Very piquant, but so very perfect. A stain that never shifted; a flavour that haunts me long after. These memories of ‘falsa’ berries I had in the summer months in Pakistan, and they are embedded in my heart and laced on my tongue to this day. A childhood anticipation of a humid Pakistani summer, finding these precious crimson berries on street corners, sprinkled with black salt, it was always a respite from unbearably hot days. Falsas were always a much awaited summer treat, and though here in Scotland, I find myself yearning for yet another berry, I can’t erase the distant hawker cries of the ‘falaswala’ who carried a large basket on his head, filled with these purple summer treats. Falsa berries grow in the Indian sub-continent and have a short season in the summer, and really just a few weeks of pure sweet sour ripeness.
In my mind not much could replace their comforting piquancy; that sharp acidic punch, that annoyingly satisfying crunch of its seed, but when I moved to Scotland, I found ‘falsa’ soul in the Scottish raspberry, picked fresh in the summer. No other flavour has come close, but the Scottish raspberry and it’s violet floral intensity and piercing tang took me to a place I knew well, but treaded with unfamiliar caution. Their short life, seasonal dependency was so much like the falsa.
I am now anxiously awaiting the height of Scottish summer raspberries, and this cake recipe celebrates my memory of falsas and the discovery of the jewel in the crown of Scottish summer berries.
Raspberry, Pistachio and Pomegranate Sour Cream Cake
The addition of pomegranate gives the raspberry a little more tartness, resembling the flavour of falsas.
Ingredients
113 g / 1/2 cup softened butter
160 g / 1 1/4 cups golden caster sugar
2 medium eggs
225 g / 2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
250 ml / 1 cup / 1/2 pint sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons rose water
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
110 g / 1/2 cup chopped pistachio
200 g pomegranate and raspberries, crushed together to make a pulp
10 - 12 raspberries
Method
1 Begin by preheating oven to 175 degrees C
2 In a big stainless steel or copper bowl, cream the softened butter with the caster sugar, with an electric mixer. Add the eggs and beat until smooth
3 In another bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add this slowly to the butter mixture until it all combines well. Now using a spatula, fold in the sour cream, cardamom and rose water
4 Pour half of the batter into a 9-inch Bundt or ring pan that has been coated with oil. Swirl in half of the berry pulp, and half of the raspberries and then cover with the remaining batter. Swirl another tablespoon of the berry pulp on top
5 Place in the middle shelf of the preheated oven and bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 15 – 20 minutes, then turn out onto a serving plate. Serve at room temperature with the remaining berry pulp, raspberries and cream if desired
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