The Persian Love Cake gets its name from the rose petals found in Persian spice, an ingredient that is frequently used in Middle Eastern cuisine. In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, this recipe perfectly represents the sweetness and energy of the holiday: it’s also a simple and lovely cake to enjoy with people you cherish. I got this recipe from Ana Sortun and Maura Kilpatrick’s beautiful cookbook, Soframiz.

Persian Spice

Ingredients: 

2 tbsp ground dried rose petals 

2 tbsp ground cinnamon 

1 ½ tsp black pepper 

¼ tsp ground cardamom 

½ tsp ground nutmeg

½ tsp ground coriander 

Directions:

Mix rose petals, cinnamon, black pepper, ground cardamom, nutmeg, and coriander together in a bowl.

Cake

Ingredients: 

3 cups almond flour

1 cup sugar 

1 cups packed light brown sugar

½ tsp salt 

½ cups unsalted butter

2 eggs

1 cup and 1 tbsp plain whole milk Greek yogurt 

1 tbsp Persian spice (see above)

1 tsp rose water 

½ cup honey 

Directions:

Butter or spray a 9-inch round cake pan and set aside. Combine almond flour, both sugars, and salt in a bowl. Cube the butter and add it in, mixing it with your hands. Stop right after it hits a coarse crumb texture, being careful not to knead it or over mix. Pour half of this mixture in the cake pan

This article also appears in our February 2020 print edition.