This Persian Love Cake recipe is a lightly sweetened spice and citrus dessert that is specially flavored with rosewater, deliciously moist, low carb and sugar free to boot. This romantic cake is topped with beautiful edible rose petals and crunchy pistachios for texture.
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Sift together spelt flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and ground cardamom through sifter. Next add the almond flour to the bowl and whisk to combine.
Cream together the butter and sugar in the bowl of a mixer and beat on medium speed until the mixture is pale, fluffy and well incorporated. Usually about 3-5 minutes.
Next, add in the eggs one at a time. Follow with the buttermilk and sour cream or yogurt. Mix after each ingredient until fully incorporated, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula with each addition.
Add the zest and juice of half of the lemon and half of the orange, and the rosewater. Mix to combine.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Beat until the batter comes together, for a couple minutes.
Place the cake mixture in the prepared cake pan. Use the back of a spoon to spread the batter evenly. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the cake pan for 2 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack, allowing it to cool for about 1 hour.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, lemon juice and rosewater until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Use a thin skewer or toothpick to poke tiny holes evenly across the surface of the cake.
Pour the lemon drizzle evenly across the cake and let it soak in.
In a bowl, combine the icing sugar with one tablespoon of lemon juice at a time until the icing is smooth, thick and pourable. Add more icing sugar if needed, if the mixture becomes to thin.
Stir in a few drops of rosewater to taste.
Add and stir into the glaze, the rose petals and chopped pistachios.
Lastly, pour and evenly spread the icing over the top of the cake while allowing it to run down the sides.
Refrigerate for 5 minutes in order to allow icing to set before slicing and serving.