Persian Love Cakes for Two

I think careful cooking is love, don’t you? The loveliest thing you can cook for someone who’s close to you is about as nice a valentine as you can give. -Julia Child

If love was a cake, this would be it.

The story of the Persian Love Cake is as beautiful as the cake itself. Long ago, there was a Persian woman madly in love with a prince. To have him fall in love with her, she baked him a cake, filled with sweet cardamom, pistachios and rose petals. The cake was said to have magical love powers.

If you know me, you know I’m a die hard romantic. This cake had me at hello! And what else do you do when you love someone? Feed them of course. With love, with passion; to see the satisfied smile on their faces after they have relished a meal that you have put your heart and soul into. This weekend marks four years since I started the blog and sharing the thing I love most {cooking & feeding}. Thank you for being with me during this time as I’ve shared favorite recipes, gushed about motherhood and grown in the kitchen. I am beyond thankful I took the leap and started writing, because of it I have been able to share my passion and meet some wonderful people along the way. I always appreciate your comments and there is no better feeling than when someone says they’ve tried and loved one of your recipes! I look forward to continuing to share our journey & family recipes. Thank you again ♥

Back to the cake! My husbands reaction after trying it “Mmmm this tastes like mithai” made me understand why it’s a love cake. Mithai {Indian sweets} are his first love. They are the one and only thing he insists on bringing back from India and relishes upon arrival.

This recipe makes two regular size cupcakes or half a dozen mini cupcakes, perfect for date night or when you want to bake and not have an abundance of leftover cake.

Persian Love Cakes for Two

Ingredients for Cake

1 egg white
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon rose water
1/4 cup flour, sifted
1/4 heaping teaspoon of baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon coarsely crushed cardamom seeds
pinch of salt

Ingredients for Frosting
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoon powdered sugar
3-4 strands saffron
1 tablespoon crushed pistachios
candied rose petals for garnish

Method for Cake
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or line a regular size muffin pan with 2 liners or mini muffin pan with 6 liners.

In a mixing bowl, add egg white and sugar and whisk until combined. Add in rose water, lemon juice and melted butter and mix. Add sifted flour, baking powder, cardamom and salt and stir until smooth. Stir in milk. Divide batter equally between the cupcake liners.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until cake is set. Let cool and then frost.

Method for Frosting
In a medium size mixing bowl combine heavy cream and saffron and let sit in refrigerator while cupcakes are made. Once cupcakes are cooled and ready to frost, begin whipping heavy cream with hand or stand mixer on medium speed. Add powdered sugar and whip while slowly increasing speed. Once stiff peaks are formed {2 minutes} turn off mixer. Generously top cupcakes with whipped frosting and garnish with crushed pistachios and candied rose petals.

Enjoy!