Persian Love Cake
The Persian Love Cake is an aromatic dessert that originated from Persian culinary traditions. This cake has gained popularity for both its unique taste and romantic associations. The cake typically features ingredients such as rosewater, cardamom, saffron and pistachios.
The story behind this cake is as enchanting as the dessert itself, weaving together history, romance, and culinary art. A person created this cake as a symbol of love and affection. Some narratives suggest that a young Persian woman made this cake with exotic spices and aromatic flavours, to express her love for someone special.
The recipe is said to have been passed down through generations, guarded as a cherished family secret. Over time, as it travelled beyond the borders of Iran, this cake became a symbol of love and celebration. We infuse the cake with fragrant rosewater and aromatic cardamom, and adorn it with pistachios and dried rose petals, which give it a distinctive flavour. The inclusion of pistachios provides a satisfying crunch. This cake is a symbol of celebration, perfect for occasions like weddings, anniversaries, Valentine´s Day or any special moments shared between loved ones.
I hope you enjoy preparing this delicious recipe! For additional tips, tricks, and helpful insights, be sure to check out the notes provided below the recipe.
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Persian Love Cake
The Persian Love Cake is a rich cake infused with fragrant rosewater and aromatic cardamom and adorned with pistachios and dried rose petals. A beautiful dessert for any special occasion!
Ingredients
1 cup = 250ml
- 8 tbsps of room-temperature butter 113g
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 ¼ cup of sugar 250g
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 4 room-temperature eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk see notes
- ½ tbsp rose water
- 2 ⅓ cups of almond flour 265g
- 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour 195g
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
Syrup
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- ¼ cup water
- ½ tbsp rose water
- ¼ tsp saffron with ½ tbsp sugar
For the glaze
- Powdered sugar 150g
- 2 ½ tbsp Orange juice/lemon juice
- ½ tbsp rose water
Garnish
- Dried rose petals
- Chopped pistachios
Instructions
For the cake
- Preheat your oven to 180°C. Line a 9-inch round springform cake pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the oil, and orange zest and mix.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Stir in the buttermilk and rosewater until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and ground cardamom.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smoothen the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
For the syrup
- In a mortar and pestle, combine saffron threads with a small amount of sugar. Grind them together to create a saffron-infused sugar.
- While the cake is baking, prepare the syrup. In a small saucepan, combine honey, saffron-infused sugar, orange juice and water over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add rosewater.
- Once the cake is out of the oven, let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Pierce the cake with a skewer or fork, creating small holes.
- Pour the cooled rosewater syrup over the warm cake, allowing it to soak in.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before serving.
For the glaze
- In a bowl, sift the powdered sugar to remove any lumps.
- Gradually add rosewater and lemon juice to the powdered sugar, stirring continuously until you achieve a smooth and pourable consistency.
- Once your Persian Love Cake has cooled, drizzle the glaze evenly over the top of the cake.
- Garnish with ground or chopped pistachios and dried rose petals for a decorative touch.
- Allow the glaze to set for a few minutes.
Notes
Preparation of buttermilk
To prepare buttermilk at home, you can use vinegar/lemon juice and milk. The standard ratio is usually 1 cup of milk to 1 tablespoon of acid (vinegar or lemon juice). Pour 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice into 1 cup of milk. Stir the mixture well. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes to allow the acid to react with the milk. During this time, the milk will curdle and thicken slightly. After the waiting period, give it a final stir before using it in your recipe. Keep in mind that the flavour may be slightly different from traditional buttermilk, but the acidity will work similarly.
More tips
Adjust the quantities of rose water and lemon juice to reach your desired flavour balance. If you prefer a stronger rosewater flavour, add more; if you want more tartness, add more lemon juice.
If you don’t have almond flour make your own by processing the blanched almonds in a blender or a food processor until finely ground. Don´t blend it for too long, you may end up having almond butter.
If you are using unsalted butter, add ½ tsp of salt to the flour.
Allow the cake to cool completely before adding the glaze so that it adheres well to the cake.
You can substitute rose water with orange blossom water.
You can also swap orange juice and zest with lemon juice and lemon zest.
The intensity of rose water or orange blossom water can vary between different brands or homemade versions. So it’s good to start with a smaller quantity and adjust according to your taste preferences.
If you prefer, you can skip the traditional syrup and instead drizzle the glaze. Conversely, you can choose to skip the glaze and opt for the warm syrup.
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