Persian Love Cake Almond (Printable)

Fragrant almond cake with cardamom and rosewater icing, topped with pistachios for a Persian-inspired dessert.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake Components

01 - 2 cups ground almonds (almond meal)
02 - 1 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend
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 and Decoration

12 - 3/4 cup icing sugar
13 - 1-2 tablespoons rosewater
14 - 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios
15 - 1 tablespoon dried rose petals

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 340°F and butter an 8-inch round cake pan. Line bottom with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy using electric mixer on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes.
03 - Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition until fully incorporated.
04 - Mix in Greek yogurt, lemon zest, and rosewater until combined.
05 - In separate bowl, whisk together ground almonds, flour, cardamom, baking powder, and salt.
06 - Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture using spatula until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
07 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top with offset spatula.
08 - Bake for 40-45 minutes until wooden skewer inserted into center comes out clean.
09 - Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Whisk icing sugar with rosewater in small bowl until thick but pourable consistency is achieved.
11 - Drizzle icing over cooled cake. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and dried rose petals before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The crumb is impossibly tender while still holding together beautifully, no sinking middles here
  • Cardamom and rosewater create those perfume notes that make people stop and ask what is this
  • Ground almonds keep it moist for days, meaning breakfast cake is totally acceptable
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are non-negotiable here or your batter will curdle and you will feel defeated for no good reason
  • Do not open the oven before 40 minutes even if you are worried, because this cake needs that uninterrupted heat to set properly
  • The cake continues cooking slightly while cooling, so removing it when the skewer has just a few moist crumbs is perfect timing
03 -
  • Grind your cardamom fresh from whole pods if you possibly can, because the pre-ground stuff loses its magic after a few weeks
  • Let the icing sit for a minute after mixing to let any lumps dissolve before drizzling

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