Persian Love Cake
Published Sep 18, 2026
Persian love cake made with almond flour, cardamom, rose water, orange zest, and pistachios. An easy, moist cake with an orange rose glaze.
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Persian love cake has pretty much all of my favorite flavors in one cake, including cardamom, rose, pistachio, and orange! These are all flavors I grew up with in Lebanese desserts, so even though Persian love cake isn’t Lebanese, there’s something about it that still feels really familiar to me.
I make this Persian rose cake with almond flour and Greek yogurt, then add pistachios and dried rose petals on top once it’s done. That’s really it. There’s no frosting, and I don’t do much else to it before serving. I usually just cut myself a slice and have it with coffee or tea.
Recipe Testing Notes
For the past 10 years, I’ve tested every recipe before sharing it with you! These notes give you a peek into the process of developing this Persian Love Cake recipe.
I tested the rose water at a few different amounts, and more was definitely not better. Once I pushed it too far, the cake started tasting perfumey. The amount in the recipe gave me the rose flavor I wanted without having it take over the whole cake.
I also tested this with all-purpose flour instead of using almond flour, but that version came out noticeably drier. The mix of almond flour and all-purpose flour, along with the Greek yogurt, gave me a softer cake, so I kept both in.
For the orange zest, I got much better flavor when I rubbed it into the sugar first. I tested just adding the zest straight to the batter, too, but the orange barely came through. Rubbing it into the sugar first made a big difference, so that’s the method I stuck with.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
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Persian Love Cake Ingredients
- Dry ingredients: All-purpose flour, almond flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, ground cardamom, and salt. Use finely ground, blanched almond flour, because coarser almond meal will give the cake a different texture. And make sure your baking powder is fresh and aluminum-free so the Persian love cake doesn’t have a metallic taste.
- Wet ingredients: Eggs, Greek yogurt, orange zest, rose water, and olive oil. I use room-temperature eggs so they blend into the batter more easily. I recommend plain whole-milk Greek yogurt and a mild olive oil for the best flavor. Make sure you use rose water, not rose extract. I really recommend getting some for this recipe, but if you don’t have any, you can substitute with orange juice.
- Orange icing: Powdered sugar, more rose water, orange juice, and a pinch of salt make the icing.
- For serving: I top the Persian love cake with finely chopped pistachios, dried edible rose petals, and more fresh orange zest.
How to Make Persian Love Cake
These step-by-step photos walk you through how to make a traditional Persian Love Cake. For the full ingredient list and detailed instructions, head to the recipe card below, or skip straight to the → Persian Love Cake below
1. Rub the zest into the sugar
Use your fingertips to work the orange zest into the sugar until the mixture looks like wet sand.
2. Add the wet ingredients
Pour in the olive oil, then add the eggs, Greek yogurt, and rose water. Whisk until smooth.
3. Fold in the dry ingredients
Whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt in a medium bowl. Gently fold it into the wet ingredients until there are no dry patches left, then stop mixing.
4. Fill the cake pan
Transfer the batter to a greased, parchment-lined 9-inch round cake pan and smooth the surface.
5. Bake the Persian love cake
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake rest in the pan before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Add the orange icing
Whisk the icing ingredients until smooth, then drizzle over the cooled cake. Sprinkle on the pistachios, rose petals, and orange zest while the icing is still wet so they stick.
Full Persian Love Cake Recipe
Persian Love Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange zest plus more for the topping
- ½ cup olive oil
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- ¾ cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon rose water
Orange Icing
- 1½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- ½ teaspoon rose water
- Pinch of salt
Topping
- ⅓ cup finely chopped pistachios
- 1 tablespoon dried edible rose petals
- Fresh orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar and orange zest. Use your fingers to rub them together until the mixture resembles wet sand. Add the olive oil, eggs, Greek yogurt, and rose water, and whisk until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently fold until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, orange juice, rose water and salt until smooth.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake. Immediately sprinkle with the pistachios, rose petals, and fresh orange zest before the glaze sets.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- More pistachios: For some crunch inside the cake, fold ¼ cup finely chopped unsalted pistachios into the finished batter.
- Vanilla: Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract with the wet ingredients alongside the orange and cardamom.
Recipe Tips
- Measure the rose water carefully. Use the listed amount rather than pouring directly from the bottle. Too much can make the cake taste perfumy.
- Fold gently once the flour goes in. Scrape along the bottom of the bowl to catch hidden flour, and stop as soon as the batter is combined.
- Check the center before taking it out. A golden top doesn’t necessarily mean the middle is baked. Use the toothpick test rather than relying on color alone.
Troubleshooting
Too much flour or overmixing can make the cake dense. Spoon the all-purpose flour into the measuring cup and level it off rather than scooping directly from the bag. Once you add the dry ingredients, switch to a spatula and fold just until combined.
First, make sure the cake is completely cool. If the icing itself is too runny, whisk in powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until it’s thick enough to drizzle slowly. If it’s too thick, add orange juice ½ teaspoon at a time.
You can decorate the cake the day before serving, but the pistachios may soften, and the petals can absorb moisture. For a fresher-looking finish, save the icing and toppings for serving day.
