Persian Love Cake Recipe (Perfect Valentine’s Day Dessert Recipe!)

By The Mediterranean Dish · 90 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Sift the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and cardamom into a large bowl. Add the almond flour and whisk to combine.
3. Beat the butter and sugar on medium-high for about 5 minutes, until pale, light and fluffy, scraping the bowl halfway through.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing each in fully, then beat in the yogurt. Add the zest and juice of ½ lemon and ½ orange, and the rosewater, and mix again.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat for a minute or two, until thick and cohesive.
6. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes, until well risen and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
7. Cool in the pan for 2 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack, remove the parchment and cool completely, about 1 hour.
8. Whisk the 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, the juice of 1 lemon and 2 drops of rosewater until the sugar dissolves. Poke small holes across the cake with a thin skewer, then pour the drizzle over and let it soak in.
9. Stir the powdered sugar with enough lemon juice to make a smooth, thick but pourable icing, then stir in 2 drops of rosewater to taste.
10. Spoon the icing over the cake so it runs down the sides and leave for 5 minutes to set slightly. Decorate with the rose petals and crushed pistachios, then leave to set completely before slicing.

Summarized from The Mediterranean Dish's video. Watch it for the details.