Persian Love Cake

Name: Persian Love Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: Almond flour 3 ¾ cups; Sugar ¾ cup; Brown sugar 1 cup; Fine salt 1 pinch; Butter at room temperature ½ cup; Eggs (about 2) 3.9 oz; Greek yogurt 1 cup; Nutmeg grated ½ tsp; Rose water 0.625 tsp; Ground pistachio 2 tbsp; Butter soft for greasing 1 tsp; Rice flour for dusting 2 tsp; Rose wine untreated, petals and buds to taste; Powdered sugar to taste

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632

Calories per serving

Gluten Free
Vegetarian

Energy Kcal 632
Carbohydrates g 51.8
of which sugars g 50.6
Protein g 11.8
Fats g 41.9
of which saturated fat g 11.76
Fiber g 6.8
Cholesterol mg 95
Sodium mg 152

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Serving: 8
Cost: Low

PRESENTATION

The Persian love cake—really something special—is a dessert that pulls you in with its mystical allure. From the first bite, the blend of rose petals and warm nutmeg creates a flavor that's both sweet and a bit tangy. It is more than just a treat; it's like a little journey into Persian culture and tradition. The cake has a rich yet light texture—thanks to almond flour and semolina—with every forkful offering a soft, moist crumb. And the lovely mix of floral and citrus notes? It lingers on your tongue, weaving together romance and heart straight from Persian folklore. Honestly, it's no wonder the Persian love cake is a staple at gatherings where a touch of magic is needed.

Legend says this cake was made to win a lover's heart, filling each slice with tender affection and just a hint of bittersweet longing. In places like Shiraz, you might find the Persian love cake recipe varies a bit—maybe more rosewater or a zestier citrus twist—but it always holds onto its aromatic charm. Often topped with rose petals or pistachios, this cake looks as romantic as it tastes. For sure. Unlike other almond semolina cake varieties, this one stands out with its distinct Middle Eastern flavors and fairy-tale heart from its storied past. Some folks might call it a rosewater cake or a cardamom cake, but the real magic is in the balanced blend of spices and textures that make you reach for another slice. So, when you indulge in this golden Persian delight, you're savoring not just a dessert but a piece of love, tradition, and the poetic beauty of Persian cuisine—so so lovely. Can't go wrong.

INGREDIENTS

632

Calories per serving

Ingredients for a 9.5-inch diameter cake: Almond flour 3 ¾ cups (360 g); Sugar ¾ cup (150 g); Brown sugar 1 cup (200 g); Fine salt 1 pinch; Butter ½ cup (120 g) - at room temperature; Eggs 3.9 oz (110 g) - (about 2); Greek yogurt 1 cup (250 g); Nutmeg ½ tsp (2 g) - grated; Rose water 0.625 tsp (3 g); Ground pistachio 2 tbsp (25 g)

For the cake pan: Butter 1 tsp (5 g) - soft for greasing; Rice flour 2 tsp (10 g) - for dusting

For decorating: Rose wine to taste - untreated, petals and buds; Powdered sugar to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Persian Love Cake

To prepare the Persian Love Cake, begin by sifting the almond flour through a coarse sieve 1. Add the brown sugar 2, granulated sugar 3, and a pinch of salt.

Then add the butter at room temperature, cut into cubes 4, and start kneading with your hands 5 to obtain a fairly coarse sand. Now divide the mixture: weigh 12.7 oz (360 g) for the cake base, and set aside the rest in a second bowl 7.

Carefully butter a round cake pan with a 9.5-inch diameter 7, flour it, and pour in the 12.7 oz (360 g) of mixture reserved for the base 8. Compact well with the back of a spoon 9, and set aside.

Retrieve the remaining dough you set aside and add the rose water 10, eggs 11, yogurt 12

and nutmeg 13. Mix well 14 until you have a uniform mixture, which you will pour into the cake pan 15.

Gently shake the cake pan to level the mixture, then use a teaspoon to distribute the pistachio crumbs along the entire rim of the cake 16. The cake is ready to be baked in a preheated static oven at 350°F for 45-50 minutes 17; alternatively, you can try baking in a convection oven at 320°F for 35-40 minutes. Once cooking time is over, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool 18.

Unmold the Persian Love Cake onto a cake stand or serving plate, and decorate it with untreated rose petals 19 and buds. Using a sieve, dust the surface of the cake with powdered sugar 20 and present your sweet creation 21!

Storage

The Persian Love Cake keeps in the fridge covered for 2-3 days. Be sure to decorate it with roses and powdered sugar only when ready to serve. Freezing is not recommended.

Advice

If the scent of roses is too distinctive for your palate or that of your sweetheart, you can replace it with other aromas like orange blossom.

To add spice notes, opt instead for the seeds of a vanilla bean and a pinch of ground cardamom!

Curiosity

Saffron, truffle, caviar, and chocolate. And also oysters, vanilla, ginger, chili pepper… there are many foods that over the millennia have been endowed with the honorary title of "love potion"! Whether you're a curious skeptic or a trusting believer in food as a weapon of seduction, let yourself be enchanted by the suggestions of a recipe that promises to make sparks fly: the Persian Love Cake boasts a list of ingredients with truly respectable aphrodisiac powers and will be perfect for a Valentine's Day menu to make at home!

The almond, for instance, with its elegant and subtly suggestive shape, has been considered a love elixir since ancient times. This is the reason behind the tradition, already medieval, of offering almond confetti during wedding banquets, and the same principle also animates the shabart of almond, milk, and rose petals that the bride's family offers to that of the groom in Arabic culture.

Yes, the rose: the quintessential symbol of passionate love! But perhaps not everyone knows that its essential oils, contained in the water and petals so widespread in the sumptuous Middle Eastern cuisine, are considered a refined and powerful aphrodisiac.

And what about nutmeg? An exotic and somewhat mischievous spice, which according to Niki Segnit, the brilliant author of The Flavor Thesaurus, is a fascinating spice that loves double-dealing: it makes creamy sweets less cloying, softens bitter savories. A natural invigorator, appreciated for igniting romantic virtues in many cultures, including Chinese, Arab, and Hindu, if used in quantity, nutmeg could even induce hallucinogenic effects. Better not to exceed the classic pinch: after all, love prefers more gentle half-measures.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.