Season’s Eatings: Miracle Parsley Cake

Recipe from Chef Anita Jaisinghani of Pondicheri via the Houston Chronicle

MIRACLE PARSLEY CAKE

Moringa is called a miracle tree in India due to its nutritional properties. This cake, which involves moringa powder, is as delicious as it is attractive. You could eat it for breakfast or an afternoon chai. It can also be toasted and served for dessert with whipped cream and blueberries. Oil-based cakes are so much more moist than butter based cakes, and this one keeps for about 3-4 days at room temperature, with its flavors only improving over time.

Ingredients

5½ ounces all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon finely ground cardamom

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

4 ounces sugar, plus more for sprinkling the pan

2 tablespoons dried parsley

1 tablespoon dried moringa powder

2 whole large eggs

5 ounces extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Zest from one orange

5½ ounces plain yogurt, preferably homemade

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and grease a small loaf pan. Sprinkle sugar over it and tap the excess off.

Combine all purpose flour, baking powder and soda, cardamom, salt, sugar and herbs and whisk them together and set them aside.

In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat eggs, olive oil and vanilla together until lemon colored, roughly 2-3 minutes. Add the orange zest.

Next add the dry ingredients alternating with plain yogurt until fully combined. Be careful not to over mix.

Pour batter into the greased loaf pan and place in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Makes 8 generous slices

Notes and variations

• When using dry herbs, don’t limit yourself to moringa or parsley — experiment with dried basil, mint or matcha. Just be sure the dried herbs are bright green in color.

• We used a 8-by-4-by-2½-inch loaf pan, but this cake can also be prepared in a more shallow baking pan.

• Replace the cardamom with cinnamon or nutmeg, just be cautious of the quantity so that it does not muddy the bright green color of the cake.

• The yogurt gives the cake a tangy flavor but can easily be replaced with milk, heavy cream or coconut milk for a milder flavor.

• Moringa is available fairly commonly, but a good locally harvested source is Finca Tres Robles Farm at the Saturday Urban Harvest farmers market, 2752 Buffalo Speedway.