RECIPE

Ingredients for macerated pomegranates:

75g fresh pomegranate seeds

15g sugar

15ml balsamic vinegar

Method:

1. Combine pomegranate seeds with sugar and balsamic vinegar in a glass bowl. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Cover bowl with cling wrap and leave to macerate in the fridge for about 2 hours.

Ingredients for the cake:

125g unsalted butter, room temperature

200g caster sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

150g plain flour

2.38g baking powder

1.2g salt

2.4g cinnamon powder

80ml sour cream, stirred lightly with a spoon to make it less lumpy

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160 deg C. Butter and line with parchment a 20cm round cake pan.

2. Sift plain flour with baking powder, salt and cinnamon into a medium bowl.

3. With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl from time to time.

4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated each time.

5. Gently fold the sifted flour and sour cream into the egg mixture until just incorporated. Do not over mix. Pour into prepared cake pan and smoothen the top with a spatula. Tap cake pan once on counter to release trapped air bubbles before placing into oven.

6. Bake for about 45 minutes or until skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

7. Leave the cake in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. Turn cake onto another cooling rack for it to cool right side up. Completely cool cake for at least an hour before frosting.

Ingredients for frosting:

240ml cold heavy cream or whipping cream

2ml vanilla essence

14g caster sugar

Method:

1. Chill a metal bowl and the metal beaters or wire whisk in the freezer for about 15 minutes.

2. Place cold cream into the chilled metal bowl. Add vanilla essence and sugar. Beat with the cold wire beaters on low for about 30 seconds and go up to medium high speed. Beat until soft peaks. Do not over beat.

3. Keep cream in the fridge covered in cling wrap until ready to use.

Assembly:

Frost the top of cooled cake with whipped cream. Drizzle with the macerated pomegranates.

Makes one 20cm round cake