Persian Love Cake with Rose, Cardamom and Figs

Name: Rukmini Iyer's Persian Love Cake Recipe | Quick Cake Recipes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 8
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 170g soft light brown sugar; 170g soft unsalted butter; 3 nice free-range eggs; 125g self-raising flour; 1 tsp baking powder; 45g ground almonds; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; 4 cardamom pods, seeds only; 2 drops of rosewater; 250g mascarpone; 25g icing sugar; 1–2 drops of rosewater; fresh edible or dry rose petals (optional); A handful of pistachio slivers; 2 fresh figs, thinly sliced

by Rukmini Iyer from The Roasting Tin Around The World

This is Rukmini's version of the classic Persian love cake, with rosewater icing, topped with fresh figs and slivers of pistachio.

Vegetarian Baking Freezer Friendly Dinner Party

Serves 8

Total 40 min

Prep 15 min

Cook 25 min

Easy

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Introduction from Rukmini Iyer

Like Scheherezade’s tales, there are thousands of versions of Persian love cake, with the roughly similar legend behind them that a young woman made the cake for the man she loved, who promptly and helpfully fell in love with her on tasting it. I can make no guarantees as to the efficacy of this recipe for similar results, as the man was a prince and that was a fairytale, but nonetheless this is a lovely, baklava-scented cake to make for friends or loved ones.

Ingredients

170g soft light brown sugar

170g soft unsalted butter

3 nice free-range eggs

125g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

45g ground almonds

½ tsp ground cinnamon

4 cardamom pods, seeds only

2 drops of rosewater

For the icing:

250g mascarpone

25g icing sugar

1–2 drops of rosewater

For the decoration:

fresh edible or dry rose petals (optional)

A handful of pistachio slivers

2 fresh figs, thinly sliced

Essential kit

You will need: a 26 x 20cm roasting tin and a wire rack.

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C/gas 4. Beat the sugar and butter together until soft, then whisk in the eggs. Fold in the flour, baking powder, ground almonds, spices and rosewater, then transfer the mixture to a lined 26cm by 20cm shallow roasting tin and bake for 20–25 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a skewer, when inserted, comes out clean.

Meanwhile, beat the mascarpone and icing sugar together with one or two tiny drops of rosewater (depending on the brand, it can be overwhelming, so use very little or you risk making an icing that tastes like shower gel).

Once the cake is out of the oven, let it cool for 5 minutes in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack until completely cold. Spread the icing all over the cake neatly with a hot palette knife, then scatter over the rose petals, pistachio slivers and quartered figs. Serve immediately.

NOTE: This cake freezes well un-iced. If you are not eating it on the day you make it, store in the fridge as the topping uses fresh fruit.

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