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This Persian Love Cake is a moist and flavorful cake. Its incredible texture comes from almond flour, while the ground cardamom, rosewater, and lemon zest infuse it with an unforgettable, aromatic flavor. The cake is finished with a luscious lemon and rosewater glaze and then beautifully adorned with chopped pistachios and dried edible rose petals.
Persian Rose and Pistachio Cake
The Persian Love Cake is known for its subtle flavor and crumbly yet moist texture from the almond meal. The lemon zest adds a burst of acidity that pairs well with the other ingredients while also bringing out those flavors. My favorite part is the rose water glaze and the crunchy pistachios on top. If you have never tried this recipe, I urge you to try it. It’s heaven!
What is a Persian Love Cake?
This pistachio rose cake is often made for special occasions, especially those associated with love and romance. It is popular on Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, and weddings! This dessert is sure to impress anyone who takes a bite.
Why You’ll Love This Persian Love Cake
- Unique flavor profile. Lemon, cardamom, and rose are 3 flavors that are less commonly used together but are truly a great match.
- Great for events. Make this cake recipe for a bridal party or Valentine’s Day!
- Beautiful presentation. With the decorations and garnishes on top, the final result is a showstopper!
What You’ll Need
Below are the ingredients for the cake and the glaze. This rose cake recipe is fairly simple. Rosewater, along with other Middle Eastern products, can be found at most grocery stores. See the recipe card below for more details and measurements.
For the cake
- Flour/almond meal/cornstarch: This cake combines these three dry ingredients. The almond meal adds a little texture.
- Baking powder: This leavening agent will help the cake rise.
- Spices: Cardamom has a peppery and floral taste that complements the other ingredients. I always use salt in baked goods to enhance the flavors.
- Butter: Softened, unsalted butter adds richness to the cake. Leave it on the counter for at least 30 minutes before you mix the batter.
- Sugar: I use white granulated sugar as the sweetener.
- Eggs: This is necessary for the cake to have structure.
- Buttermilk: For a moist cake, buttermilk helps because of its acidity.
- Rosewater: Add a subtle floral note and rose flavor to the cake.
- Lemon zest: I only use lemon zest from fresh lemons, so the citrus isn’t too overpowering.
For the glaze
- Powdered sugar: This is to sweeten the glaze while also keeping it smooth.
- Lemon juice: Use the same lemon that you zested and collect the juice for the glaze. It brightens up the finished cake.
- Rosewater: I add a little rosewater to the glaze to carry over the floral flavor.
- Pistachios and rose petals: I like the salty crunch of the pistachios and their slight green color. It looks so pretty with the dried rose petals!
How to Make This Persian Love Cake Recipe
Here are all of the steps needed to make this Persian love cake with a rose and lemon glaze. It’s just as easy to make as any other homemade recipe!
- Cream the butter and sugar. Add the softened butter and sugar to a separate bowl (of a stand mixer if you have it) and beat at high speed until creamy and well-mixed.
- Mix in the eggs. Incorporate the eggs one at a time at medium speed until the butter mixture is smooth.
- Add the remaining wet ingredients. Combine the buttermilk, rosewater, and lemon zest until combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients. Add half of the dry ingredient mixture and mix it on low speed until it is well incorporated. Then, repeat the process with the remainder of the dry ingredients.
- Bake. Pour the cake batter into the pan and bake it for about 45 minutes.
- Cool. Allow the cake to cool for 20 minutes in the cake pan and then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the glaze. While the cake is cooling, add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and rosewater to a large bowl. Whisk the ingredients until they are well combined.
- Drizzle over the cake. Once the cake is completely cooled, drizzle the glaze over the cake.
- Serve. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and dried rose petals. Enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Use a toothpick. If you are unsure if the cake is fully baked, insert a toothpick into the center. If it comes out mostly clean (with only a few crumbs) it’s ready.
- Try non-stick spray. Instead of parchment, you may spray your cake pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add more lemon juice. If needed, add a little more fresh lemon juice to the rose glaze to achieve the right consistency for drizzling.
Proper Storage
Store leftovers of this cake in an airtight container in a refrigerator for 3 days. To freeze, don’t add the garnishes. Place the cake in a freezer-safe container and store it for up to 3 months. Thaw it at room temperature and enjoy!
More Cake Recipes to Try
- Best Carrot Cake
- Homemade Lemon Cake
- Apple Pie Cake
- Homemade Angel Food Cake
- Best Rum Cake
- Molten Lava Cake
Persian Love Cake
This Persian Love Cake is a moist and flavorful cake. Its incredible texture comes from almond flour, while the ground cardamom, rosewater, and lemon zest infuse it with an unforgettable, aromatic flavor. The cake is finished with a luscious lemon and rosewater glaze and then beautifully adorned with chopped pistachios and dried edible rose petals.
Servings: 10 Servings
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups almond meal
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons rosewater
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon rosewater
- Roughly chopped pistachios for garnishing (optional)
- Dried rose petals for garnishing (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°c. Line the base and sides of a 9 inch round cake tin with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add the flour, almond meal, cornstarch, baking powder, ground cardamom and salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until well combined and set aside.
- Add the softened butter and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on a high speed with a flat beater attachment for 3 minutes, or until pale and creamy. Add the eggs and beat on a medium speed until well combined, scraping the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula as necessary to ensure everything is well incorporated.
- Add the buttermilk, rosewater and lemon zest to the cake mixture, along with half of the dry ingredients. Mix on a low speed until just starting to combine, then add the remaining dry ingredients. Beat on a low speed until just combined.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake tin. Bake for 45 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside to cool for 20 minutes in the tin before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- To make the glaze, add the powdered sugar, lemon juice and rosewater to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until well combined, adding extra lemon juice if needed to reach a drizzling consistency.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake. Decorate with the chopped pistachios and dried rose petals, if using.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Notes
- It’s important not to over-mix the cake batter to keep this cake light and fluffy.
- The cake is cooked through if it springs back when lightly touched in the center. Alternatively, a skewer or toothpick can be inserted into the center of the cake. If the skewer or toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached, the cake is cooked through.
- The glaze may require additional lemon juice to reach a drizzling consistency. If the glaze becomes too runny, add a small amount of additional powdered sugar.
- A large mixing bowl and hand-held electric beaters can be used in place of a stand mixer.
Nutrition
Calories: 509kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 229mg | Potassium: 202mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 55g | Vitamin A: 371IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 2mg
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