Persian Love Cake

By jennKI

Delicious & Light! *Needs to chill at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours.

Ingredients

• CANDIED ROSE PETALS:
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Petals from 2 organic roses
• CAKE:
• 1 1/2 Cup cake flour
• 21 Tablespoons baker's sugar or superfine sugar, divided
• 2 Teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 + 1/8 Teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 4 1/2 Large eggs, separated (5 Egg Whites)
• 1/4 Tsp Cream of Tartar
• 6 tablespoons water + 3 Tbsp Rose Water
• 1/4 + 1/8 Cup canola oil
• 1 1/2 Teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1 Teaspoon whole cardamom seeds (removed from about 8 green cardamom pods)
• FROSTING:
• 3 1/4 Cups chilled heavy whipping cream, divided
• Pinch of saffron threads
• 1 Cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 Teaspoon rose water
• 3 Tablespoons natural unsalted pistachios

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

For candied rose petals:
Whisk egg whites in small bowl until foamy. Using pastry brush, brush rose petals on both sides with egg whites; sprinkle on both sides with sugar. Dry on nonstick rack at least 6 hours or overnight.

FOR CAKE:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line pan bottoms with parchment paper; butter parchment.
> Sift flour, 10 ½ tablespoons baker's sugar, baking powder, and salt into large bowl.
> Whisk yolks and next 4 ingredients in small bowl until smooth.
> Add yolk mixture to dry ingredients; whisk until smooth.
> Beat egg whites in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 10 ½ tablespoons baker's sugar; beat until whites resemble thick marshmallow fluff. Fold whites into batter in 3 additions.
>Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until cakes are golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
> Cool in pans on racks 15 minutes. Turn out onto racks, peel off parchment, and cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap and store at room temperature.)

FOR FROSTING:
> Combine 1/2 cup cream and saffron in small saucepan. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat; let steep 20 minutes. Chill until cold.
> Beat remaining 2 cups cream, powdered sugar, and rose water in large bowl until soft peaks form; strain in saffron cream. Beat until peaks form.
> Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Chill at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours. Garnish cake with rose petals and pistachios.


*Increase ingredients by 50% therefore, 1 ½ times batter.
> DO NOT GREASE PANS!
> Add a ¼ tsp Cream of Tartar to egg whites in cake. (Egg Whites=5) Beat until foamy then slowly add sugar. Beat mixture until thickened to the point that it can form a ribbon when you pull up beater. Use wire whisk to fold in.
> Beat oil into the egg yolk mixture a little at a time.
> Sift flour at least 3 times.
> Crush Cardamon Seeds
> Add 3 Tbsp of Rose Water to cake batter in place of 3 tbsp water.
> Add 1 Tbsp Rose Water to Frosting