Description
Persian Love Cake is a rich, moist, and nutty almond cake loaded with floral and citrus flavor, topped with a lemon glaze, pistachios, and rose petals.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt (or sour cream)
- 1 tablespoon rose water
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups almond meal (or almond flour)
- 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the icing:
- 1 + 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1-2 tablespoons pistachios, chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried rose petals
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer (or stand mixer) to beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until each is incorporated. Add yogurt, rose water, and lemon zest and beat until incorporated.
- Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour, almond meal, cardamom, and salt. Beat until just combined. Note that the batter is very thick.
- Transfer the batter into the lined cake pan and spread it smooth with a spatula.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to chill in the pan for 15 minutes, then carefully transfer it to a wire cooling wrap to cool completely before icing.
Make the icing:
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and water. The icing should be thin enough to pour but thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If the icing is too thin, add in a little more sugar. If it is too thick, add in a little more milk.
- Use a spoon to slowly drizzle the glaze over the cooled love cake and sprinkle chopped pistachios and dried rose petals on top.
Notes
Don’t make substitutions: For the best results, follow this recipe to a tee. If you’re wondering if it’s okay to substitute certain ingredients, I would err on the side of caution and say no. For instance, you don’t want to add in too much rose water so that it doesn’t overpower the cake. And don’t omit anything.
Glazing tips: Never glaze a hot cake. In fact, don’t even glaze a slightly warm cake. Wait until your Persian Love Cake has cooled completely. Glazing while warm will cause the icing to melt down the sides too much or into the cake like a syrup and not set properly.
How to store: You can store Persian Love Cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Cake
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Persian