PERSIAN LOVE CAKE

Persian Love Cake is a fragrant and moist dessert that combines the rich flavours of Persian spices and ingredients. It typically features a combination of almond flour,cardamon,rosewater which gives it a unique aromatic flavour. The cake is often garnished with chopped pistachio and dried rose petals adding both texture and beauty.Persian Love Cake is a light tender cake that is perfect for special occasions, with a subtle sweetness and luxurious, exotic fragrance. The Persian Love cake is said to have been created by a woman who was deeply in love with a Persian prince. To win his heart she baked a cake infused with magical and aromatic ingredients hoping they would enchant him. Some versions of the story say the prince fell in love with her after tasting the cake, while others suggest her love remained unrequited. Regardless of the outcome, the cake became a symbol of romance, passion and the power of love expressed through food.

Persian Love Cake

Cake Ingredients:

• 200g almond meal

• 165g semolina

• 1 tbsp baking powder

• 1.5 tsp ground cardamom

• 120g unsalted butter (room temp)

• 150g brown sugar

• 150g white sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 250g plain yogurt (or Greek yogurt)

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 30g raw pistachios (optional)

Syrup:

• 85ml lemon juice

• 70g white sugar

• 1 tsp rosewater

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and line a 22cm (9-inch) cake pan.

2. Mix Dry Ingredients: Combine almond meal, semolina, baking powder, and cardamom.

3. Cream Butter & Sugars: Beat butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth.

4. Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in eggs one at a time, then add yogurt and lemon zest.

5. Combine: Gradually fold in dry ingredients until mixed.

6. Bake: Pour batter into pan, sprinkle pistachios (optional), and bake for 50-60 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

7. Make Syrup: Combine lemon juice, sugar, and rosewater in a saucepan. Simmer for 2 minutes, then remove from heat.

8. Soak Cake: Poke holes in the hot cake and pour syrup over it. Let the cake soak for 1 hour.

9. Finish & Serve: Remove cake from pan, decorate with rose petals (optional), and slice to serve.