rose cardamom almond cake (persian love cake)

from yasmin khan, featured in the saffron tales

Notes

• 8.5 inch round pan

ingredients

• cake
  • 200 g unsalted butter
  • 150 g caster sugar
  • 4 medium eggs
  • 12 cardamom pods
  • 100 g plain flour, sifted
  • 275 g ground almonds
  • zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp rose water
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 pinch salt
• syrup
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • ½ tbsp rose water
• icing
  • 150 g icing sugar
  • juice ¾ lemon
  • 2 tsp cold water
• topping
  • 2 tsp chopped pistachio
  • 2 tsp dried rose petals

instructions

1. cake
   1. preheat oven to 325 ºF. grease pan and line with parchment
   2. cream butter and sugar, then add eggs
   3. grind cardamom in mortar and discard pods. add to cake with rest of cake ingredients
   4. bake for 45 minutes
2. syrup
   1. combine sugar, lemon juice, and rose water over low heat until sugar melts
   2. poke holes into baked cake and pour over syrup
3. icing and topping
   1. combine sugar, lemon juice, and few drops of water until smooth. spread over cooled cake