Persian Love Cake with Almond Cardamom (Printable)

Fragrant almond and cardamom cake with rosewater icing and pistachios

# 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 & Garnish

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

# How To Cook:

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 with an electric mixer until pale, light, and fluffy.
03 - Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition until fully blended.
04 - Fold in the Greek yogurt, lemon zest, and rosewater until evenly combined.
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, mixing until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
07 - Transfer batter to the prepared tin, smooth the surface, and bake for 40-45 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Let the cake rest in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
09 - Whisk icing sugar with rosewater in a small bowl, adding liquid gradually until achieving a thick but pourable consistency.
10 - Drizzle the icing evenly over the cooled cake, then immediately sprinkle with chopped pistachios and dried rose petals.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The ground almond base creates an incredibly moist crumb that stays fresh for days
  • Cardamom and rosewater transform a simple cake into something that feels like a special occasion
  • That rosewater icing makes everything look fancy with almost zero effort
02 -
  • Opening the oven door too early causes this cake to collapse, so wait until at least the 35 minute mark before checking
  • Room temperature ingredients make an enormous difference in how smoothly the batter comes together
  • Overmixing after adding flour makes the texture tough and rubbery instead of tender and delicate
03 -
  • Toasting cardamom pods in a dry pan for 2 minutes before grinding makes the flavor sing
  • Weighing ingredients instead of using cups gives you consistent results every single time

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