Persian Love Cake
This Persian Love Cake is made with ground almonds, ground pistachios, beautiful rose water and zesty citrus fruits. Perfect for summer!
Ingredients
For the cake
- 200 g unsalted butter
- 225 g golden caster sugar
- 4 free-range large eggs beaten
- 1/2 unwaxed lemon zested and juiced
- 1/2 orange zested and juiced
- 150 g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 100 g ground almonds
- 100 g ground pistachios
- 3 tbsp sour cream or natural yoghurt
To decorate
- 150 g icing sugar sifted
- 1/2 lemon juice only
- 1 tbsp orange juice
- Few drops rosewater
- Edible dried rose petals to scatter
- 25 g pistachios roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170C / 340F. Grease and line a loose-bottomed cake tin with parchment paper.
- Using an electric whisk or a stand mixer fitted with a beater attachment, cream the butter and sugar together for 5-7 minutes until pale and light.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure everything is well-incorporated. Add the lemon and orange zests, juices and rosewater and mix again.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cardamom into the bowl, then add the ground almonds, pistachios and soured cream. Beat briefly, until combined, but be careful not to overmix.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and use an offset palette knife to even out the top of the cake.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the cake is well risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the icing by mixing the icing sugar with the lemon and orange juice to make a smooth, thick and pourable icing. N.B. Add the juices slowly, until you get the right consistency. You might not need all of it!
- Add a few drops of rosewater to taste, going easy as this is a strong ingredient and can be overpowering. Once the cake is cool, drizzle the icing over the cake, allowing it to run down the sides. Leave for 3–5 minutes for the icing to set slightly and then scatter with rose petals and pistachios. Leave to set completely before slicing and serving.