Persian love cake

The key flavour combination in this Persian love cake is nutmeg and yoghurt. Something about it is pure dessert alchemy.

Smitten: Persian love cake. Picture: Armelle Habib

Funnily enough, I only discovered Persian love cake when I came to Australia, but now that it has taken the world by storm it’s also becoming more popular in Iran. For me, the key flavour combination is nutmeg and yoghurt. There’s something about it that is pure dessert alchemy. Why “love cake”? The story goes that a village woman tried to woo a prince with this cake. He swooned over the cake but rejected the girl and she ended up eating it all herself. I hope your romantic cake adventures are more successful, though I have to say eating the cake is also winning!

Hamed Allahyari. Picture: Armelle Habib

Persian love cake

3 cups (300g) almond meal

180g caster sugar

1 cup lightly packed (185g) light brown sugar

½ cup (125g) unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes

2 eggs

1 cup (260g) Greek-style yoghurt

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cardamom

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

½ cup (50g) flaked almonds

¼ cup (35g) slivered pistachio kernels

Edible dried rose petals, to serve (optional)

Preheat oven to 150C (130C fan). Grease a 20cm round cake tin. Combine the almond meal, sugars and butter in a large bowl and mix with your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Press half the crumb mixture into the cake tin, creating an even base.

Add the eggs, yoghurt, salt and spices to the remaining crumb mixture and, using a wooden spoon, mix until smooth. Pour the batter into the tin and smooth the surface with a spatula. Sprinkle the flaked almonds and pistachios over the top. Transfer to the oven and bake for 1 hour, until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Start checking after 50 minutes to ensure it’s not colouring too quickly and cover the cake with foil if necessary.

Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Decorate with dried rose petals (if using) and serve. The cake will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Serves 8-10

Ramadan rice pudding (Shir Berenj)

1 cup (200g) jasmine rice, rinsed

4 cups (1 litre) full-cream milk

1 cup (220g) granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup (80ml) rosewater

Ground cinnamon, for sprinkling

Place rice and 2 cups (500ml) water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, until the rice has a pasty texture. Add milk, sugar and salt; continue to cook, stirring often to avoid the rice sticking to the base of the pan, for 20 minutes. Stir through rosewater, divide among bowls and sprinkle over cinnamon. Serves 6

Salamati

Edited extract from Salamati by Hamed Allahyari with Dani Valent (Murdoch Books, $45). Photography: Armelle Habib