Persian Love Cake
Fragrant with cardamom, lemon zest, and rose water, this Persian love cake pairs a tender almond-and-wheat flour crumb with warm citrus syrup and a thick, tangy lemon-rose icing.
Equipment
- 9-inch springform cake pan
- Parchment Paper
- Stand mixer
- Handheld mixer
- flexible spatula
- Offset spatula
- Cooling Rack
- Baking Sheet
- Small saucepan
- Toothpick
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
- ½ cup/115 grams unsalted butter softened at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
- 2 cups/225 grams almond flour
- 1 cup/135 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- ¾ cup/150 grams granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup/227 grams plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons rose water
FOR THE SYRUP
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 1 tablespoon rose water
FOR THE ICING AND TOPPING
- 1 cup/113 grams powdered sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon), as needed
- ½ to 1 tablespoon rose water
- Raw pistachios (optional), slivered or chopped
- Dried, food-safe Damask rose petals (optional), for garnishing
Instructions
- Set the oven to 350°F with a rack at the center, then butter a 9-inch springform pan, line it with parchment, and lightly butter the paper. Cover the bottom and sides with a thin coating to help the delicate cake release.
- Whisk both flours with the ground cardamom, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Break up visible clumps so the leaveners and spice spread evenly through the mixture.
- Work the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingertips in the mixer bowl, then add the softened butter and beat with the paddle on medium-high for about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed. The sugar should smell citrusy before mixing, and the creamed mixture should become pale and fluffy; a handheld mixer also works.
- Beat in each egg separately on medium-high, incorporate the yogurt until smooth, stir in the rose water, and gently fold in the dry mixture with a flexible spatula. Stop once the flour disappears, leaving a very thick batter rather than a flowing one.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, level it with an offset spatula, bake for about 35 minutes, and place the pan on a rack over a baking sheet. Look for a golden surface and a clean toothpick from the center before taking the cake out.
- Begin the syrup as the cake starts cooling by stirring the sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat for about 1 minute, then stir in the rose water and take the pan off the heat. The sugar should dissolve before the rose water goes in.
- Pierce the warm cake across the top with a toothpick, small skewer, or fork, spoon the syrup evenly over it, and leave it in the pan for 30 minutes. This pause lets the syrup soak in while the fragile almond crumb begins to firm.
- Release the cake from the springform pan and leave it on the cooling rack until completely cool. The surface must no longer feel warm before you move on to icing.
- Whisk the powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and ½ tablespoon rose water, adding more liquid only as needed within the listed ranges. A smooth, opaque icing that pours slowly is the goal, rather than a thin glaze that immediately runs away.
- Drizzle the icing across the cooled cake and scatter over the optional slivered or chopped pistachios and dried rose petals. Let the thick icing form visible drips while leaving some of the cake's edges exposed if desired.
Notes
Ingredient tip: Verify that your rose water is labeled for culinary use rather than concentrated flavoring, and choose edible culinary rose petals instead of ornamental flowers.
Texture tip: Leave the syrup-soaked cake in the springform pan for the full 30 minutes before releasing so the fragile almond crumb can firm up without cracking.
Glaze tip: Wait until the cake is completely cool before drizzling the icing, and start with the lower liquid amounts so the glaze falls in a thick ribbon rather than running off.
Storage: Keep the cooled cake covered in a roomy container on the counter for serving or in the refrigerator in a warm kitchen, and add optional pistachios and rose petals shortly before serving.
Nutrition information is an estimate based on common ingredients and serving sizes. Values may vary depending on brands, portions, and substitutions.