Persian Love Cake

The rose bush in front of our house blooms. Oftentimes when I look at the pretty pink roses I remember a recipe that I saw quite a few years ago in Bon Appétit magazine, a dainty looking layered chiffon cake with rose scented whipped cream and candied rose petals.

The recipe is straightforward and easy to prepare. I started by picking some rose petals, brushed them with lightly beaten egg whites and sprinkeld them with superfine sugar. Then I let them dry on a baking sheet that I previously covered with parchment paper. Within a few hours, the rose petals had dried.

Then I prepared the dough, just enough for the two 8-inch baking pans. Once the two cake layers have completely cooled on wire racks, the only thing left to do is to prepare the rose scented whipped cream.



Persian Love Cake
( a recipe by Elisabeth Faulkner, featured in Bon Appétit Magazine, June 2005)

For the Candied Rose Petals

2 large egg whites, use organic
1/2 cup superfine sugar
Petals from 2 organic roses


Ingredients for the Cake

1 cup cake flour
14 tbsp superfine sugar, divided
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
3 large eggs, separated
6 tablespoons water
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp grated lemon peel (use organic lemon)
1/4 tsp whole cardamom seeds (removed from about 5 green cardamom pods)


Ingredients for the Frosting

2 1/2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream, divided
Pinch of saffron threads

2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon rose water

2 tablespoons natural unsalted pistachios


Preparation

For the Candied Rose Petals

Whisk the egg whites in a small bowl until foamy. Using a pastry brush, brush rose petals on both sides with egg whites; sprinkle on both sides with sugar. Dry on nonstick rack at least six hours or overnight.


For the Cake

1. Preheat oven to 325°degrees Fahrenheit. Butter two 8-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line pan bottoms with parchment paper; butter the parchment.
2. Sift flour, 7 tablespoons baker's sugar, baking powder, and salt into large bowl.
3. Whisk yolks and next 4 ingredients in small bowl until smooth. Add yolk mixture to dry ingredients; whisk until smooth.
4. Beat egg whites in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 7 tablespoons baker's sugar; beat until whites resemble thick marshmallow fluff.
5. Fold whites into batter in three additions. Divide batter between prepared pans.
6. Bake until cakes are golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. 7. Cool in pans on racks 15 minutes. Turn out onto racks, peel off parchment, and cool completely.


For the Frosting

1. Combine 1/2 cup cream and saffron in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and let steep for about 20 minutes. Then chill until cold.
2. Beat remaining 2 cups cream, powdered sugar, and rose water in large bowl until soft peaks form and strain in the saffron cream. Then beat until peaks form.
3. Place one cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread one cup frosting over and top with second cake layer, flat side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Chill at least one hour and up to six..
4. Decorate the cake with rose petals and pistachios.

This recipe is a wonderful recipe. The Persian Love Cake turns out light and elegant with delicate eastern flavors and it is not overly sweet. The frosting is also delicious and the taste of the rose water and saffron do come through. The rose petals are also absolutely beautiful and delicious and the green pistachios are a nice touch.

I highly recommend this pretty cake and would make it again. It was a nice ending to an early summertime buffet – with the temperatures that we are having right now, it already feels like summer and I had to make sure to take the cake out of the fridge at the last minute, otherwise I believe the creamy frosting would not have held up.

However, I should add a caveat. Depending on the kind of cardamom, saffron and rose water you use, go easy at first with these additions because their flavors can easily overpower the otherwise subtle flavors of this cake.

What a better way to present pink rose petals than by decorating this cake with them.