi.
- If you’ve used a mold before, make sure to wash it thoroughly and dry it completely to ensure there’s no leftover grease on it.
- Opening and closing the oven door while baking or opening it too early before the cake is fully cooked can prevent the center of your cake from rising.
- If the preparation time and baking time are too long, it can cause the edges of the cake to rise, but the center will not rise properly.
Persian Cupcake (Cake Yazdi)
Ingredients
300 grams white flour
3 eggs
200 grams sugar
150 grams thick yogurt
175 grams oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon baking powder
1.5 tablespoons cardamom powder
3 tablespoons rosewater
Sesame seeds : as needed for decoration
Directions
- To make the market-style cake yazdi, first, place the eggs and sugar in a suitable bowl. Then, using an electric mixer, beat the mixture for about 5 minutes until the texture becomes elastic and the color turns creamy
- Once the eggs and sugar are well mixed, add the vegetable oil to the bowl and stir gently until the oil is well combined with the other ingredients. Next, separately mix the baking soda with the yogurt.
- Now, add the yogurt and baking soda mixture to the ingredients in the bowl and mix for 1 minute using the mixer until it is well combined with the other ingredients. Then, add the cardamom powder, rosewater, and honey, and mix them for another minute.
- At this stage, preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F) to allow it to warm up properly. Then, combine the flour with the baking powder and sift them once. Afterward, pour the flour and baking powder mixture back into the sifter.
- Now, sift the flour and baking powder over the mixture in the bowl and gently fold the ingredients together with a spatula from one side until the cake batter is smooth and well combined. For easier handling, transfer the batter into a disposable piping bag.
- Place the cake yazdi cupcake liners into a muffin tin. Then, fill the cupcake liners with the batter. Note that since cake yazdi rises quite a bit, only fill the liners halfway. Use the back of a spoon to make a slight indentation in the center of the batter and sprinkle a little sesame seeds inside.
- Place the tray in the preheated oven at 200°C (392°F) for 10 minutes to allow the cakes to rise completely. Once the cakes have risen, reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (356°F) and let them bake for an additional 10 minutes until they are golden and fully cooked. After baking, remove the cake yazdi from the oven and let them cool. Once cooled, arrange them on a serving dish and enjoy with your loved ones over a cup of afternoon tea.
Important Tips For Baking Cake Yazdi(Yazdi Cupcake)
- When baking, the temperature is increased once and then lowered the next time to ensure the cakes have a perfect texture and cracks, just like the market-style ones.
- Make sure to use thick yogurt.
- If the batter remains in the bowl while the first batch is baking, it may dry out and spoil. Be sure to cover the remaining batter with plastic wrap until you remove the first batch from the oven, so the texture of the rest of the batter stays intact.
- Before using the eggs, take them out of the refrigerator 30 minutes beforehand to allow them to reach room temperature.
- This tip also applies to the vegetable oil; if the oil was in the refrigerator, let it sit out beforehand to adjust to room temperature.
- Vegetable oil helps make the cake yazdi softer.
- Be sure to use yogurt, as it gives the pastry a light and airy texture.
