Persian love cake
An unusual oriental cake with an exotic flavor, soft, moist, and very fragrant. Ideal to prepare in May (the month of roses) and Mother’s Day, or on Valentine’s Day.
The Persian love cake is a delicious spiced cake made of almonds, characterized by a soft and fragrant dough, without butter, that will win your loved one at the first taste.
Note that rose water is not essential for the success of the cake, but if you want to try it, it will add an exotic and special touch to your cake, you can easily find it on Amazon (see link below).
Cardamom powder is also optional, in any case, you can find everything on Amazon (see link below).
If you are looking for recipes for Valentine’s Day, click on my: “Valentine’s Day Special”
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 8 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Mother's Day, Valentine's Day
Ingredients for the Persian love cake
- 1 1/2 cups Almond flour (blanched)
- 3/4 cup Semolina
- 1 cup Brown sugar
- 6 Whole eggs
- 1/2 cup Almond milk
- 1 cup Greek yogurt (whole natural, I use Total Fage)
- 1/2 cup Pistachio flour
- 1 teaspoon Cardamom (ground, optional)
- 1 pinch Saffron threads
- 2 tablespoons Rose water (or other flavor you prefer, I use Grand Marnier)
- 1 zest Zest of 1 lemon (or an orange)
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- as needed Fresh edible flowers (for decoration, optional)
- 1/2 cup Water
- Juice of 1 lemon (or orange)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup Brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Rose water (I use Grand Marnier)
Tools
- Bowl
- Saucepan
- Mixer Philips electric, 450 W power, 5 Speeds + Turbo
- Mold Nordic Ware Bavaria
Preparation of the Persian love cake
Preheat the oven to 356°F (180°C).
Take a small saucepan and heat the milk with saffron threads over low heat.
In another bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until a thick cream forms (about 5 minutes), add the yogurt, almond flour, semolina, and baking powder, then add the cardamom powder (optional), the orange zest (or lemon) and chopped pistachios; add the rose water (optional) to the milk and saffron mixture and add to the egg mixture, mix well.
Line a 7.8-inch (20 cm) diameter cake mold with parchment paper if you want it tall (otherwise a 9.5-inch (24 cm) diameter round mold is fine) and pour the batter (don’t worry if it seems too liquid, it should be that way) level the surface. Bake the cake at 356°F (180°C) for about 45 minutes, (do the toothpick test).
I used the “Bavaria” mold by Nordic Ware, which I find very elegant (see Buying Tips, below)
While the cake is baking, prepare the syrup, put all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, simmer until thickened, it will take about 5 – 7 minutes from the start of the boil.
When the cake is done, remove from oven and brush the syrup on the surface (I poured all the syrup over the cake while still in the mold and then unmolded it). Decorate the Persian love cake with rose petals and chopped pistachios.
Notes and Tips
Fresh edible flowers can be found in large supermarkets or ordered online (see Buying Tips link, below)
The recipe is from the beautiful blog Re-cake 2.0, the admins of the FB page propose a new and particular cake each month to discover and reimagine together, the recipes are all wonderful, tried and tested, and worth replicating.
Shopping Tips !!!
To make this cake I used the wonderful and elegant “Bavaria” mold by Nordic Ware, which you can purchase on Amazon.
To decorate the cake, I used these beautiful edible flowers (i.e. edible) freshly arrived from Amazon. These edible rosebuds are stunning too.
If you are looking for top electric whisks, I recommend the excellent Philips electric mixer with 5 speeds (+ turbo) and 450 w power, you can find it at a great price on Amazon.
Origins of the Persian love cake
The origins are uncertain because it is an ancient recipe. Legend has it that a Persian maiden was madly in love with a prince. So, to make him fall for her charms, she decided to prepare a love potion in the form of a magical cake, rich in intoxicating fragrances.
