Orange Cake

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Grease and line two 8-inch pans.
2. Cream butter until smooth, then beat in powdered sugar until pale.
3. Add eggs one at a time, mixing just until combined.
4. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. Fold dry ingredients into wet, then add zest, juice, and vanilla.
6. Divide batter into pans, bake on the middle rack 6–7 min at 400°F, then 20–22 min at 375°F.
7. Cool completely, slice in half for layering.

Glaze

1. Heat water and sugar until dissolved. Remove from heat.
2. Stir in saffron water, orange blossom water, and orange juice.
3. Brush cooled cake layers lightly with glaze.

Saffron Phirni

1. Sift rice flour into a medium bowl. Whisk in 450 ml cold milk to form a smooth slurry. Let rest 5–10 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, mix the xanthan gum into the sugar (this prevents clumping later).
3. In a medium saucepan, combine 450 ml whole milk, along with your sugar, xanthan gum mixture, and pinch of salt. 
4. Heat gently over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until just below boiling (~70–80°C / 160–175°F).
5. Reduce heat to medium-low. Slowly whisk in the rice our slurry in a thin stream while constantly whisking to avoid lumps.
6. Continue to whisk gently over medium-low heat for 10–15 minutes, or until the custard thickens to a spoonable, glossy pudding consistency.  
7. Stir in butter. Once incorporated, add your saffron water, rosewater, and ground cardamom seeds - adjust flavor to taste. Remove from heat.
8. Strain through a fine mesh sieve if desired for ultra-smooth texture.
9. Transfer to containers to chill in fridge until fully set (20–30 min).

Mascarpone Creams

1. In a chilled mixing bowl with the whisk attachment, whip mascarpone + vanilla until medium peaks.
2. Gradually add powdered sugar + 1 cup cream.
3. Stream in remaining 2 cups cream; whip to medium-stiff peaks.
4. Divide mixture into two bowls. Fold rosewater into one, orange blossom + zest into the other. Chill.

Fruit Gelatin

1. In a medium bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over cold pomegranate juice. Let sit for 5 minutes to fully bloom and soften.
2. In a large saucepan, heat water (do not boil!) with optional sugar/molasses. Adjust to taste.
3. Stir the bloomed gelatin into the warm juice-water mixture until completely dissolved and smooth.
4. Cool slightly with up to 250 ml crushed ice and discard unmelted ice.
5. Arrange fruit -- pat dried, evenly and loosely -- in a single layer on pans. Sprinkle salt over fruit, and pour gelatin mixture into prepared pans. Chill 45 min until set.
6. To test for doneness, press lightly with your fingertip. The gelatin should spring back without leaving an impression.

Assemble the Trifle 

Stack layers in the below order:

1. Orange cake, with the glaze brushed atop it
2. Orange blossom whipped cream
3. Fruit gelatin
4. Saffron phirni
5. Repeat layering: cake, glaze, fruit gelatin, creams, phirni, etc. (10+ layers total).
6. Finish with rosewater whipped cream, pistachios, figs, rose petals, saffron threads, zest, and mint.