As a professional recipe developer and food stylist I face a major obstacle once a year. It always occurs at the same time, on the same day every single time… my husband’s birthday cake. You may be thinking to yourself, ‘wait this should not be a problem at all for you’. But being married to a person like me comes with some issues. The key issue being that you get spoiled. Oh yeah, my lovely husband no longer wants a regular old birthday cake. No, he wants a fancy pants, knock-my-socks-off one of a kind masterpiece every year. So that means I end up scouring the aisles of the market every July, on a quest for ingredients that can top last birthday’s work of art. It can be quite distressing!
Luckily my (obviously first-world) problem was easily solved with a favorite in my household. With a nod and a wink at the fabulosity that is Indian flavors, I created a mango, almond, coconut, sweet curry cake to rival all previous birthday treats. The goal was to wow my discerning husband’s palette so much that he would simply request the same spongy goodness year after year, thus solving my creativity dilemma. Well my friends, mission accomplished! With a one-two-punch, this hit the birthday boy in the mouth so hard he’s not likely to recover anytime soon. I present to you, the Sweet Curry Cake…
[yumprint-recipe id=’181′]
Let’s get started, shall we?! First preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9 inch round pan with butter and then add 2 tablespoons of sugar inside, coating the inner surface. Then, in a large mixing bowl, combine the 1 1/2 cups of gluten-free flour, 1/2 cup of almond meal, 1 teaspoon of sweet curry, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Mix thoroughly.
In a separate stand mixer, combine 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1/2 cup of softened sweet cream butter. Mix until creamy.
Then add 1 cup of Greek yogurt, 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon of coconut shreds, and 1 teaspoon of almond extract. Mix thoroughly.
Pour the wet mixture into the large mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Combine using a spatula until fully mixed and has a thick dough consistency.
Pour the batter into the cake pan and spread evenly. Decorate the top of the cake by lightly pushing in mango and almond slices into the top.
Place in the oven and cook for approximately 55 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool, and enjoy!
As a little side note, I would like to say that my lovely husband is actually one of the easiest-going and supportive people to have ever existed. He happily eats even my most atrocious creations in the name of pure adoration and never utters a negative word. Thank you, my Love, for letting me write this article at your expense and always being the most willing taste-tester around… despite your refined palette. Happy birthday, Handsome!
