Name: The best Persian love cake recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 10-12
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups caster sugar; 150g unsalted butter, softened; 4 free-range eggs, room temperature; 2 cups almond flour; 1 1/2 cups plain flour; 1 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp bicarbonate soda; 2 tsp ground cardamom; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp finely grated lemon rind; 1/4 cup lemon juice; 1 Tbsp rosewater; 1 cup Greek-style yoghurt; 2 Tbsp finely chopped pistachios; Crystallised rose petals; 1 egg white; 3/4 cup caster sugar; 16 unsprayed rose petals; Icing; 1 1/2 cups pure icing sugar, sifted; 1 1/2–2 Tbsp lemon juice; 1 tsp rosewater

Show your close family and friends true love with this rose-infused Persian love cake recipe. It doesn’t just look impressive, it tastes amazing, filled with spices, floral notes and citrus.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups caster sugar

150g unsalted butter, softened

4 free-range eggs, room temperature

2 cups almond flour

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate soda

2 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp finely grated lemon rind

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 Tbsp rosewater

1 cup Greek-style yoghurt

2 Tbsp finely chopped pistachios

Crystallised rose petals

1 egg white

3/4 cup caster sugar

16 unsprayed rose petals

Icing

1 1/2 cups pure icing sugar, sifted

1 1/2–2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp rosewater

Method

Step 1

For rose petals, whisk egg white until foamy. Working one at a time, dip your finger into egg white mixture and spread over rose petal. Sprinkle with sugar. Place on a wire rack and repeat with remaining rose petals, egg white and sugar. Leave for 24 hours to set.

Step 2

For cake, preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease and line a 22cm springform cake pan with non-stick baking paper.

Step 3

Beat sugar and butter in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in almond flour, plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate soda, cardamom and cinnamon, lemon rind and juice, rosewater and yoghurt.

Step 4

Spoon into prepared tin and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. Cover with foil halfway through the cooking time if overbrowning. The cake is cooked when a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean with a few moist crumbs. Let cool completely in pan.

Step 5

For icing, mix all ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Spoon onto the cake and spread to cover. Decorate with chopped pistachio and rose petals.

cake with white drip icing and crystallised rose petals on top and pistachio crumb — *(Photography: Tim Roberts, styling Michele Cranston, recipes Jessica Brooke, food preparation Kathy Knudsen)*

What is a Persian love cake?

A Persian love cake is a Middle Eastern-inspired cake known for its fragrant, moist and distinctive flavour. It often combines rosewater, cardamom, and citrus.

Jessica Brook