Persian Love Cake

I saw the recipe for Persian Love Cake in Bon Appetit years ago and hadn't found an excuse to make it until the un-shower for Amy.  I thought it was beautifully feminine and the rose water, cardamom and saffron flavors would be sophisticated.

It didn't let me down.  It's a very light cake and the combination of the flavors above are delicious.  It's not hard to make - even the candied rose petals are manageable - and the frosting is basically whipped cream so it's pretty forgiving.  I think this would make a unique and fantastic wedding cake.

A few tips:  I couldn't find organic roses, but the florist recommended Fair Trade roses and that I wash them a couple of extra times.  Knowing what I know about FT, that didn't make any sense but I did it anyway.  I would recommend only buying one rose, not two as the recipe suggests, as I had more roses than I knew what to do with.  Saffron is expensive but you'll get several cake's worth out of a jar. People really don't make cakes very often anymore and usually only for special occasions, so just splurge - you and your guests are worth it!