Skip to content
Search
Cuisine Noir Magazine
Support Our Work - Donate
Support Our Work - Donate
  • Food & Drink
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Recipes
  • Book Grub
  • Events
  • Marketplace
  • Print
  • Podcast
  • More
    • The Culinary Scoop (blog)
    • Black Wineries
    • Videos
    • CN Review
    • Donate
Cuisine Noir Magazine
  • Food & Drink
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Recipes
  • Book Grub
  • CN Review
  • Marketplace
  • Print
  • The Culinary Scoop (blog)
  • Events
  • Black Wineries
  • Videos
Support Our Work - Donate
Support Our Work - Donate
Search
Cuisine Noir Magazine
Support Our Work - Donate
Support Our Work - Donate
  • Food & Drink
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Recipes
  • Book Grub
  • Events
  • Marketplace
  • Print
  • Podcast
  • More
    • The Culinary Scoop (blog)
    • Black Wineries
    • Videos
    • CN Review
    • Donate
Cuisine Noir Magazine
  • Food & Drink
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Recipes
  • Book Grub
  • CN Review
  • Marketplace
  • Print
  • The Culinary Scoop (blog)
  • Events
  • Black Wineries
  • Videos
Support Our Work - Donate
Support Our Work - Donate

Cardamom Cake with Mulled Wine Jam

One of the best things about the Christmas season is the ability to mull pretty much everything in sight. I’ve worked my way through a mulled wine plum crumble, mulled chocolate truffles and mulled fruit compotes, just to name a few. This cake is no exception with the sweet cardamom acting as a canvas for the boozy mulled wine jam. Packed with plums, black grapes, orange and plenty of spice, this is my go-to alternative Christmas cake.

Reprinted with permission from “The New Way to Cake” by Benjamina Ebuehi, Page Street Publishing Co. 2019 (Photo credit: Holly Wulff Peterse). Available on Amazon.

Yield: 1 round 8-inch (20-cm) layer cake

INGREDIENTS

For the Cake

1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
10 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
2 teaspoons (10 g) vanilla bean paste
2 1/4 cups (275 g) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon (15 g) baking powder
1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter
1 cup plus 2 tbsp (225 g) superfine/caster sugar
3 eggs

For the Jam

1 cup (240 ml) red wine
2 1/2 cups (400 g) pitted and quartered plums
2 cups (200 g) black seedless grapes, plus extra to decorate
2 cinnamon sticks
1 star anise pod
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 1/4 cups (450 g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice
Half an orange, thickly sliced

For the Topping

1 cup (250 g) mascarpone
1 1/4 cups (150 g) confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup (80 ml) heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

PREPARATION
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease two round 8-inch (20-cm) cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
  2. To make the cake, gently heat the milk in a saucepan with the cardamom pods and vanilla, letting it simmer for 2 minutes before removing from the heat. Cover, and let it cool for 15 minutes before straining out the pods. Sift together the flour and baking powder in a large bowl and set aside.
  3. Using a stand mixer or electric whisk, beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in half of the flour, beating briefly until combined, followed by the milk and remaining flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool for 15 minutes in the pans before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  4. To make the jam, add the wine, plums, grapes, cinnamon sticks, star anise and nutmeg to a large saucepan. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes to soften the plums. Add the sugar, lemon juice and orange and boil for 12 to 20 minutes, or until it coats the back of a spoon. Remove the cinnamon sticks, star anise and orange slices and pour into a shallow tray to cool quickly. I like my jam quite chunky, but you can run yours through a food processor if you’d like.
  5. To make the topping, beat the mascarpone and sugar in a medium bowl by hand until smooth. Fold in the cream and vanilla and chill in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
  6. Level the cakes with a serrated knife if they aren’t even. Sandwich the cakes together with half of the mascarpone and a generous spoonful or two of jam. Cover the top and sides with the remaining mascarpone. Use a bench scraper or palette knife to smooth the sides of the cake, scraping off just enough mascarpone to let the cake peek through. Add extra grapes and a few dollops of jam.

Tip: The recipe will make a little more jam than you’ll need. Store what’s left in a clean glass jar or Tupperware for up to a month in the fridge.

Read more about Benjamina Ebueli in our article, “British Baking Star Benjamina Ebuehi’s Simple Recipe for Exceptional Cakes.”

This recipe contains an affiliate link. Please see our disclosure for more information.

MORE FROM BENJAMINA EBUELI

Limoncello & Toasted Meringue Cake

cakescardamomdessertsjamemulled wine jam
Share this recipe
  11    
11
Shares
Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on pinterest
Share on email
Share on print
  • under Etiquette Etiquette in Public Places
  • Aiyana Victoria Mathews in Japan
    under Travel Tips for African American Travelers in Japan
  • under Food & Drink Saluting the Vinous Odyssey of Zimbabwean Wine Whiz Job Jovo
  • under Food & Drink Rhonda McCullough-Gilmore: Memories of Bernie Mac & Cooking with Love

Related Recipes

Loading...
Blackberry Cobbler

Blackberry Cobbler

Desserts
Jessica Craig's Chocolate Pudding

TCHO Chocolate Pudding

Desserts
Basque cheesecake by Tavel Bristol-Joseph

Basque Cheesecake

Desserts
Rolls Royce PB-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Rolls Royce PB-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Desserts

Be the first to know about the latest online, industry updates, world news, events and promotions that connect the African diaspora through food, drink and travel.

    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising
    Menu
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising

    #IAmCuisineNoir

    This site participates in affiliate programs. See our full disclosure for more information.

    © 2022 The Global Food and Drink Initiative d/b/a Cuisine Noir Magazine. Privacy
    Site by ACS Digital

    Any unauthorized duplication, download or reprint of images or content from this website for promotional or commercial use is strictly prohibited without written permission from The Global Food and Drink Initiative. Violators will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Trademark pending.

    YES!  We’re excited you are signing up too!  

    Get ready to receive our weekly newsletter about:

    • New articles online
    • World news and industry happenings throughout the African Diaspora
    • Mouthwatering recipes
    • Promotions and giveaways

    Right in your inbox!