French vanilla and rose cake

200 g butter, room temperature
200 g golden caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, seeds
pinch of sea salt
rose blossom water (amount depending on how strong it is)
4 medium eggs, room temperature
280 g all-purpose flour
1,5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp soda
125 g crème fraîche or 30% sour cream

10 g butter to add on top

syrup:
60 g golden caster sugar
120 ml water
that used vanilla pods, without seeds, as you used them in the cake
pinch of sea salt
rose water (amount depending on how strong it is)


Heat the oven 170° C hot. Line a pan (about 20/22x12 cm) with baking paper.

Place butter, sugar, vanilla, salt, and rose water in a bowl. Beat with a hand whisk or in a stand mixer for about 5 minutes until creamy. When the butter is ready, slowly add one egg and beat until smooth. Only when that is fully incorporated, add the next egg. If the mixture starts to split and get grainy, add a tablespoon of flour (from measured flour, not additional) and whisk it in. The warmer the eggs, the less likely the mixture will split.

When everything is incorporated well, turn off the mixer and add the flour, which has been mixed with baking powder and soda. Add the crème fraîche or sour cream. Mix just enough to make a smooth batter, not longer. Put the batter in the pan and smooth it out.

Using the other side of the fork, make a long line in the middle all the way from one side to another. Add 5 mm strips of butter all the way.

Put the pan in the oven, one rack below the middle, and bake for about 50-55 minutes until ready, which can be checked by inserting a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean, it's done.

While the cake is baking, prepare the syrup. Combine all the syrup ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil over medium heat, allowing the sugar to melt. Once the sugar has dissolved, increase the heat to almost the highest setting and simmer until the syrup is reduced by about 1/3. Remove from heat and let it cool.

Once the cake is ready, remove it from the oven and, after 5 minutes, pour the syrup over the cake, one tablespoon at a time. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then gently lift it out using the baking paper and place it on a cooling rack to cool completely.

Serve the cake warm or cold, just as it is or with crème fraîche. Although I love to eat it the day it’s baked, when the outside is crisp and the inside is moist, if you can’t finish it on the same day, wrapping it in cling film will help keep it moist.