Persian Love cake

Persian Love Cake is a delightful dessert with roots in Persian cuisine. It's a rich and aromatic cake typically made with ingredients like almond flour, rose water, cardamom, and pistachios. The cake is known for its tender texture and exotic flavor profile, often topped with a dusting of powdered sugar, rose petals or a sprinkling of chopped pistachios. It's a beloved treat that captures the essence of Persian culinary traditions and is enjoyed by many for its unique taste and cultural significance.

Ingredients

3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup almond flour (OR just finely grind almonds in a blender. OR substitute it with semolina/sooji)

3/4 cup butter (at room temperature) OR 1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup fine sugar

3/4 cup plain yoghurt/ dahi OR 2 medium eggs

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

Few Fresh edible rose petals

1.5 tbsp rose water OR few drops of rose extract/essence (depending on how strong it is)

3/4 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp lemon juice

Syrup for soaking

1/2 tsp rose water

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp water

2 tbsp sugar

Some whipped cream/buttercream frosting, rose petals and pistachios for garnish

Instructions

1. Combine yogurt and baking soda, mixing well, and set aside for 3-4 minutes to allow it to react. Sift all the dry ingredients and set them aside. Preheat the oven to 180°C, grease a 6-7 inch round pan, and line it with parchment or baking paper.

2. In a bowl, whisk together oil and sugar until well combined. Add the vanilla extract, rose extract, finely chopped rose petals, cardamom, and lemon juice.

3. Fold in the dry ingredients lightly until everything is well combined into a smooth batter. Avoid over mixing at this stage. If the batter is too thick, add some milk. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

4. Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the syrup, heat, and cook until it reaches a one-thread consistency. Set aside.

5. Once the cake is baked, remove it from the oven and poke holes in it using a fork or skewer. Drizzle the syrup all over the cake using a brush or spoon until the entire syrup is soaked into the cake.

6. Allow the cake to cool completely, then refrigerate it for a while. Decorate with whipped cream, rose petals, and pistachios. It tastes amazing without frosting as well.