Description
Persian Love Cake is a delicate almond-based cake infused with fragrant cardamom, fresh lemon zest, and aromatic rosewater. This elegant cake is layered with a tangy lemon glaze and topped with crunchy pistachios and dried rose petals, offering a sublime balance of floral and citrus flavors perfect for special occasions or a luxurious treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 300 g or 1 ½ cup fine granulated sugar
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 170 g or ¾ cup butter (unsalted and softened)
- 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon rosewater
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 50 g or ¼ cup flavorless oil
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 large eggs
- 145 g or 1 ¼ cup almond flour (not ground almonds, not almond meal)
- 195 g or 1 ½ cups cake flour (sifted)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 120 g or ½ cup kefir or buttermilk
Lemon Glaze
- 260 g or 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3-5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon rosewater
Toppings
- Pistachios (chopped, for topping)
- Dried rose petals (for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat the oven to 325 F. Butter and flour two 8 inch round cake pans or use baking spray to grease them well.
- Infuse Sugar with Lemon Zest: Place the granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Zest the lemons directly over the sugar and rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers until the texture resembles wet sand and the sugar is fragrant.
- Combine Wet Ingredients and Flavorings: Add softened butter, flavorless oil, ground cardamom, rosewater, vanilla extract, and sea salt to the sugar mixture. Attach the paddle attachment and beat starting on low, then increase to medium speed. Scrape down the sides as needed, continuing to beat until the mixture is light and airy.
- Incorporate Eggs: With the mixer running on medium-low, add the eggs one at a time, waiting about 20-30 seconds between each addition. Scrape down the bowl as needed and beat again until the batter is smooth and fully combined.
- Add Dry Ingredients and Kefir: Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add the almond flour, sifted cake flour, and baking powder, mixing just until combined. Slowly pour in the kefir or buttermilk while mixing, ensuring a smooth batter but do not overmix.
- Fill Pans and Smooth Batter: Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Smooth the tops with a spatula to ensure an even surface as the cakes will not dome much during baking.
- Bake the Cakes: Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool Cakes: Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 5 minutes after baking. Then carefully transfer them to a cooling rack and let them cool completely.
- Trim Tops: Once cool, slice off any slight doming using a cake slicer or bread knife. Save the trimmed pieces for a delicious snack.
- Prepare Lemon Glaze: In a bowl, whisk the powdered sugar with freshly squeezed lemon juice and rosewater until a smooth, pourable glaze forms. Adjust the lemon juice to reach desired consistency—thick but pourable.
- Assemble the Cake: Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spoon or brush a portion of the lemon glaze over the top. Place the second layer on top and cover the entire cake with the remaining glaze.
- Decorate: Sprinkle chopped pistachios and dried rose petals over the glazed cake to finish.
Notes
- Use almond flour, not almond meal, for a light and tender texture.
- If you do not have buttermilk or kefir, whole milk mixed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar and left to sit for 10 minutes can substitute.
- Be careful not to overmix once the flours and kefir are added to maintain cake tenderness.
- The lemon glaze can be adjusted thicker or thinner by varying the lemon juice amount.
- Storing the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator preserves the flavors and moisture for up to 3 days.
- Allow the cake layers to cool completely before glazing to prevent the glaze from melting and running off.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of cake)
- Calories: 310 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
