Description
A delicate Persian Love Cake featuring fluffy almond cake layers infused with cardamom, lemon zest, and rosewater, topped with a tangy lemon glaze, pistachios, and dried rose petals for a fragrant and elegant dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Batter
- 300 g or 1 ½ cup fine granulated sugar
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 170 g or ¾ cup unsalted butter, 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 or almond meal)
- 195 g or 1 ½ cups sifted cake flour
- 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 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and flour two 8-inch round cake pans or spray them with a baking spray.
- Zest Sugar Mixture: Place the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and zest the two lemons over it. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingers until the texture resembles wet sand, releasing the aromatic oils.
- Combine Fats and Flavorings: Add the softened butter, flavorless oil, ground cardamom, rosewater, vanilla extract, and fine sea salt to the sugar mixture. Attach the paddle attachment and beat on low speed, increasing to medium until the mixture is light and airy. Scrape down the bowl as needed during mixing.
- Add Eggs: With the mixer running on medium, add the eggs one at a time, allowing 20 to 30 seconds between each addition. Scrape down the bowl again and beat until smooth and fully incorporated.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients and Kefir: Reduce mixer speed to low and add almond flour, cake flour, and baking powder. Slowly pour in the kefir or buttermilk while mixing until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cake tender.
- Divide Batter and Bake: Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans and smooth the tops. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool Cakes: Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Optional Leveling: Once cool, slice off any domed tops with a cake slicer or serrated knife to create flat layers. Enjoy the trimmed cake tops as a snack.
- Prepare Lemon Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, freshly squeezed lemon juice (starting with 3 tablespoons), and rosewater until smooth and pourable. Add more lemon juice if needed to achieve desired consistency.
- Assemble Cake: Pour or spread the lemon glaze over the cooled cake layers, then sprinkle with chopped pistachios and dried rose petals for garnish.
Notes
- Use almond flour, not ground almonds or almond meal, for the best texture in the cake batter.
- If you only have table salt, halve the quantity used to avoid over-salting.
- The lemon glaze can be adjusted in thickness by adding more or less lemon juice depending on your preference.
- Allow the cakes to fully cool before glazing to prevent the glaze from melting.
- Store the cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for longer freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of cake)
- Calories: 290 kcal
- Sugar: 25 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
