Livestream: Persian Love Cake

In celebration of the Persian New Year, we will learn to bake the beautiful scented almond cake that has become known as Persian Love Cake. Made with a blend of almond and semolina flours, and seasoned with cardamom, this cake is moist and dense and can be decorated in many ways. We will learn how to seal the cake with a rose water syrup and decorate it with rose petals and pistachio. We will learn about the spices, scented waters, and other ingredients common to Persian cuisine, and how to source and prepare these ingredients for maximum flavor. We will also demo how to make a cultured cream often served with the cake. As the cake bakes, we will discuss the history of this dessert and the legend behind its name and learn about other sweets and foods eaten during the Persian New Year. The class will cover basic baking techniques and will offer suggestions for making a gluten-free version of Persian Love Cake.

Instructor Anna Mays is an anthropologist who enjoys teaching about world culinary traditions, agricultural practices and the intersection between food, diet, culture and well-being. Anna trained at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School and enjoys baking for seasonal festivals and holidays. Class will be held on the Microsoft Teams platform, and joining instructions will be sent to participants in advance.