Food Talk

“Cooking is like love: It should be entered into with abandon or not at all." — Harriet van Horne

With Valentine’s Day round the corner, the recipe for this month is packed with flavours that arouse the taste buds. The Persian Love Cake has all the exotic essence of cardamom, almonds, rose and pistachio. The sponge is light and fluffy, it melts in the mouth and it is quick to make.

 

Photo by Kiran Kaur

 

Persian Love Cake

Ingredients  

250g Butter   

250g Caster Sugar

250g Self-rising Flour

100g Fine Semolina

100g Fine Almond Meal

100g Greek Yoghurt

100g Honey

50g Pistachios

4 Eggs

2 tsp Rose Water

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Ground Cardamom

1 Lemon

1 Orange

 

  1. Grease an 8’ round or a bunt tin with oil and flour and leave to settle.
  2. Turn on the oven at 180 degrees.
  3. Whisk the butter and sugar, until light and fluffy, and add in the eggs, one at a time.
  4. Then add the yoghurt and 1 tsp of rose water and whisk the mixture.
  5. In a mixing bowl add flour, semolina, almond meal, baking powder and cardamom, mix well.
  6. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together and whisk until a smooth texture.
  7. Spread the cake mix evenly in the baking tin and bake for 50 minutes.
  8. 10 minutes prior to the cake being baked, in a pan add the honey, lemon juice, orange juice, 1 tsp rose water and heat it over a medium heat to make a syrup.
  9. Once the cake is baked remove it from the oven and pour the syrup over the cake while it is hot for better immersion.
  10. Chop the pistachios and sprinkle over the top to garnish the cake.