Persian Love Cake

Persian Love Cake is a fragrant and beautifully spiced cake that’s perfect for any special occasion. With hints of rose, cardamom, and saffron, this cake is sure to win hearts. Let's dive into this delightful recipe!

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1 cup almond meal
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter – melted
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup Greek yoghurt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp saffron threads – soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk
• 1 tbsp rosewater
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

For the Syrup:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp rosewater

For the Topping:

• 1/2 cup pistachios – chopped
• 1/4 cup dried rose petals – for garnish (optional)
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar – for dusting

Instructions:

Preheat the Oven:

1. Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and line a 23cm (9-inch) springform cake pan with baking paper.

Prepare the Cake:

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, almond meal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ground cardamom, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, and salt. Mix well.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, Greek yoghurt, rosewater, vanilla extract, and the saffron milk mixture.
4. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing until well combined.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake the Cake:

6. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
7. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Prepare the Syrup:

8. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
9. Remove from heat and stir in the rosewater. Let the syrup cool slightly.

Assemble the Cake:

10. While the cake is still warm, poke holes all over the top with a skewer and pour the syrup evenly over the cake.
11. Once the cake has cooled completely, sprinkle the top with chopped pistachios and dried rose petals.
12. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Why This Cake?

The Persian Love Cake is a truly romantic dessert, perfect for special occasions or when you want to treat yourself and your loved ones to something extraordinary. The combination of rosewater, cardamom, and saffron creates a unique and aromatic flavour profile that is simply irresistible.

Give this recipe a go and let us know how it turned out! Share your photos and tag us on social media. Enjoy the delightful flavours of Aromi Spices!