The Pink Flower Snapchat Filter Cake or why Cardamom and Rose make me swoon.

Darlings,Happy Summer, my personal favorite season.One of my favorite things about summer is outdoor entertaining. I just love having friends over when the sun is still high in the sky,  cooking a big dinner, pouring endless glasses of rose and drinking them through dusk and spending the night around a fire-pit.Darlings, even though I don't love dessert, I do believe that if you invite someone to your home, you can't leave them hanging after dinner. You've got to leave them with a sweet something. And in the summer, it's a bit tricky because you don't want to overwhelm the gentleness of the stars and the fire and you don't want anything to be too heavy on a warm summer night, and it obviously has to be complementary to Rose. Or else, what's the point.That's why I love this cake - it's spongey and elegant and creamy without being heavy. It's my take on a cake with a storied background - a Persian love cake is based on the tale that once upon a time, a woman fell in love with a prince and she baked him this (well a much more traditional version of this) filled with magical powers to make him fall in love with her. It worked and thank goodness, because this cake is truly magical.I happen to really really love the flavors of Iran - which makes this a perfect cake for my home. I also love the fact that those who aren't familiar with Iran's cuisine get a serious surprise while experiencing the unusual combination of flavors such as cardamom (also said to be an aphrodisiac, if you are truly using this cake for it's historical purposes), rose (which, darlings, is one of my all time favorite flavors) and saffron (I keep a few threads in the house, always, just in case).Now, this is the recipe that I use when I have a few hours before people will eat it. If I had more time, I'd use a candied rose petal garnish and more traditional pistachios instead of berries. But in the summer, I like the tang of the berries against the savory spice of the cardamom and silkiness of the saffron. A Maine variation on a Love Cake IngredientsCake

• 1 cup cake flour
• 14 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 1/2 Tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 Tsp. coarse kosher salt
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 6 Tbsp. water
• 1/4 c. canola oil
• 1 Tsp. finely grated lemon peel
• 1/4 Tsp. cardamom

Frosting

• 2 c. heavy whipping cream
• 1 Tbsp. Rose Water
• 2/3 c. powdered sugar
• few threads saffron
• berries for decor.

Method

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees
• Prepare 2 8" cake pans with canola spray and flour.
• Mix flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom and 7 Tbsp of the sugar in a large bowl.
  • Add yolks to the dry mix until smooth.
• Beat egg whites in a large bowl until soft peaks form
  • Add the remaining 7 Tbsp of the sugar to the egg whites and continue to beat until it becomes thick and shiny.
• Fold whites into the existing batter in 2 sections.
• Divide batter between two pans and bake for 25 minutes.
• While cakes are baking, make your frosting.
  • In a large bowl, beat your whipping cream, powdered sugar, saffron and rose water until stiff peaks form, refrigerate.
• Cool cakes for about an hour and frost! Frost the flat side of your first cake and put the flat side of the second cake on top. Use the rest of the frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake. Add berries for garnish if desired.
• Chill for at least an hour or so.

More soon darlings,xoxo lcfps - Happy Summer!