Strawberry & Cardamom Atta Cake — 29. Private Kitchen

This is a deliciously easy cake that has a subtle flavour of cardamom and tart bites of strawberry. The brown sugar adds a slight caramel flavour, which I absolutely adore in my baked goods! I never ever bake with white flour or refined/white sugar anymore, and I guarantee you this healthier version is just as addictive as any traditional cake. In fact, better ingredients just means you can have more guilt-free ;). Bake this pronto!

Ingredients

For the cake

¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup light olive oil, room temperature

1 1/4 cup brown / raw sugar

1 1/2 cup Atta (Indian Wholewheat flour)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup yogurt

1/4 cup milk

8-9 cardamom pods, skin removed & seeds crushed (I use crushed green pods, but if using powder use 1-1.5 tsp)

For the strawberry compote

1 cup fresh strawberries, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon brown sugar

Make the compote

Mix the strawberries, maple syrup and brown sugar and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook till the strawberries break down into a jam like consistency, around 8-10 minutes. Uncover to remove any excess liquid, just till it is a pourable consistency. Chunks are fine, in fact they add a great texture, so don't crush the strawberries down much. Cool the compote to room temperature. If you prefer you can also use store bought strawberry sauce or jam. I just prefer everything to be fresh & homemade!

Make the cake

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter your cake/loaf pan and keep aside. Mix milk & yogurt and keep aside. (Or use 3/4 cup buttermilk)

Whisk the dry ingredients - atta flour, cardamom, salt, and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.

Using a whisk beat oil, butter, and sugar until slightly pale 5–6 minutes. I barely ever use an electric beater, but feel free to use that if you prefer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well to blend between each addition. Beat until mixture is quite light. Add vanilla essence and mix well. The beauty of this cake is that it doesn't need too much beating, so don't worry if you feel you haven't got the arm strength to whisk too much!

Slowly add dry & wet ingredients in 3 batches i.e. alternating milk/yogurt mixture and flour mixture.Fold the ingredients and do not over-mix. Finally add the cooled strawberry compote, saving a little to add to the top of the cake. Do not mix much, just till the batter has pink ribbons. Pour batter into pan, drizzle the remaining compote on top and lightly fold it into the batter, so it looks like the picture below.

Bake cake in the centre rack at 350F, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, around 55–60 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and cool in pan for 15-20 minutes. Slice & enjoy!