Pomegranate Cake
Upon returning home from conquering Urartu in 714 BC, King Sargon held
a feast to celebrate his victory. Assyrian kings were famous for throwing
enormous banquets, as Sargon himself noted:
"I made the rulers of the four regions of the world sit together in my
palace, with the governors of my country, the princes, the eunuchs, and
the elders of Assyria, and I held a feast.”
An administrative text from the palace of Kalhu, still Assyria’s capital
before Sargon moved it to Dur-Sharrukin, reveals that Assyrian bakers
made cakes with pomegranates.
Assyrians loved pomegranates. They depicted the fruit on reliefs, crafted it
into motifs, and even brewed beer from it. A pomegranate cake must have
been the ultimate victory cake for the ancient Assyrians, who, just like us,
celebrated special occasions with cakes.
PS: If you make this cake, I’d love to know about it. Send me an email at
[email protected] and include a photo if you can 😊
Naptunu qarrub!
Arim
Origin: Dur-Sharrukin 706 BC
Prep time: 1 hours 10 minutes
Rise time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Serves: 12
Ingredients
Cake Base
3 cups (430 g) all-purpose flour
2¼ teaspoons instant yeast
12 tablespoons (170 g) salted butter
1½ cups (355 ml) whole milk
¼ cup (80 g) honey
Pinch of table salt
Pomegranate Syrup
½ cup (120 ml) pomegranate juice
3 tablespoons (60 g) honey
Filling
1¾ cups (415 ml) heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons (40 g) honey
1½ cups (210 g) pomegranate seeds
Instructions
1. In a medium bowl, mix the flour and yeast.
2. Melt the butter in a small pot over low heat. Add the milk and honey to the pot
and heat the mixture until it is warm to the touch, about 99°F (37°C). Pour the
butter mixture into a large bowl.
3. Add three-quarters of the flour mixture and combine with a hand mixer.
4. Add the salt and the rest of the flour and continue mixing until there are no
traces left of the flour.
5. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or
until it has doubled in size.
6. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
7. Line a 9-inch (22 cm) springform pan with a depth of 3 inches (7½ cm) and a
removable bottom with parchment paper.
8. Transfer the batter to the pan, cover it with a kitchen towel, and let it rise for
another 20 minutes.
9. Bake in the middle of the oven for 30–35 minutes, or until golden brown and a
toothpick comes out clean.
10.Allow the cake to cool completely before carefully removing it from the pan and
leveling it into three layers. To level the cake, place it on a stable surface and
visually divide the cake horizontally into thirds, or for added precision, mark your
cutting lines with toothpicks around the cake’s circumference before slicing.
Gently slice horizontally to cut it into three even layers, moving carefully to
maintain uniform thickness.
11. For the syrup, combine the pomegranate juice and honey in a small pot and bring
the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow
the juice to simmer for about 10 minutes, or until it thickens slightly. Allow the
syrup to cool completely.
12. Whip the cream to stiff peaks with a hand mixer, then gently fold in the honey
using a rubber spatula.
13. Place the first layer of cake on a cake board and spread one-third of the whipped
cream filling over it in an even layer.
14. Repeat with the second and third layers of cake.
15. Finish by topping the top layer of cake generously with pomegranate seeds.
16. Drizzle the cooled pomegranate syrup over the cake before serving it.
