Ingredients:
For the sponge
- self-raising flour 250g
- fine sea salt ½ tsp
- cardamom powder 1 tsp, finely crush seeds from 10-12 pods
- pistachios 75g, finely chopped
- cashew nuts 75g, finely chopped
- butter 250g
- golden caster sugar 250g
- eggs 5 large
- soured cream 75g
- vanilla extract ½ tsp
For the filling
- mangoes 2-3 ripe
- double cream 250ml
- icing sugar 50g, sifted
- cardamom powder ¼ tsp, or finely crush seeds from 4-6 pods
- saffron strands 12-15, soaked in 2 tsp of lukewarm milk
To decorate (optional)
- edible flower petals a few
- icing sugar a dusting
- pistachios 10-12, chopped, to sprinkle
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 160C fan/gas mark 4. Grease two 20cm sandwich tins with butter and dust with flour. Line the base with baking parchment paper.
In a large bowl, sift the self-raising flour, salt and cardamom powder. Add the chopped pistachio and cashew nuts to the flour and keep aside.
In a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, or using an electric hand beater, beat the butter and sugar until it is light and pale on medium speed. This can take 6-8 minutes. Then add in the eggs one by one, mixing after each addition.
Add the nuts, cardamom and self-raising flour mixture in two or three additions and fold through. Mix in the soured cream and vanilla and fold again.
Divide the batter equally into the two prepared cake tins. Bake for 25-30 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven. The cakes are ready when they have risen and are light golden in colour. A skewer test should come out clean. Let the cakes cool in their tins for about 5 minutes, then remove them from the tins and place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
While the cakes are in the oven, peel and chop the mangoes into small cubes and keep aside. Discard the stone.
Whisk the double cream to soft peaks and gently fold in the sifted icing sugar. Add the cardamom powder and soaked saffron. Gently swirl together to get a rippled yellow-and-white cream.
To assemble, once the cakes have cooled, place one of the cakes on a plate or a cake stand. Spoon the prepared cream mixture on top. Add the chopped mangoes and then place the second cake on top. Press it gently. Dust with icing sugar and decorate with some edible flower petals and some chopped pistachios.
NOTE: The addition of soured cream makes a light and tender crumb. You can leave it out if you prefer. Regular mangoes can be used in the recipe but I highly recommend looking out for the Indian alphonso or kesar varieties in the summer, for a fragrant and sweet mango flavour. These are available in Indian grocers or online.