In this beautiful Persian Love Cake, a buttery almond crust is filled with a creamy yogurt filling full of Middle Eastern flavors! This gluten free cake has the most amazing taste and is super simple to make.
Why Make This Recipe
- gluten free - this cake is perfect for those with dietary restrictions
- creamy, cheesecake-like filling
- it’s not overly sweet
- flavored with cinnamon and orange blossom water
- easy to make in just one-bowl!
- perfect for holidays - this cake would make a wonderful Valentine's Day dessert along with this Red Velvet Cream Cheese Bundt Cake and this Easy Chocolate Cake.
What is Persian Love Cake?
Story has it that a girl was madly in love with a Persian prince. She made him a beautiful and enchanted cake to get him to fall in love with her.
From all of my research, I could never find out if it actually worked. The story is split; some say it worked and they lived happily ever after, and others say he tragically never returned her love.
I can't guarantee that this cake has any special powers to win over your crush, but it definitely tastes as magical as the story.
The cake begins with almond flour, sugar, and butter. Half of the mixture becomes the crust (and arguably the best part of the cake!). The remaining mixture becomes the cheesecake-like filling my mixing in eggs, Greek yogurt, and flavorings.
What Does This Cake Taste Like?
Persian Love Cake is made with almond flour and Greek yogurt, this gluten free cake is almost like a Middle Eastern cheesecake, with a hint of cinnamon and blossom water. You’re going to LOVE this one-bowl cake!
INGREDIENT NOTES
- almond flour - Superfine blanched almond flour works best here. Fine almond flour will make the filling super smooth and creamy.
- Greek yogurt - Use full fat plain Greek yogurt. If you use a yogurt with a lower fat content, the filling will not be as rich and creamy. Make sure that your yogurt is at room temperature so that it blends well with the rest of the ingredients.
- orange blossom water – This can typically be found in the Middle Eastern section of supermarkets. You can also order it online.
- pistachios – Add some crunch and make a gorgeous topping! I use unsalted roasted green pistachios.
- edible rose petals - Optional, but make the cake super special. Use food grade dried rose petals.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
STEP 1. MAKE THE CRUST
Combine the almond flour, sugars, butter, and salt together. You can use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer. Beat on low speed until crumbly, then press half of the mixture into an 8-in springform pan.
STEP 2. MAKE THE FILLING
Next up is the filling. Add the eggs, yogurt, and flavorings to the remaining almond flour mixture. Beat on medium high speed until all of the ingredients are fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour the mixture over the crust.
STEP 3. BAKE
Bake the cake in a fully preheated oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the center is set. Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack for 1 hour.
STEP 4. CHILL
Once the cake is completely cool, refrigerate it for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.
STEP 5. DECORATE AND SERVE
Once the cake has chilled and the filling is completely set, carefully remove it from the pan and transfer it to a serving dish. Top the cake with chopped pistachios, dried edible rose petals and serve.
FAQS AND EXPERT TIPS
- Almond flour. It is important to use blanched superfine almond flour. Using a coarse almond flour, or almond flour made from raw almonds will change the texture and appearance of your cake.
- Flavorings. Persian Love Cake can be flavored with your favorite spices and extracts. I used cinnamon and blossom water to flavor the cake, but cardamom, nutmeg, and rose water would also be delicious.
- Pan size. This cake is made in an 8-inch springform pan. You can also make it a 9-inch springform pan, but it will be relatively thinner. Adjust the baking time as needed (it will need less baking if you use a larger cake pan).
Yes. If you're making this for a special occasion, you can make the cake up to 2 days in advance. Store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
If you have any leftover cake, store it in an airtight container or wrapped tightly with plastic wrap for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
RELATED RECIPES
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Persian Love Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 8-inch springform pan
- Stand mixer
- Hand mixer
Ingredients
- 4 ⅓ cups almond flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt room temperature
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
- ½ cup shelled pistachios roasted and unsalted
- food grade dried rose petals for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and line an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
- Make the crust: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, combine the almond flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, and salt. Beat on low speed until crumbly. Press half of the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
- To make the filling, add the eggs, Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and blossom water to the remaining mixture. Beat on medium speed until all of the ingredients are fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture over the crust.
- Bake the cake in a fully preheated oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the center has a slight jiggle. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
- Once the cake is completely cool, refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- When the cake has chilled and the filling is set, carefully remove it from the pan. Top the cake with chopped pistachios and dried rose petals. Enjoy!
Karen says
Can I freeze this cake?
Angelina Papanikolaou says
Hi Karen! Since this cake has a cheese-cake like filling, I would not recommend freezing it.
Hannah says
Absolutely loved the flavor of this cake- I served it for a group of GF friends and it was a huge hit. However, my rust was completely burnt 20 minutes before the timer went off- so burnt that I had to cut off the crust entirely and just served the center. It was still very tasty and perfectly set, but a shame to waste that much almond flour in a charred crust 🙁 I use an oven thermometer, so I’m unsure what happened- any tips? I want to make this again but I’m nervous!
Cynthia says
This was the perfect gift for someone who can't have gluten. I added 1 tsp. of ground cardamom. Only added pistachios on top of the finished cake. And I made a glaze with powdered sugar, orange water, and milk. Then topped with the pistachios and roses. It was lovely. I'll post a picture if possible. One last note, this is delicious for breakfast too.
Angelina Papanikolaou says
Hi Cynthia! I LOVE the addition of the glaze! It sounds soooo delicious. I'm so happy you enjoyed this cake.
p.s. I eat the leftovers for breakfast too! <3
Marcia says
This cake was made for me. It was as delicious as it was beautiful! One of the most thoughtful and delicious gifts I have ever received!
Angelina Papanikolaou says
I'm so happy you enjoyed this cake, Marcia! What a wonderful gift!! <3 <3
Annita says
This is delicious! I swapped out the spices for 1 tbsp of ground cardamom, 1 tsp of cinnamon and ½ tsp of nutmeg. I swapped the rose petals for pomegranate. It was super delicious! Thanks
Angelina says
I'm so happy you enjoyed this cake Annita! Your substitutions sound delicious!! 🙂
Francesca Ebel-Sweett says
What kind of butter is best to use? Salted or unsalted? Also, I love the taste of rosewater in a Persian love cake - would you recommend adding it to this recipe? Thanks in advance 🙂
Angelina says
Hi! I like to bake with salted butter because it doesn't contain any flavorings, but you can use any butter you prefer! If you use salted butter, reduce the amount of salt in half. Rosewater would make a great addition to the cake! You can add it to the filling. Orange blossom water will also be delicious!
Chelsea Johnston says
Could I double this recipe and adjust baking times in order for a taller/bigger cake? It looks delicious however I need to feed more than 12. 🙂
Angelina says
Hi Chelsea! Yes, you can double or triple the recipe. You will definitely need to increase the baking time.
Caillie Bost says
This cake is absolutely and utterly delicious!
I made this for a birthday event and was told by more than one person, that it was the best cake they'd ever eaten.
Easy and sensational!!
Thank you for this recipe xx
Angelina says
Hi Caillie, I'm so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Andrew Ness says
Hello Angelina.
I am about to try this recipe. Looks great.
One question. Your recipe says to add vanilla extract in the filling mix, but the ingredients list doesn’t include this ingredient. If I do add it, then what is the quantity please. Thanks so much.
Andrew.
Angelina Papanikolaou says
Hi Andrew! Sorry about that! You will need 2 tsp of vanilla extract. I updated the recipe as well.
Elyse says
This recipe looked amazing, I tried to do it with some vegan alternatives (ground flaxseed combined with water to thicken as an egg replacement and coconut yoghurt instead of greek yoghurt), sadly it's been sitting in my gas oven for over 40 minutes and still doesn't look remotely cooked. Always worth trying new things, but I'd reduce the amount of yoghurt and add another cup of almond flour for a future attempt.
Thank you for the recipe, I'd love to know what you'd do for a vegan alternative for this cake, Angelina.
x
Angelina says
Hi Elyse! I have not tried to make this cake using vegan ingredients. However, I would try to make a cashew filling with soaked and pureed cashews instead of using flaxseed eggs.
Nicole says
From the pics, it looks like this cake is not very high/tall. Could you use a tart pan instead of a full sixes spring form pan?
Angelina says
Hi Nicole! Yes, you can use a 9-inch tart pan instead of a spring form pan.
Sunel says
Can you omit the crust and just combine everything to make a cake?
Angelina says
Hi Sunel! Yes, you can. I would make the following adjustments to prevent your cake from becoming too dry:
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
Mandy says
This was the BEST Persian love cake recipe I have ever made. Everyone should make this!!
Angelina says
Thank you Mandy!!