Persian Love Cake Almond Cardamom (Printable)

A fragrant almond and cardamom cake with rosewater icing, pistachios, and optional rose petals. An elegant Persian-inspired dessert.

# What You Need:

→ Cake Components

01 - 2 cups ground almonds (almond meal)
02 - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (can substitute with gluten-free flour)
03 - 1 cup caster sugar
04 - 2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 2 large eggs
06 - 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
07 - 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
08 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - Zest of 1 lemon
11 - 1 tablespoon rosewater

→ Icing & Decoration

12 - 1 cup icing sugar
13 - 1-2 tablespoons rosewater
14 - 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios
15 - 1 tablespoon dried rose petals (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 340°F. Butter and line an 8-inch round cake tin with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and caster sugar together until light and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
03 - Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition until fully combined.
04 - Stir in the Greek yogurt, lemon zest, and rosewater until the mixture is uniform.
05 - In a separate bowl, whisk together ground almonds, flour, cardamom, baking powder, and salt.
06 - Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a spatula until just incorporated, being careful not to overmix.
07 - Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, using a spatula to smooth and level the top evenly.
08 - Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
09 - Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10 - In a small bowl, whisk the icing sugar with rosewater, adding liquid gradually until a thick but pourable consistency is achieved.
11 - Drizzle the rosewater icing over the completely cooled cake, then immediately sprinkle with chopped pistachios and dried rose petals.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The combination of almond and cardamom creates this warm comforting flavor that feels like a hug in cake form
  • Its one of those desserts that looks fancy but comes together with simple pantry staples
02 -
  • Over mixing the batter will make it tough, so fold gently and stop as soon as the flour disappears
  • The cake continues cooking slightly in the pan, so remove it when the skewer has just a few moist crumbs
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients mix together more evenly, so take everything out an hour before baking
  • A sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top of the icing makes all the flavors pop

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