What is there not to love ... Sexy rose petals, crunchy pistachios and fragrant cardamom, this lemony and moist cake is the best way to finish off a romantic dinner. Some fables suggest that this cake was originally baked by a Persian woman to charm a prince. I, as an Iranian, have never heard that such a cake belongs to Iran. Despite multiple legends surrounding this beautiful, exotic cake, I believe that Persian girls do not need a cake to charm ...
Ingredients for the cake
- 200 g (2 cups) almond meal
- 150 g (1 cup) plain flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1.5 tsp ground cardamom
- 120g / 8 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 150g (3/4 cup) brown sugar
- 150g (3/4 cup) white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 250g (1 cup) plain yoghurt
- zest of one orange/lemon
- 50g / 2oz raw pistachios, chopped
Ingredients for the syrup- 85 ml (1/3 cup) water
- 70g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) rose water
- juice of one lemon
Preheat oven 180C/350F (standard) or 160C/320F (fan).
Grease and line a 23cm/9" cake tin.
Mix all the dry ingredients: almond meal, flour, baking powder and cardamon in a bowl.
Beat butter, brown and white sugars with an electric mixer until incorporated.
Add eggs, beat until smooth.
Then add yoghurt and orange zest, mix for 5 minutes.
Add dry ingredients. Stir until mixed through.
Pour into the ready cake tin, smooth surface.
Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour.
Scatter rose petals over the cake.
Poke a few holes all over the cake using a skewer.
Pour warm syrup over while cake still hot.
Leave to soak in the tin for 1 hour.
To make the syrup:
Place all your ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat.
Simmer for only 2 minutes.
Put the pistachios in.
Set aside.
