ln the realm of "romantic" desserts, Persian Love Cake might just be one of the most swoon worthy confections you'll ever encounter. The ingredients may seem rather ordinary, and the preparation very simple, but don't be fooled...this lofty little cake is far greater than the sum of its parts. The sweet nuttiness of almond pairs perfectly with the tart brightness of lemon, and the assertiveness of cardamom is beautifully balanced by the softest whisper of rose. What you end up with in the end is pure alchemy in cake form. And if you're in the market for a dessert that is scaled for an intimate audience, but still stunning, this particular version is tailor made just for two.
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Ingredients for Persian Love Cake
- unsalted butter
- sugar
- eggs
- plain yogurt
- rose water
- pure vanilla extract
- lemon (zest and juice)
- all purpose flour
- almond flour
- ground cardamom
- baking powder
- baking soda
- fine sea salt
- powdered sugar
- candied rose petals (optional)
- pistachios (optional)
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions for Persian Love Cake
Preparing the Batter and Baking the Cake
Heat the oven to 325℉. Grease a 6x3 inch round cake pan with butter. Then line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and grease that as well.
If you are starting with whole cardamom pods (instead of the ready ground stuff), remove the seeds and finely grind them.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add the yogurt, rose water, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Then beat until they are thoroughly incorporated.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
Then mix everything together just until the batter is smooth.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top.
Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Transfer the pan to a rack and allow the cake to cool slightly before turning it out onto a cake platter to cool completely.
Preparing the Icing and Decorating the Cake
Whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and cold water until you haven an icing that is very smooth and opaque.
Once the cake has cooled completely, spoon the icing over the top.
Then gently spread it out evenly across the surface of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides.
If decorating with candied rose petals and pistachios, chop the pistachios.
Arrange some candied rose petals and chopped pistachios on top, if desired.
Hint: If you are using whole cardamom pods when making this Persian love cake (highly recommended), you will need to start with about six pods in order to end up with one teaspoon of ground cardamom. Once you've removed the seeds from each pod, simply grind them finely with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder of your choice.
Equipment
For best results, I recommend using an electric hand mixer (or a stand mixer) to mix up the batter for this cake. But in a pinch, you can also just mix it by hand with a wooden spoon.
When it comes to baking this Persian love cake, you will need a 6x3 inch round cake pan. And it's a good idea to double check that the sides of your six inch pan do in fact measure three inches deep (rather than two) before you proceed. If not, then it's time for a visit to your favorite kitchen purveyor for a shiny new cake pan! Or in the alternative, you could use a standard 8x2 pan instead.
Storage
Persian love cake is best enjoyed within the first day or two after it is baked, but it will keep for up to five days at room temperature. You'll want to cover it with a cake dome, rather than plastic wrap, in order to keep it looking pretty with the icing all remaining in tact.
Top tip
Please note that this Persian love cake recipe calls for a 6x3 inch round cake pan, rather than a 6x2...in other words, it requires a very deep sided six inch pan. Do not be tempted to try and bake this cake in a shorter six inch pan. Otherwise, it will overflow as it bakes! If you can't get your hands on a six inch cake pan with deep sides, then size up to a pan with a larger diameter.
Related
Looking for more dessert ideas to sweeten up a romantic evening at home? Try these:
📖 Recipe
Persian Love Cake
Equipment
- electric hand mixer
- 6x3 inch round cake pan
- cooling rack
Ingredients
Cake
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup plain yogurt, preferably Skyr or Greek
- ½ teaspoon rose water
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- zest of one lemon
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Icing and Decoration
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons cold water
- candied rose petals (optional for decoration)
- pistachios (optional for decoration)
Instructions
Preparing the Batter and Baking the Cake
- Heat the oven to 325℉. Grease a 6x3 inch round cake pan with butter. Then line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and grease that as well.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add the yogurt, rose water, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Then beat until they are thoroughly incorporated.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Then mix everything together just until the batter is smooth.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Transfer the pan to a rack and allow the cake to cool slightly before turning it out onto a cake platter to cool completely.
Preparing the Icing and Decorating the Cake
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and cold water until you have an icing that is very smooth and opaque.
- Once the cake has cooled completely, spoon the icing over the top. Then gently spread it out evenly across the surface of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides.
- Arrange some candied rose petals and chopped pistachios on top, if desired.
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