Persian Love Cake

By Naz Deravian

Updated February 13, 2025

  • Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
50 minutes, plus cooling
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes, plus cooling
Rating
5(674)
Comments
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The origins of Persian love cake, a fragrant and tender cake adorned with rose petals, are shrouded in a romanticized story of unrequited love. Set in bygone lands with the scent of cardamom and rose wafting through the air, the tale tells of a Persian prince and the girl who won his heart by baking him this magical cake. It’s unclear from where this tale first sprung, but the timeline is certainly recent: The earliest mentions of Persian love cake do not date back to ancient or even modern-day Iran, but possibly to a chef in Australia in the early 2000s who prepared an almond flour-based cake and called it Persian love cake. Perhaps the combination of almonds, cardamom and rose water, ingredients typically used in Iranian baked goods, inspired the name. This version uses a combination of almond flour and all-purpose flour, which makes for a delightfully light crumb. The perfume of lemon and rose water in the cake is echoed in the syrup that drenches the cake, as well as in the icing that drapes it. Like every good romance, this take on Persian love cake will keep you coming back for more.

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Ingredients

Yield:1 (9-inch) cake

FOR THE CAKE

  • ½ cup/115 grams unsalted butter, softened at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan (see Tip)

  • 2 cups/225 grams almond flour 

  • 1 cup/135 grams all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon baking soda

  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

  • ¾ cup/150 grams granulated sugar

  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon) 

  • 3 large eggs

  • 1 cup/227 grams plain Greek yogurt

  • 2 tablespoons rose water

FOR THE SYRUP

  • ¼ cup granulated sugar 

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

  • 1 tablespoon rose water

FOR THE ICING AND TOPPING

  • 1 cup/113 grams powdered sugar

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon), as needed

  • ½ to 1 tablespoon rose water

  • Raw pistachios (optional), slivered or chopped

  • Dried, food-safe Damask rose petals (optional), for garnishing

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the center position. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform cake pan, then line with parchment paper and very lightly butter the parchment.

  2. Step 2

    Prepare the cake: In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the almond flour, all-purpose flour, cardamom, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

  3. Step 3

    In the bowl of a stand mixer, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips to release the perfume of the zest. Add the butter and beat with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed, about 5 minutes. (You may also use a handheld mixer.)

  4. Step 4

    Add the eggs one at a time, beating on medium-high until combined. Beat in the yogurt until smooth, then stir in the rose water. Fold in the dry ingredients using a flexible spatula until just combined, with no visible flecks of flour. It will be a very thick batter.

  5. Step 5

    Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan and spread evenly, smoothing the top with an offset spatula. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer pan to a cooling rack set over a baking sheet.

  6. Step 6

    As soon as you have left the cake to cool, prepare the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and lemon juice over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Stir in the rose water and remove from the heat.

  7. Step 7

    While the cake is still warm, use a toothpick, a small skewer or a fork to poke holes across the surface of the cake. Using a spoon, drizzle the syrup evenly across the surface. Allow the cake to absorb the syrup and cool for 30 minutes in the pan.

  8. Step 8

    Remove the cake from the pan and let cool completely on the rack.

  9. Step 9

    When the cake has fully cooled, prepare the icing. (Do not ice the cake while warm.) In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and ½ tablespoon of the rose water until the icing is smooth, thick and pourable. Add more lemon juice or rose water if needed to thin the icing.

  10. Step 10

    Drizzle the icing over the cake, top with pistachios and dried rose petals, if using. (The cake will keep covered on the counter for up to 2 days and 3 days in the refrigerator.)

Tip

  • You can use the paper the butter is wrapped in to grease the pan.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
674 user ratings
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Comments

DVC

Yes, and you’ll have a lovely orange cardamom cake. My family is Syrian so I have and like both rose and orange waters. I have on occasion substituted one for the other. Several other Persian love cake recipes online suggest that rose is traditional but you can substitute orange blossom water. I think it’ll be delicious.

Ellen Pulaski

King Arthur Flour Company stocks these ingredients.

Amy B

I made this cake without syrup, icing or nuts bc I didn’t want the additional sweetness & simply was out of pistachios. I also did not have rosewater, so I substituted a strong brew of ginger lemon tea. I worried that cardamom flavor would be overly dominant, but it was delicate and the crumb was wonderful. My husband loved his valentine’s cake.

Marjie

Wow! I made this pretty much as written. My teaspoon of cardamom was heaping, and I added another tablespoon of lemon juice to the syrup because it was a big lemon. It baked up fine in my 2 inch deep 9 inch straight sided cake pan. It took 45 minutes in my calibrated oven for the internal temperature of the cake to reach 200 degrees F. What a fabulous combination of flavors this velvety cake delivers!

Marjie

Also: I sifted the flour with the leavening agents three times before blending in the almond flour. I added the quarter teaspoon of salt and used salted butter. It’s not a small cake!

Aunt Reena

Re: Cardamom - I think you really have to grind your own powder, if possible. Which means cracking many, many fresh cardamom pods, and hoping your mortar and pestle do the trick... A lot of work, but pre-ground cardamom powder doesn't do it. Cardamom flavor is magic! Rose water - can't use too much! Lemon - why?? I found it overpowered all the above delicate flavors. And if you're not satisfied with your results? Call it Persian Unrequited Love Cake.....

Jane

If you have never baked with rose water before, don’t start with this recipe because it contains a LOT! I put it in the batter as specified, tasted it, then left it out of the syrup and glaze. It was still too strong for my taste.

Reena

what kind of rose water did you use? Cortas brand tasted like - water! Looking for a good brand, obviously Thanks

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