A parting gift for my friends. Almond sponge soaked in amaretto, layered with mascarpone chantilly, ultra-ripe cherry jam, and a soft ganache (60% cacao, in a 1:1.5 cream-to-chocolate ratio). The cake’s grocery store bakery aesthetics—maraschino cherries, piped rosettes, candied oranges, sliced almonds and chocolate chunks— are reimagined with richer ingredients and a more indulgent, vaguely Italian, flavor profile.
My birthday cake, made with freshly ground pistachio and almond flour, spiced with cardamom, and filled with homemade lemon jelly and mascarpone chantilly. The sponge is my adaptation of an Ottolenghi-inspired recipe for the traditional Persian Love Cake, originally shared by the LA-based, ultra-creative Zozo Baking. In Persian folklore, a woman once used the cake’s fragrant blend of saffron, cardamom, rosewater, and turmeric to enchant a prince. My adaptation leans into just the cardamom, brightend with citrus zest and vanilla extract– a flavor that’s crisp, aromatic and still remarkably sensual.
Alternating pralines with rosewater–white chocolate pistachio ganache (dark shells) and hazelnut dark chocolate ganache (light shells). For the dark chocolate shells, I use 60% cacao — bold, but still gentle enough to let the delicate notes of pistachio and rosewater shine through. Against the creamy white chocolate shells, single saffron threads add a slightly bitter floral twist that enhances the earthiness of the hazelnut filling. Recipes are my very own.
