Recipe Scene: Persian Love Cake

This is a super easy version of this beautiful cake, recipe from taste.com. Usually a Persian love cake is made by preparing a basic mix and using that as a sort of base, and adding yoghurt and a few other tings tot the remaining batter to make the rest of the cake. This recipe however is really quick, as you just throw everything in. It still retains the essence of the traditionally prepared cake, but takes half the time to prepare.

Ingredients:

• 200g butter, softened

• 3/4 cup brown sugar

• 3 eggs

• 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour

• 3/4 cup almond meal

• 2 teaspoons finely grated orange rind

• 2/3 cup orange juice

• 1 tablespoon rosewater

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

To decorate:

• 2 tablespoons pistachio kernels, roughly chopped

• Edible dried rose petals

Method: 

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees C and grease and line the cake tin of your choice. Cream the butter and sugar together until they are light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the eggs, one at a time.
• Add all remaining ingredients except the pistachios and rose petals, and stir well. Pour into tin and bake for around 40 minutes or until cooked through.
• Turn cake onto a wire rack to cool, and decorate with the rose petals and chopped pistachios. If you like you can pour a little icing or sugar syrup onto the cake first to stop the decorations rolling off.