A speciality of eastern Algeria, this jam-covered cake called mderbel has a texture similar to shortbread. The name refers to being nonchalant or casual, which is a good description of this cake’s appearance.
One thing that makes it stand out is the topping it often gets. A piece of the dough is set aside, stiffened with some flour and grated over the top.
For jam, choose a smooth one, without large pieces of fruit. Apricot jam is the classic choice.
JAM CAKE RECIPE
Region: Algeria
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 8
120g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing (optional)
2 1⁄3 cups plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting (optional) and the topping
¾ cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp baking powder
2 pinches of salt
150g smooth fruit jam
- Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a 23cm round or square 20 × 20cm cake pan with baking (parchment) paper, or grease the pan with butter and dust with flour, shaking out the excess.
- Put the butter and sugar into a large bowl and cream until light and fluffy, then add the eggs, one at a time. Add the baking powder and salt, sift in the flour and lightly work to a soft dough that doesn’t stick to your fingers. Set aside a quarter of the dough.
- Spread the dough evenly across the bottom of the prepared pan. Loosen the jam with a touch of warm water if necessary and spread evenly and generously over the top.
- With the reserved piece of dough, work in a touch more flour to make it stiffer, then using a box grater, coarsely grate the dough in an even layer over the jam.
- Bake in the hot oven until cooked through and golden, about 30 minutes. Serve. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Recipe extracted from ‘The North African Cook Book’ by Jeff Koehler (Phaidon, $80), out now.
