Persian Love Cake Almond (Printable)

Fragrant almond-cardamom cake with rosewater icing and pistachios, inspired by Persian flavors

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake Components

01 - 1.75 cups ground almonds (almond meal)
02 - 3/4 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 & Decoration

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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 340°F. Butter and line an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, beat butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
03 - Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition until fully incorporated.
04 - Fold in Greek yogurt, lemon zest, and rosewater until mixture is uniform.
05 - In a separate bowl, whisk together ground almonds, flour, cardamom, baking powder, and salt.
06 - Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
07 - Transfer batter to prepared pan, smoothing the top surface evenly with a spatula.
08 - Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted into the center emerges clean.
09 - Allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing.
10 - Transfer cake to a wire rack and cool completely before applying icing.
11 - Whisk icing sugar with rosewater in a small bowl until thick yet pourable consistency is achieved.
12 - Drizzle icing over cooled cake, then garnish with chopped pistachios and dried rose petals.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The combination of almond and cardamom creates this incredibly moist, fragrant crumb that keeps beautifully for days
  • Its one of those cakes that looks impressive with minimal effort, the rosewater icing and pistachios doing all the decorative work
02 -
  • Overbaking will dry out this delicate cake, so start checking at 40 minutes and trust your instincts
  • The cake might look slightly underdone when you take it out, but it continues cooking as it cools and thats what makes it so moist
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients blend together more easily and create a smoother batter, so plan ahead
  • Let the cake cool completely before icing, otherwise the rosewater glaze will melt right off

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