Persian love cake

Persian spices studded with pistachios and almonds, charming in every bite

What is there not to love ... Sexy rose petals, crunchy pistachios and fragrant cardamom, this lemony and moist cake is the best way to finish off a romantic dinner. Some fables suggest that this cake was originally baked by a Persian woman to charm a prince. I, as an Iranian, have never heard that such a cake belongs to Iran. Despite multiple legends surrounding this beautiful, exotic cake, I believe that Persian girls do not need a cake to charm ...

ingredients for the cake

• 200 g (2 cups) almond meal
• 150 g (1 cup) plain flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1.5 tsp ground cardamom
• 120g / 8 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 150g (3/4 cup) brown sugar
• 150g (3/4 cup) white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 250g (1 cup) plain yoghurt
• zest of one orange/lemon
• 50g / 2oz raw pistachios, chopped

ingredients for the syrup

• 85 ml (1/3 cup) water
• 70g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) rose water
• juice of one lemon

preparation of the cake

• preheat oven 180C/350F (standard) or 160C/320F (fan)
• grease and line a 23cm/9" cake tin
• mix all the dry ingredients: almond meal, flour, baking powder and cardamon in a bowl
• beat butter, brown and white sugars with an electric mixer until incorporated
• add eggs, beat until smooth
• add yoghurt and orange zest
• mix for 5 minutes
• add dry ingredients
• stir until mixed through
• pour into the ready cake tin, smooth surface
• bake 50 minutes to 1 hour
• scatter rose petals over the cake
• poke a few holes all over the cake using a skewer
• pour warm syrup over while cake still hot
• leave to soak in the tin for 1 hour

preparation of the syrup

• place all your ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat
• simmer for only 2 minutes
• put the pistachios in
• set aside

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