Celebrate any occasion with this stunning Persian Love Cake topped with Turkish Delight. This cake is also wonderful for Valentine's Day, weddings and other celebrations.
Cake
Ingredients
2 cups (240g) almond meal
¾ cup (110g) self-raising flour
300g butter, at room temperature
1 ¼ cups (275g) firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 ¼ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cardamom
2 tsp rosewater
6 eggs
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a round 22cm diameter cake pan. Line base and sides with baking paper. Combine almond meal and flour in a bowl and set aside
Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and rosewater in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Fold in almond meal mixture until combined
Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Smooth surface. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Set aside in pan for 10 minutes to cool before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely
Rosewater Buttercream
Ingredients
250g butter, softened, room temperature
500g icing sugar mixture
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tsp rosewater, or to taste
1 tbsp milk
Pink food colouring, to tint
Turkish delight, pistachios, raspberries, gold leaf and dried rose petals, to decorate
Method
Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat butter in a bowl until pale and creamy. Gradually add icing sugar mixture, beating constantly until combined. Add vanilla and rosewater. Tint pale pink with colouring. Beat until combined
Cut cake in half horizontally. Place cake base on a serving plate. Pipe or spread over half the buttercream. Top with cake top. Pipe or spread with remaining buttercream. Decorate with Turkish delight, pistachios, raspberries, gold leaf and dried rose petals. Serve
