Susan Jung’s recipe for saffron and blood orange cake; and crème brûlée

Many people will be familiar with saffron in savoury dishes, such as risotto Milanese, bouillabaisse and paella. The expensive spice is also delicious in desserts, especially those with a lot of butter and/or cream, including rice pudding and gulab jamun. The first recipe given below is a basic pound cake that has a double-dose of saffron (and blood orange) because it’s used in the batter and the icing, while the second dessert – crème brûlée – uses saffron in place of the more usual vanilla.

Saffron and blood orange cake

This cake can be baked in advance, but it should be iced just before you serve it, or the rose petals will wilt. You can omit the rose petals, if you like, but the cake looks prettier with them.

A pinch of saffron threads
250 grams unsalted butter, slightly softened
250 grams granulated sugar
One small blood orange
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp fine sea salt
5 large eggs, at room temperature
250 grams cake flour, sifted
130 grams sour cream, at room temperature

For the icing and decoration:
A pinch of saffron threads
150 grams icing sugar
About 15ml freshly squeezed blood-orange juice
Fresh, small, edible rose petals
About 10 pistachios

Place the saffron threads in a small bowl, add 10ml of boiling water, then leave to cool. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Use pan-coating to lightly spray a decorative tube pan that holds about two litres.